Global trends in milk quality: implications for the irish dairy industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

More SJ

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract The quality of Irish agricultural product will become increasingly important with the ongoing liberalisation of international trade. This paper presents a review of the global and Irish dairy industries; considers the impact of milk quality on farm profitability, food processing and human health, examines global trends in quality; and explores several models that are successfully being used to tackle milk quality concerns. There is a growing global demand for dairy products, fuelled in part by growing consumer wealth in developing countries. Global dairy trade represents only 6.2% of global production and demand currently outstrips supply. Although the Irish dairy industry is small by global standards, approximately 85% of annual production is exported annually. It is also the world's largest producer of powdered infant formula. Milk quality has an impact on human health, milk processing and on-farm profitability. Somatic cell count (SCC is a key measure of milk quality, with a SCC not exceeding 400,000 cells/ml (the EU milk quality standard generally accepted as the international export standard. There have been ongoing improvements in milk quality among both established and emerging international suppliers. A number of countries have developed successful industry-led models to tackle milk quality concerns. Based on international experiences, it is likely that problems with effective translation of knowledge to practice, rather than incomplete knowledge per se, are the more important constraints to national progress towards improved milk quality.

Collection Network Cable Routing and Wake Losses Optimization in Offshore Wind Farms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

S.F. Rodrigues; P. Bauer (Pavol); P.A.N. Bosman (Peter); J. Pierik

2014-01-01

htmlabstractOffshore wind farms with high installed capacities and located further from the shore are starting to be built by northern European countries. Furthermore, it is expected that by 2020, several dozens of large offshore wind farms will be built in the Baltic, Irish and North seas. These

Irish Intercultural Cinema: Memory, Identity and Subjectivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murray, Enda Vincent

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Irish intercultural cinema looks at the development of a cinematic genre which focuses on issues of Irish migrancy but is produced outside of Ireland. This paper has as its focus the cultural landscape of Irish-Australia. The essay uses methodologies of ethnographic and documentary theory plus textual analysis of film and written texts to establish a throughline of Irish intercultural film. The essay begins by contextualising the place of the Irish diaspora within the creation of Irish identity globally. The discussion around migrancy is widened to consider the place of memory and intergenerational tensions within not just the Irish migrant population, but also within the diverse cultures which comprise the contemporary Australian landscape. The historical development of intercultural cinema is then explored internationally within a context of colonial, gender and class struggles in the 1970s and1980s. The term intercultural cinema has its origins in the Third Cinema of Argentinians Solanas and Getino in the 1970s and covers those films which deal with issues involving two countries or cultures. The term was refined by Laura Marks in 2000 and further developed by Hamid Naficy in 2001 in his discussion of accented cinema which narrows its definition to include the politics of production. The paper then traces the development of Irish intercultural cinema from its beginnings in England in the 1970s with Thaddeus O'Sullivan through to Nicola Bruce and others including Enda Murray in the present day. The essay concludes by bringing these various strands together to see where intercultural film might have a place in today's globalised cultural landscape. Common traits within intercultural film such as the notion of place, autobiographical film and personal identity are explored using examples of intercultural filmmaking from around the globe. These commonalities point to a way forward for the future of a sustainable multicultural film culture.

The Irish Wind Atlas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watson, R [Univ. College Dublin, Dept. of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Dublin (Ireland); Landberg, L [Risoe National Lab., Meteorology and Wind Energy Dept., Roskilde (Denmark)

1999-03-01

The development work on the Irish Wind Atlas is nearing completion. The Irish Wind Atlas is an updated improved version of the Irish section of the European Wind Atlas. A map of the irish wind resource based on a WA{sup s}P analysis of the measured data and station description of 27 measuring stations is presented. The results of previously presented WA{sup s}P/KAMM runs show good agreement with these results. (au)

Subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) in grazing Irish dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Grady, Luke; Doherty, Michael L; Mulligan, Finbar J

2008-04-01

Subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) is a significant production disease of dairy cattle. Previous concerns have been raised over the occurrence of SARA in pasture-fed dairy cattle and the potential consequences of laminitis and lameness. Highly digestible perennial rye grass contains high concentrations of rapidly fermentable carbohydrate and low concentrations of physical effective fibre that may result in SARA. This study conducted a point prevalence survey of rumen health status in grazing Irish dairy cattle fed predominantly perennial rye grass-based pasture. The survey assessed rumen fluid, animal health status, milk production data and pasture composition. A total of 144 cows between 80 and 150 days in milk were sampled on 12 farms. Eleven percent of cows were classified as affected with SARA (pH 5.8). The study showed that low rumen pH is prevalent in grazing Irish dairy cattle consuming perennial rye grass-based pasture and raises concerns regarding effective pasture utilisation and possible consequences for animal health.

A Survey of Tritium in Irish Seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Currivan, L.; Kelleher, K.; McGinnity, P.; Wong, J.; McMahon, C.

2013-07-01

This report provides a comprehensive record of the study and measurements of tritium in Irish seawater undertaken by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland RPII. The majority of the samples analysed were found to have tritium concentrations below the limit of detection and a conservative assessment of radiation dose arising showed a negligible impact to the public. Tritium is discharged in large quantities from various nuclear facilities, and mostly in liquid form. For this reason it is included in the list of radioactive substances of interest to the OSPAR (Oslo-Paris) Convention to protect the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic. To fulfil its role within OSPAR, to provide technical support to the Irish Government, RPII carried out a project to determine the levels of tritium in seawater from around the Irish coast to supplement its routine marine monitoring programme. A total of 85 seawater samples were collected over a three year period and analysed at the RPII's laboratory. Given that the operational discharges for tritium from the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Sellafield, UK, are expected to increase due to current and planned decommissioning activities RPII will continue to monitor tritium levels in seawater around the Irish coast, including the Irish Sea, as part of its routine marine monitoring programme

Including spatial data in nutrient balance modelling on dairy farms

Science.gov (United States)

van Leeuwen, Maricke; van Middelaar, Corina; Stoof, Cathelijne; Oenema, Jouke; Stoorvogel, Jetse; de Boer, Imke

2017-04-01

The Annual Nutrient Cycle Assessment (ANCA) calculates the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) balance at a dairy farm, while taking into account the subsequent nutrient cycles of the herd, manure, soil and crop components. Since January 2016, Dutch dairy farmers are required to use ANCA in order to increase understanding of nutrient flows and to minimize nutrient losses to the environment. A nutrient balance calculates the difference between nutrient inputs and outputs. Nutrients enter the farm via purchased feed, fertilizers, deposition and fixation by legumes (nitrogen), and leave the farm via milk, livestock, manure, and roughages. A positive balance indicates to which extent N and/or P are lost to the environment via gaseous emissions (N), leaching, run-off and accumulation in soil. A negative balance indicates that N and/or P are depleted from soil. ANCA was designed to calculate average nutrient flows on farm level (for the herd, manure, soil and crop components). ANCA was not designed to perform calculations of nutrient flows at the field level, as it uses averaged nutrient inputs and outputs across all fields, and it does not include field specific soil characteristics. Land management decisions, however, such as the level of N and P application, are typically taken at the field level given the specific crop and soil characteristics. Therefore the information that ANCA provides is likely not sufficient to support farmers' decisions on land management to minimize nutrient losses to the environment. This is particularly a problem when land management and soils vary between fields. For an accurate estimate of nutrient flows in a given farming system that can be used to optimize land management, the spatial scale of nutrient inputs and outputs (and thus the effect of land management and soil variation) could be essential. Our aim was to determine the effect of the spatial scale of nutrient inputs and outputs on modelled nutrient flows and nutrient use efficiencies

Profiling vocabulary acquisition in Irish.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Toole, Ciara; Fletcher, Paul

2012-01-01

Investigations into early vocabulary development, including the timing of the acquisition of nouns, verbs and closed-class words, have produced conflicting results, both within and across languages. Studying vocabulary development in Irish can contribute to this area, as it has potentially informative features such as a VSO word order, and semantically rich prepositions. This study used a parent report adapted for Irish, to measure vocabulary development longitudinally for children aged between 1,04 and 3,04. The findings indicated that the children learned closed-class words at relatively smaller vocabulary sizes compared to children acquiring other languages, and had a strong preference for nouns.

Universal precautions--do Irish anaesthetists comply?

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Rourke, N

2012-02-03

BACKGROUND: Anaesthetists are at high risk from blood-borne pathogens. Universal Precautions (UP) include the routine use of appropriate barrier precautions and techniques to reduce the likelihood of exposure to blood, body fluids and tissues that may contain pathogens. The compliance of Irish anaesthetists with these precautions has not been studied. AIM: To study the attitudes of Irish anaesthetists to Universal Precautions. METHOD: A postal questionnaire was sent to 210 anaesthetists currently practising in Ireland. The questionnaire was based on a model used in Australia and New Zealand. RESULTS: There was a 50% response rate to the survey. Only 15% of respondents had taken a risk history from a patient in the preceding four weeks. Resheathing of needles was commonplace. The effectiveness of hepatitis B immunisation was rarely checked and only 66% of respondents believe implementation of Universal Precautions to be practical. CONCLUSION: Irish anaesthetists comply poorly with Universal Precautions.

Aesthetics at the Impasse: The Unresolved Property of Dale Farm

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Lynne

2015-01-01

"Soil Depositions" was an art activist project that responded to the 2011 Irish Traveller eviction at Dale Farm in Essex when three resident women donated small amounts of soil from the site of their former home. The soil was subsequently deposited, framed and documented in various national and international locations. This article…

Florence Nightingale and Irish nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Lynn

2014-09-01

To challenge statements made about 'Careful Nursing' as a 'distinctive system' of nursing established by the Irish Sisters of Mercy, prior to Florence Nightingale, and which is said to have influenced her. Numerous publications have appeared claiming the emergence of a 'distinctive system' of nursing as 'Ireland's legacy to nursing', which, it is claimed, influenced Nightingale's system. One paper argues that the Irish system has its philosophical roots in Thomist philosophy. Several papers argue the ongoing relevance of the Irish system, not Nightingale's, for contemporary nursing theory and practice. Nightingale's influence on and legacy to Irish nursing are not acknowledged. A Discursive paper. Archival and published sources were used to compare the nursing systems of Florence Nightingale and the Irish Sisters of Mercy, with particular attention to nursing during the Crimean War. Claims were challenged of a 'distinctive system' of nursing established by the Irish Sisters of Mercy in the early nineteenth century, and of its stated influence on the nursing system of Florence Nightingale. The contention of great medical satisfaction with the 'distinctive' system is refuted with data showing that the death rate at the Koulali Hospital, where the Irish sisters nursed, was the highest of all the British war hospitals during the Crimean War. Profound differences between the two systems are outlined. Claims for a 'distinctive' Irish system of nursing fail for lack of evidence. Nightingale's principles and methods, as they evolved over the first decade of her school's work, remain central to nursing theory and practice. Nightingale's insistence on respect for patients and high ethical standards remains relevant to practice no less so as specific practices change with advances in medical knowledge and practice. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Partial dependency parsing for Irish

OpenAIRE

Uí Dhonnchadha, Elaine; van Genabith, Josef

2010-01-01

In this paper we present a partial dependency parser for Irish, in which Constraint Grammar (CG) rules are used to annotate dependency relations and grammatical functions in unrestricted Irish text. Chunking is performed using a regular-expression grammar which operates on the dependency tagged sentences. As this is the first implementation of a parser for unrestricted Irish text (to our knowledge), there were no guidelines or precedents available. Therefore deciding what constitutes a syntac...

Detection of presumptive Bacillus cereus in the Irish dairy farm environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O’Connell A.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of the study was to isolate potential Bacillus cereus sensu lato (B. cereus s.l. from a range of farm environments. Samples of tap water, milking equipment rinse water, milk sediment filter, grass, soil and bulk tank milk were collected from 63 farms. In addition, milk liners were swabbed at the start and the end of milking, and swabs were taken from cows’ teats prior to milking. The samples were plated on mannitol egg yolk polymyxin agar (MYP and presumptive B. cereus s.l. colonies were isolated and stored in nutrient broth with 20% glycerol and frozen at -80 °C. These isolates were then plated on chromogenic medium (BACARA and colonies identified as presumptive B. cereus s.l. on this medium were subjected to 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA sequencing. Of the 507 isolates presumed to be B. cereus s.l. on the basis of growth on MYP, only 177 showed growth typical of B. cereus s.l. on BACARA agar. The use of 16S rRNA sequencing to identify isolates that grew on BACARA confirmed that the majority of isolates belonged to B. cereus s.l. A total of 81 of the 98 isolates sequenced were tentatively identified as presumptive B. cereus s.l. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was carried out on milk and soil isolates from seven farms that were identified as having presumptive B. cereus s.l. No pulsotype was shared by isolates from soil and milk on the same farm. Presumptive B. cereus s.l. was widely distributed within the dairy farm environment.

The Irish Maritime Transport Economist Volume 3

OpenAIRE

Office, Irish Maritime Development

2006-01-01

The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) of the Marine Institute publishes the Irish Maritime Transport Economist each year to provide a descriptive statistical analysis of the Irish ports and shipping services sector, as well as the many factors influencing its performance.

The Irish Maritime Transport Economist Volume 4

OpenAIRE

Office, Irish Maritime Development

2007-01-01

The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) of the Marine Institute publishes the Irish Maritime Transport Economist each year to provide a descriptive statistical analysis of the Irish ports and shipping services sector, as well as the many factors influencing its performance.

Irish treebanking and parsing: a preliminary evaluation

OpenAIRE

Lynn, Teresa; Cetinoglu, Ozlem; Foster, Jennifer; Uí Dhonnchadha, Elaine; Dras, Mark; van Genabith, Josef

2012-01-01

Language resources are essential for linguistic research and the development of NLP applications. Low- density languages, such as Irish, therefore lack significant research in this area. This paper describes the early stages in the development of new language resources for Irish – namely the first Irish dependency treebank and the first Irish statistical dependency parser. We present the methodology behind building our new treebank and the steps we take to leverage upon the few existing resou...

A Feminism of Their Own?: Irish Women’s History and Contemporary Irish Women’s Writing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mary Ryan

2010-03-01

Full Text Available For a long time, Irish women’s lives were strictly confined to the private domain, and women’s issues were largely silenced and hidden from public knowledge. Additionally, both Church and state maintained that women should hold a certain morality, particularly relating to areas of sexuality and reproduction. As a result, until relatively recently, Irish women’s issues remained largely ignored and therefore unremarked upon. This paper will examine two major areas in which Irish women’s lives have traditionally been repressed: women’s sexuality and domestic violence, both issues which were once considered taboo for open discussion. This paper will also discuss how these same issues are being represented in Irish chick lit novels, thus providing a frank and positive voice for these largely female issues and for the everyday experiences of women in Ireland.

The impact of biosecurity and partial depopulation on Campylobacter prevalence in Irish broiler flocks with differing levels of hygiene and economic performance

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Shaun Smith

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Campylobacter jejuni is the leading bacterial food-borne pathogen within the European Union (EU, and poultry meat is the primary route for transmission to humans. Material and methods: This study examined the impact of partial depopulation (thinning, season, and farm performance (economic, hygiene, and biosecurity on Campylobacter prevalence in Irish broilers over a 13-month period. Ten caecal samples were taken per flock, for a total of 211 flocks from 23 farms during the duration of the study. Campylobacter was isolated and enumerated according to modified published ISO methods for veterinary samples. Biosecurity was evaluated through a questionnaire based on risk factors for Campylobacter identified in previous studies. Hygiene compliance was assessed from audit records taken over the course of 1 year. All information relating to biosecurity and hygiene was obtained directly from the processing company. This was done to ensure farmers were unaware they were being monitored for Campylobacter prevalence and prevent changes to their behaviour. Results and discussion: Farms with high performance were found to have significantly lower Campylobacter prevalence at first depopulation compared with low-performance farms across all seasons (P≤0.01. Peak Campylobacter levels were observed during the summer season at first thin in both the high- and low-performance groups. Campylobacter prevalence was found to increase to ≥85% in both high- and low-performance farms across all seasons at final depopulation, suggesting that Campylobacter was introduced during the first depopulation. On low-performance farms, four biosecurity interventions were found to significantly reduce the odds of a flock being Campylobacter positive (physical step-over barrier OR=0.17, house-specific footwear OR=0.13, absence of water body within 0.5 km OR=0.13, two or more broiler houses on a farm OR=0.16, compared with farms without these interventions. For high

The impact of biosecurity and partial depopulation on Campylobacter prevalence in Irish broiler flocks with differing levels of hygiene and economic performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Shaun; Messam, Locksley L McV; Meade, Joseph; Gibbons, James; McGill, Kevina; Bolton, Declan; Whyte, Paul

2016-01-01

Campylobacter jejuni is the leading bacterial food-borne pathogen within the European Union (EU), and poultry meat is the primary route for transmission to humans. This study examined the impact of partial depopulation (thinning), season, and farm performance (economic, hygiene, and biosecurity) on Campylobacter prevalence in Irish broilers over a 13-month period. Ten caecal samples were taken per flock, for a total of 211 flocks from 23 farms during the duration of the study. Campylobacter was isolated and enumerated according to modified published ISO methods for veterinary samples. Biosecurity was evaluated through a questionnaire based on risk factors for Campylobacter identified in previous studies. Hygiene compliance was assessed from audit records taken over the course of 1 year. All information relating to biosecurity and hygiene was obtained directly from the processing company. This was done to ensure farmers were unaware they were being monitored for Campylobacter prevalence and prevent changes to their behaviour. Farms with high performance were found to have significantly lower Campylobacter prevalence at first depopulation compared with low-performance farms across all seasons (P≤0.01). Peak Campylobacter levels were observed during the summer season at first thin in both the high- and low-performance groups. Campylobacter prevalence was found to increase to ≥85% in both high- and low-performance farms across all seasons at final depopulation, suggesting that Campylobacter was introduced during the first depopulation. On low-performance farms, four biosecurity interventions were found to significantly reduce the odds of a flock being Campylobacter positive (physical step-over barrier OR=0.17, house-specific footwear OR=0.13, absence of water body within 0.5 km OR=0.13, two or more broiler houses on a farm OR=0.16), compared with farms without these interventions. For high-performance farms, no single biosecurity intervention was identified as

An Irish Revolution Without A Revolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aidan Beatty

2016-03-01

Full Text Available There is a conventional view among Irish historians that a revolution occurred in that country between the passing of the Third Home Rule Bill of 1912 and the end of the Civil War in 1923.  The violence of those years, the collapse in support for the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP, the meteoric rise to power of Sinn Féin, a new sense of meritocracy, a greater sense of democracy and a widespread radicalism; all are seen as elements of a major change in Irish politics and life, a ‘Revolution.’  Drawing on Gramsci's notion of a “revolution without a revolution”, this paper seeks to understand the events in Ireland of 1912-23, not as a sudden rupture with the past but as the culmination of a much longer period of (often British-backed capitalist development in post-Famine Ireland. This paper argues that Irish nationalist politics in the decades before 1912 is better understood via categories such as class, gender, capitalism and the pervasive power of the British state.  As such, as well as pursuing a reassessment of the project of Irish historical development and state-building, this paper also seeks a reassessment of the project of (an equally statist Irish historiography.

Horslips in Irish Musical and Literary Culture

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John L. Murphy

2008-03-01

Full Text Available This essay examines the literary impact of a musical electric-folk band. Horslips combined psychedelic, and hard rock with Irish traditional motifs and Celtic narrative themes. Spanning the decade from 1970 to 1980, their success and decline followed the trajectory of the countercultural movement, which came late to Ireland. The band’s revival of mythic characters and historical events drawn from the Irish past attracted fans from all over the island, as well as the diaspora; many young people gained an appreciation of their Irish heritage for the first time, as Horslips became the first electric folk-rock band to fuse disparate genres, and to succeed as an Irish-based independent collective who controlled the graphics, marketing, distribution, and promotion of their music. They inspired the likes of U2 and the Irish punk and new-wave rock musicians who followed them, and without the pioneering efforts of Horslips, Irish music and culture today may never have reached its current success, three decades later.

Radioactivity Monitoring of the Irish Environment 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fegan, M.; Dowdall, A.; Hanley, O.; Hayden, E.; Kelleher, K.; Long, S.; Smith, V.; Somerville, S.; Wong, J.; Pollard, D.

2008-10-01

This report presents the results of the environmental radioactivity monitoring programme carried out by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) in 2007. This programme aims to assess the exposure of the Irish population to artificial radioactivity in the envorinment, to review the temporal and geographical distribution of contaminating radionuclides and to maintain systems and procedures which would allow a rapid assessment of environmental contamination to be made in the event of a radiological emergency. In additiopn, some natural radioactivity exposure pathways are included in the programme including radioactivity in surface and ground drinking water. Radioactivity is present in the environment due to natural oprocesses, the testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, past nuclear accidents such as that at Chernobyl in the Ukraine and the routine discharge of radionuclides from nuclear installations. Liquid discharges from the British Nuclear Group reprocessing plant at Sellafield in Cumbria in the north-west of England continue to be the dominant source of artificial radioactivity in the Irish marine environment. The key elements of the monitoring programme implemented by the RPII in 2007 included; assessment of ambient radioactivity based on measurements of radioactivity in air and of external gamma dose rate at permanent monitoring stations located throughout the country; assessment of levels of radioactivity in drinking water; assessment of levels of radioactivity in foodstuffs based on measurements of total diet, milk and various ingredients; assessment of levels of radioactivity in the Irish marine environment based on sampling and measurement of seawater, sediment, seaweed, fish and shellfish. The RPII monitored airborne radioactivity at twelve stations located throughout the country. One of these stations is equipped with a high volume sampler, which allows background concentrations of caesium-137 to be measured; another is equipped to

Responses to the Holocaust in Modern Irish Poetry

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Benjamin Keatinge

2011-03-01

Full Text Available This essay examines twentieth and twenty-first century responses by Irish poets to the Holocaust. It argues that, despite the illiberal tendencies of the Irish state towards Jewish immigration during and after the 1939-1945 war, recent commemorative activities in Ireland have included the Holocaust and are part of a wider commemorative ‘opening up’ in Ireland towards twentieth-century historical events. Important contemporary Irish poets have written Holocaust poems of notable merit including: Seamus Heaney, Harry Clifton, Derek Mahon, Pearse Hutchinson, Paul Durcan, Paul Muldoon, Thomas Kinsella and Tom Paulin, all of whom are discussed here. These poets are noted as second-generation Holocaust poets, more at home in the lyric form and less troubled by communicative dilemmas than their precursors such as Paul Celan and Samuel Beckett whose resemblance is briefly discussed. The essay concludes by arguing that Giorgio Agamben’s arguments about testimony after Auschwitz are strikingly pertinent to some of the poems under discussion. It also suggests that the historical essays of Hubert Butler may have acted as an unseen influence on some of these writers.

‘Old Ireland and Himself’: William Orpen and the Conflicts of Irish Identity

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Roy Foster

2005-03-01

Full Text Available The Irish painter William Orpen (1878-1931, defined here as Ireland’s most ‘Spanish’ painter, was out of fashion for fifty years after his death; but he has recently been dramatically revalued, with his works fetching huge prices in salerooms and an unprecedentedly large exhibition of his work being mounted in London and subsequently Dublin. Best known for his Edwardian portraits and his devastating paintings of the First World War, he also produced a series of allegorical paintings of his native Ireland. These are discussed in this article, and linked to his admiration for J.M.Synge, his dislike of clericalism and repression in Irish life, and his celebration of sensuality. The same themes lie behind ‘Homage to Manet’, a celebrated group portrait which includes the Irish novelist George Moore and the art collector Hugh Lane —a close friend of Orpen’s. Orpen knew other figures of the cultural Revival, and his relation to them is discussed; as is the conflict of identity he experienced (like other middle-class Irish Protestants when the radicalisation of Irish politics and the outbreak of the First World War put a new strain on the allegiances of people who had previously thought of themselves as both ‘British’ and ‘Irish’. After the trauma of the War, and Irish separation, Orpen opted for Britain; but, it is argued, he was closer to elements of the Irish cultural revival, and more involved with Irish politics and Irish history, than is usually accepted.

The Portrayal of Women’s Contribution to Irish Society through a Sample from the Irish Press

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María Martínez Lirola

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The article intends to approach the representation of womanhood in the Irish press from 2006 to 2012. The corpus comprises all the texts dealing with women, from January 1 to 31 December of four years within this time range, taken from one of the main Irish broadsheet newspapers: The Irish Independent. The research database LexisNexis Academic was employed to compile the corpus. For the purposes of this research, I apply Teun van Leeuwen’s (2008 social actor network model. This paper points out that Corpus Linguistics (CL can be a powerful complementary tool to Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA.

Constituency Orientation in Irish Politics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kusche, Isabel

2017-01-01

The constituency orientation of Irish politicians is a recurring topic in Irish political science. Its analysis has predominantly focused on TDs. This article uses a content analysis of candidate video statements in the general election 2016 in order to assess the strength of constituency...... this pattern, indicated by the weak constituency orientation in Dublin and Cork constituencies. Results also indicate differences between parties and some political statuses, while the gender of the candidates is of no relevance. Although the material does not permit a clear distinction between effects...... of political culture and short-term considerations, taken together the results indicate that localism in Irish politics matters, but in more complicated ways than usually depicted....

Smart Farming: Including Rights Holders for Responsible Agricultural Innovation

OpenAIRE

Kelly Bronson

2018-01-01

This article draws on the literature of responsible innovation to suggest concrete processes for including rights holders in the “smart” agricultural revolution. It first draws upon historical agricultural research in Canada to highlight how productivist values drove seed innovations with particular consequences for the distribution of power in the food system. Next, the article uses document analysis to suggest that a similar value framework is motivating public investment in smart farming i...

Radioactivity Monitoring of the Irish Environment 2006

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, V.; Dowdall, A; Fegan, M.; Hayden, E.; Kelleher, K.; Long, S.; McEvoy, I.; Somerville, S.; Wong, J.; Pollard, D.

2007-10-01

This report presents the results of the environmental radioactivity monitoring programme carried out by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) in 2006. This programme aims to assess the exposure of the Irish population to artificial radioactivity in the environment, to review the temporal and geographical distribution of contaminating radionuclides and to maintain systems and procedures which would allow a rapid assessment of environmental contamination to be made in the event of a radiological emergency. Radioactivity is present in the environment due to natural processes, the testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, past nuclear accidents such as that at Chernobyl in Ukraine and the routine discharge of radionuclides from nuclear installations. Liquid discharges from the British Nuclear Group reprocessing plant at Sellafield in Cumbria in the north-west of England, which are licensed by the UK Environment Agency, continue to be the dominant source of artificial radioactivity in the Irish marine environment. The key elements of the monitoring programme implemented by the RPII in 2006 included; assessment of ambient radioactivity based on measurements of radioactivity in air and of external gamma dose rate at permanent monitoring stations located throughout the country; assessment of levels of radioactivity in drinking water; assessment of levels of radioactivity in foodstuffs based on measurements of total diet, milk and various ingredients; assessment of levels of radioactivity in the Irish marine environment based on sampling and measurement of seawater, sediment, seaweed, fish and shellfish. The RPII monitored airborne radioactivity at ten stations located throughout the country. One of these stations is equipped with a high volume sampler, which allows concentrations of caesium-137 to be measured; another is equipped to detect the presence of the gas krypton-85. This gas is released into the environment primarily as a result of the

The Ulster Cycle: Cultural Significance for Irish Composers

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Angela Goff

2017-10-01

Full Text Available For more than three hundred years, Irish composers have engaged with tales from early Irish saga-literature which comprises four main series: Mythological, Ulster and Fenian cycles as well as the Cycle of Kings. This literary corpus dates from 600–1200 CE and is amongst the oldest in Europe. The fragmented history of the literature reveals a continuity of tradition in that the ancient sagas evolved from the oral Irish tradition, were gradually recorded in Irish, and kept alive in modern times through translation into the English language. The timelessness and social impact of these sagas, centuries after they were documented, resonate with Irish composers through the identification of local features and/or universal themes of redemption, triumph or tragedy depicted in the literature. The focus here is on sagas from the Ulster Cycle as they have been most celebrated by Irish composers; the majority of which have been composed since Thomas Kinsella’s successful translation of the Táin Bó Cuailnge in 1969. How the composers chose to embrace the Irish past lies in each composer’s execution of the peculiar local and universal themes exhibited in the sagas. The aim of this article is to initiate an interdisciplinary discussion of the cultural significance of this literary corpus for Irish composers by exploring an area of Irish musicological discourse that has not been hitherto documented. A brief literary background to the Ulster Cycle leads to a discussion of what prompted the composers to engage with Ulster Cycle themes at a particular time in their respective careers. An exploration of the various stylistic features employed in selected works sheds light on the cultural ideologies that prevailed in Ireland at the time of their respective composition.

Ocean modelling for aquaculture and fisheries in Irish waters

Science.gov (United States)

Dabrowski, T.; Lyons, K.; Cusack, C.; Casal, G.; Berry, A.; Nolan, G. D.

2016-01-01

The Marine Institute, Ireland, runs a suite of operational regional and coastal ocean models. Recent developments include several tailored products that focus on the key needs of the Irish aquaculture sector. In this article, an overview of the products and services derived from the models are presented. The authors give an overview of a shellfish model developed in-house and that was designed to predict the growth, the physiological interactions with the ecosystem, and the level of coliform contamination of the blue mussel. As such, this model is applicable in studies on the carrying capacity of embayments, assessment of the impacts of pollution on aquaculture grounds, and the determination of shellfish water classes. Further services include the assimilation of the model-predicted shelf water movement into a new harmful algal bloom alert system used to inform end users of potential toxic shellfish events and high biomass blooms that include fish-killing species. Models are also used to identify potential sites for offshore aquaculture, to inform studies of potential cross-contamination in farms from the dispersal of planktonic sea lice larvae and other pathogens that can infect finfish, and to provide modelled products that underpin the assessment and advisory services on the sustainable exploitation of the resources of marine fisheries. This paper demonstrates that ocean models can provide an invaluable contribution to the sustainable blue growth of aquaculture and fisheries.

Irish Culinary Manuscripts and Printed Books:a Discussion

OpenAIRE

Mac Con Iomaire, Máirtín; Cashman, Dorothy

2011-01-01

This paper provides a discussion of Irish Culinary Manuscripts and Printed Cookbooks. It covers Gaelic hospitality and aristocratic hospitality, setting the background for the Anglo-Irish households from which many manuscripts emerge. It charts the growing sources of information on Irish culinary history. It outlines Barbara Wheaton's framework for reading historic cookbooks and discusses the growing manuscript cookbook collection in the National Library of Ireland.

Engineering Research in Irish Economic Development

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, John

2011-01-01

This article summarizes the main findings and recommendations of a report published in December 2010 by the Irish Academy of Engineering (IAE). The report, representing the views of a committee of distinguished Irish engineers from a wide range of disciplines, addresses the role of engineering research in Ireland's economic development and the…

Radioactivity monitoring of the Irish marine environment 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Grady, J.; Currivan, L.

1990-06-01

This report represents the results of the Board's monitoring of radioactivity levels in the Irish marine environment during 1987. The principal objective of the monitoring programme is to obtain estimates of radiation doses to the Irish public arising from caesium-137 and caesium 134, the main contaminating radionuclides. Estimates are presented of the radiation doses to the Irish public arising from the consumption of fish and shellfish contaminated with radiocaesium

'HAs fail to consult Irish people in UK'.

Science.gov (United States)

1992-11-10

Health authorities are failing to consult local people on their health needs, a conference on the mental health of Irish people living in the UK heard last week. Consulting Irish people was often only 'symbolic', despite the requirements of the NHS and Community Care Act, conference Chair Padraic Kenna, Director of Innisfree Housing Association, told delegates. 'The Irish caught the boat in the 1950s only to miss the boat ever since,' he said.

Nature tourism and Irish film

OpenAIRE

Brereton, Pat

2006-01-01

This article provides a historical overview and reading of seminal Irish film from the perspective of nature tourism. Within Irish cultural studies, tourism is frequently equated with an overly romantic image of the island, which has been used to sell the country abroad. However, using notions like the tourist gaze and taking on board influential debates around space/place, one can posit a more progressive environmental vision of nature and landscape in our readings of film.

Extent of Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Problems in the Irish Traditional Music Community: A Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Mark; Wilson, Iseult M; Doherty, Liz; Magee, Justin

2018-03-01

The literature related to playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) primarily includes classical musicians and instrument-specific studies. Previous work by our team identified that PRMDs are an issue for Irish traditional fiddle players; however, the extent of the problem was not known. To identify the type and extent of PRMDs in the Irish traditional music population, specifically fiddle players. A questionnaire was developed and administered to faculty and students related to all Irish traditional music courses in all higher education institutions in Ireland. Seven institutions were included. The response rate was 77.5% (n=79 of 102 possible respondents). A fifth of respondents never had a PRMD, 36.7% (n=29) currently had a PRMD, and 34.2% (n=27) had a previous experience of a PRMD. The main symptoms were pain (62%, n=49), stiffness (41.8%, n=33), and tingling (35.4%, n=28). There was a positive association between the development of PRMDs and increased hours of play (p=0.017). PRMDs are a problem for Irish traditional fiddle players, especially during times of intense playing such as festivals.

The contribution of radioactivity in the Irish Sea to the radiation exposure of the Irish population during 1982-'83

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunningham, J.D.; O'Grady, J.

1984-03-01

This report presents an estimate of the exposure of members of the Irish public during the period of May 1982 to June 1983 due to the consumption of fish and shellfish, the most important route by which exposure of the Irish public can occur from radioactivity, in particular radiocaesium, in the Irish Sea. Radiation exposure from other pathways, such as external radiation, is neglegible. The results are examined in terms of the dose limits recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection and the basic radiation safety standards of the European Community. The results show a small decrease on the levels of recent years and indicate a decreasing trend probably reflecting the reduction in the quantity of radiocaesium being discharged annually from Sellafield. The monitoring programme enables the radioactivity levels of the Irish Sea to be kept under review and will be continued to enable trends to be identified. (author)

The Impact of Oil Prices on Irish Inflation

OpenAIRE

O'Brien, Derry; Weymes, Laura

2010-01-01

Oil prices have been characterised by large fluctuations in recent years. Strong volatility in oil prices has important implications for the Irish economy as Ireland has a relatively poor fuel endowment and relies heavily on imported oil. Energy price increases have been one of the principal drivers behind HICP inflation rates in Ireland in recent years. This article highlights the distinctive features of the Irish energy market which render the impact of oil price changes on Irish inflation ...

Reawakening the Irish language through the ırish education system: Challenges and priorities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T.J. Ó Ceallaigh

2015-12-01

Full Text Available As a language, Irish is unique to Ireland and is, therefore, of crucial importance to the identity of the Irish people, to Irish culture and to world heritage. The Irish language however has had a turbulent and traumatic history and has endured a complex and varied relationship with the Irish people. Since the foundation of the Irish Free State, the education system has been targeted as an agency and model for Irish language planning, education and language revitalisation and has had a critical role in generating linguistic ability in the Irish language. This paper reviews the complex and controversial relationship between the Irish language, the State and the education system from an historical perspective. Some key acts of recent legislation and government initiatives, which impact on the status of the Irish language are considered and barriers and challenges to progress in the education system are outlined. The paper concludes with a discussion on significant positive factors which may revolutionise and reawaken the Irish language through our education syste

The farming population in Ireland: mortality trends during the 'Celtic Tiger' years.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Smyth, Breda

2012-03-21

Background Although the Irish farming population is a significant occupational group, analysis of their mortality patterns is limited. This study compared mortality trends with other occupational groups and assessed the impact of socio-economic factors. Methods Population and mortality data (2000-06) were obtained to calculate standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) by cause of death and matched with socio-economic data. The extent to which variation in mortality was explained by variations in the socio-economic data was determined using multiple regression. Results Farmers and agricultural workers experienced the highest levels of mortality for all causes of death (2000-06). Farmers are 5.14 times more likely and agricultural workers are 7.35 times more likely to die from any cause of death than the lowest risk group. Circulatory disease is a significant cause of mortality among farmers [SMR = 215.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 201.83-229.98]. Other significant causes include cancers (SMR = 156.60, CI = 146.73-166.48) and injuries and poisonings (SMR = 149.69, CI = 135.44-163.93). Agricultural workers have similar mortality trends: circulatory disease (SMR = 226.27; CI = 192.45-260.08), cancers (SMR = 221.44; CI = 193.88-249.00), and injuries and poisonings (SMR = 353.90; CI = 302.48-405.32). From 2000 to 2006, SMRs increased incrementally. Multiple regression identified farm size and income poverty risk as predictors of mortality. Conclusion Irish farmers and agricultural workers have experienced a reversal of mortality trends compared to the 1980s and 1990s. Policies should target them as a high-risk group.

Irish-Israelism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yazell, Bryan

2018-01-01

This article re-considers the language of racial stereotype that is at the forefront of the “Cyclops” episode in Ulysses. Critics have long characterized the conflict between Leopold Bloom and the Citizen in terms of how each character defines the Irish nation. According to these readings, Bloom’...

Third party liability in the field of nuclear law an irish perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Higgins, P.; McGrath, P.

2002-01-01

This paper will first set out in summary form the main provisions of the Paris Convention, the instrument under which issues of third party liability between the majority of NEA member states affected by any such incident would be resolved, and will then set out some of the perceived advantages and disadvantages which would result from an application of the provisions of the Convention to a non-nuclear state such as Ireland. This paper will then consider how Irish victims of a nuclear incident might re.cover compensation for loss and damage caused by such an incident. For reasons set out below, it is the view of the authors that Irish victims of such an incident could first bring their claim in Ireland or in France, that it is likely that Irish law would apply to any such claim and that any judgement, including any interlocutory judgement in such proceedings, could be enforced in the courts of any other European Union state, including France. (authors)

Injuries in Irish dance.

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Cynthia J; Tyson, Kesley D; Johnson, Victor M; Popoli, David M; d'Hemecourt, Pierre A; Micheli, Lyle J

2013-12-01

Irish dance is growing in popularity and competitiveness; however, very little research has focused specifically on this genre of dance. The purpose of this study was to analyze the types of dance injuries incurred by Irish dancers. A chart review was performed to identify all injuries associated with Irish dance seen in the sports medicine or orthopaedic clinics at the investigators' hospital over an 11-year period. "Injury" was defined as any dance-related pain or disorder that led to evaluation in the clinics. Survey data were also collected from study participants. Ultimately, 255 patients from over 30 different schools of dance were seen with injuries directly related (726 clinic visits) or partially related (199 visits) to Irish dance. Participants ranged in age from 4 to 47, with 95% (243/255) under the age of 19. These 255 patients received 437 diagnoses. Almost 80% of the injuries (348/437) were attributable to overuse, and 20.4% were acute and traumatic injuries (89/437). Ninety-five percent (95.9%) of injuries involved the hip or lower extremity. The most common sites were the foot (33.2%), ankle (22.7%), knee (19.7%), and hip (14.4%). Typical diagnoses were tendon injury (13.3%), apophysitis (11.4%), patellofemoral pain and instability (10.8%), stress injury (10.1%), and muscle injury (7.8%). The majority of traumatic injuries were seen in clinic within 3 weeks, but less than a quarter of overuse injuries were seen that quickly. The most common treatment, prescribed to 84.3% of patients, was physical therapy and home exercises, and the majority of dancers (64.3%) were able to return to full dance activity after injury.

Altered phosphorylation of rhodopsin in retinal dystrophic Irish Setters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunnick, J.; Takemoto, D.J.; Takemoto, L.J.

1986-01-01

The carboxyl-terminus of rhodopsin in retinal dystrophic (rd) Irish Setters is altered near a possible phosphorylation site. To determine if this alteration affects ATP-mediated phosphorylation they compared the phosphorylation of rhodopsin from rd affected Irish Setters and normal unaffected dogs. Retinas from 8-week-old Irish Setters were phosphorylated with γ- 32 P-ATP and separated on SDS-PAGE. Compared to unaffected normal retinas, equalized for rhodopsin content, phosphorylation of rd rhodopsin was drastically reduced. When rd retinas were mixed with normal dog retinas, phosphorylation of the latter was inhibited. Inhibition also occurred when bovine retinas were mixed with rd retinas. The rd-mediated inhibition of phosphorylation was prevented by including 1mM NaF in the reaction mixture. Likewise, 1mM NaF restored phosphorylation of rd rhodopsin to normal levels. Phosphopeptide maps of rd and normal rhodopsin were identical and indicated 5 phosphopeptides present in each. Results suggest that one cause of the depressed rd rhodopsin phosphorylation is an increased phosphatase activity

Radioactivity monitoring of Irish dairy produce

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelleher, K.

2010-01-01

Full text: The RPII has been carrying out monitoring of milk and dairy produce since 1986. Milk samples are routinely analysed for radiocaesium and strontium-90 as part of the RPII's environmental monitoring programme to determine the doses received to the Irish population from milk consumption. The method the RPII utilises for determining the Sr-90 activity in milk is by measuring the Cerenkov radiation produced by its daughter 90 Y isolated from interfering nuclides such as uranium, thorium, radium and their decay products as well as isotopes of caesium, potassium and strontium by extraction with 10% di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate (HDEHP) in toluene. The chemical yield of 90 Y is determined by the acidmetric titration of yttrium nitrate carrier with titriplex III. The levels of Sr-90 and dose to the Irish population from milk consumption have been negligible when compared to other radioactive sources in the Irish environment. Other dairy products are analysed for radiocaesium on a routine basis for commercial customers to ensure the levels of radioactivity in the dairy products fall within EC regulations governing the export/import of dairy produce. The export of milk and milk produce from Ireland is a very important industry, 80% of dairy products produced in Ireland are exported and these exports are worth Euro 2.2 billion annually to the Irish economy. The dairy products are analysed by gamma spectroscopy and include full and skim milk powders, butter, casein, cheese, cream, whey and lactose. The levels of radiocaesium in these products are typically below 5 Bk/kg and fall well within the limit of 370 Bq/kg laid down by the European Community in Council Regulation 737/90. Although the levels of these radionuclides are relatively low the RPII recognises the importance of analysing these samples for radioactivity to inform the public, ensure consumer confidence and, more importantly, to maintain a level of expertise in the RPII in these analytical techniques so that

Radioactivity monitoring of Irish dairy produce

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kelleher, K. (Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland. Radiation Monitoring, Dublin (Ireland))

2010-03-15

Full text: The RPII has been carrying out monitoring of milk and dairy produce since 1986. Milk samples are routinely analysed for radiocaesium and strontium-90 as part of the RPII's environmental monitoring programme to determine the doses received to the Irish population from milk consumption. The method the RPII utilises for determining the Sr-90 activity in milk is by measuring the Cerenkov radiation produced by its daughter 90Y isolated from interfering nuclides such as uranium, thorium, radium and their decay products as well as isotopes of caesium, potassium and strontium by extraction with 10% di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate (HDEHP) in toluene. The chemical yield of 90Y is determined by the acidmetric titration of yttrium nitrate carrier with titriplex III. The levels of Sr-90 and dose to the Irish population from milk consumption have been negligible when compared to other radioactive sources in the Irish environment. Other dairy products are analysed for radiocaesium on a routine basis for commercial customers to ensure the levels of radioactivity in the dairy products fall within EC regulations governing the export/import of dairy produce. The export of milk and milk produce from Ireland is a very important industry, 80% of dairy products produced in Ireland are exported and these exports are worth Euro 2.2 billion annually to the Irish economy. The dairy products are analysed by gamma spectroscopy and include full and skim milk powders, butter, casein, cheese, cream, whey and lactose. The levels of radiocaesium in these products are typically below 5 Bk/kg and fall well within the limit of 370 Bq/kg laid down by the European Community in Council Regulation 737/90. Although the levels of these radionuclides are relatively low the RPII recognises the importance of analysing these samples for radioactivity to inform the public, ensure consumer confidence and, more importantly, to maintain a level of expertise in the RPII in these analytical techniques so

The sword and the prayerbook: ideals of authentic Irish manliness.

Science.gov (United States)

Nugent, Joseph

2008-01-01

As the Catholic Church responded to secular models of the nineteenth-century hero by refurbishing its saints, the Irish Church promoted its native saint, Colmcill, as the sole authentic positive stereotype deserving of the Irishman's emulation. At a time when the concepts of Irishness and manliness were being contested, the League of St. Columba proposed that the physical, psychological, and spiritual characteristics of Colmcill be materialized in the new Irish youth. By folding the mystical rhetoric of Catholicism into the search for national identity, the League altered the course of Irish nationalism and inflected the trajectory of Irish masculine development. While Colmcill's ascendance as an emulatory type was brief, the qualities he was shaped to embody were reinscribed in the Catholic priest, who became installed as the aspirational model for the youth of Ireland.

Smart Farming: Including Rights Holders for Responsible Agricultural Innovation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelly Bronson

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This article draws on the literature of responsible innovation to suggest concrete processes for including rights holders in the “smart” agricultural revolution. It first draws upon historical agricultural research in Canada to highlight how productivist values drove seed innovations with particular consequences for the distribution of power in the food system. Next, the article uses document analysis to suggest that a similar value framework is motivating public investment in smart farming innovations. The article is of interest to smart farming’s decision makers (from farmers to governance actors and a broader audience – anyone interested in engendering equity through innovation-led societal transitions.

Cultural Scripts and the Speech Act of Opinions in Irish English: A Study amongst Irish and Polish University Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weronika Gąsior

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Studies in pragmatics have been limited to a handful of illocutionary acts such as requests, apologies or compliments, and opinions remain underrepresented in the existing literature. In this paper I present the results of a study of opinions in Irish English, conducted in an intercultural environment of Irish-Polish interactions. Departing from a traditional approach of speech act realisation studies, I applied the theory of cultural scripts to analyse opinions. In contrasting the Irish and Polish formulas for expressing opinions, as well as sociopragmatic attitudes towards this speech act, a difference in the cultural scripts for opinions in each culture was observable. Apart from already documented Polish frankness in opinions, the study discovered also a rational approach to presenting good arguments to support one’s assertions among the participants. In relation to the Irish script for opinions, the findings are in line with previous classifications of opinions in Australian English, showing a certain level of variational uniformity amongst the English-speaking cultures in this regard.

75 FR 27339 - Blackstone Wind Farm II, LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-14

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER10-1184-000] Blackstone Wind Farm II, LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for... proceeding of Blackstone Wind Farm, LLCs application for market-based rate authority, with an accompanying...

Database in Theory and Practice: The Bibliography of Irish Literary Criticism

Science.gov (United States)

Howell, Sonia

2013-01-01

Focusing on "The Bibliography of Irish Literary Criticism" (BILC, 2010), a bibliographical database of Irish literary criticism developed by humanities and information and communications technology (ICT) researchers in NUI Maynooth, this chapter investigates the opportunities and implications afforded the field of Irish literary studies…

The discharges from Sellafield how big a risk for the Irish population?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O` Flaherty, T [Radiological Protection Inst. of Ireland (Ireland)

1996-10-01

The site operated by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) at Sellafield in Cumbria was established just after World War II to produce plutonium for the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Plutonium was obtained by extracting it from nuclear fuel which had been irradiated in an early type of nuclear reactor. This procedure was the forerunner of what ultimately became the main commercial activity at Sellafield, the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel to recover re-usable uranium and plutonium An unavoidable consequence of nuclear fuel reprocessing is the necessity to discharge from the site very large volumes of low-level radioactive waste in liquid form. In the case of Sellafield this waste is discharged into the Irish Sea. Due to a plant malfunction the rates of discharge greatly increased in the mid-1970s, and became a matter of serious concern to the people of Ireland and to successive Irish Governments. In more recent years the rates of discharge have fallen again to lower levels, but this has not diminished concern in Ireland to any significant degree. This paper summarises the results of Irish monitoring of radioactivity levels in the Irish Sea which has been in progress since the late 1970s. From these results it quantifies the radiation doses received by people in Ireland in consequence of the discharges from Sellafield, and estimates the degree of risk of increased cancer levels in the Irish population as a result. The RPII`s monitoring programme has been expanded since 1993 in the light of the bringing into operation of the new Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (Thorp) and now includes the monitoring of gaseous discharges to the atmosphere. The paper includes some initial results of this expanded programme.

Radioactivity Monitoring of the Irish Environment 2003-2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryan, R.W.; Dowdall, A; Fegan, M.F.; Hayden, E.; Kelleher, K.; Long, S.; McEvoy, I.; McKittrick, L.; McMahon, C.A.; Murray, M.; Smith, K.; Sequeira, S.; Wong, J.; Pollard, D.

2007-05-01

This report presents the results of the environmental radioactivity monitoring programme carried out by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) between 2003 and 2005. This programme aims to assess the exposure of the Irish population to anthropogenic radioactivity in the environment, to review the temporal and geographical distribution of contaminating radionuclides and to maintain systems and procedures which would allow a rapid assessment of environmental contamination to be made in the event of a radiological emergency. Radioactivity is present in the environment due to natural processes, the testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, past nuclear accidents such as that at Chernobyl and the routine licensed discharge of radionuclides from nuclear installations. Liquid discharges from the British Nuclear Group reprocessing plant at Sellafield in Cumbria in the North-West of England continue to be the dominant source of anthropogenic radioactivity in the Irish marine environment. The key elements of the monitoring programme implemented by the RPII during the reporting period include; assessment of ambient radioactivity based on measurements of radioactivity in air and external gamma dose rate at permanent monitoring stations located throughout the country; assessment of levels of radioactivity in drinking water; assessment of levels of radioactivity in foodstuffs based on measurements of total diet, milk and miscellaneous ingredients; assessment of levels of radioactivity in the marine environment based on sampling and measurements of seawater, sediment, seaweed, fish and shellfish. The RPII monitored airborne radioactivity at eleven stations located throughout the country. One station is equipped with a high volume sampler, which allows global fallout concentrations to be measured, and one is equipped to detect the presence of the gas krypton-85. Krypton-85 is released into the environment primarily as a result of the reprocessing of nuclear

The Irish Theme in the Writings of Bill Naughton

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Pierce

2005-03-01

Full Text Available The student interested in cultural assimilation, hybridity, and naturalization, in masculinity, authorship, and identity, in what happened to the Irish in Britain in the twentieth century, will turn at some point to the Mayo-born, Lancashire writer Bill Naughton (1910-1992, author of a classic children’s story collection The Goalkeeper’s Revenge and Other Stories (1961, ofAlfie (1965, the film which helped define 1960s London, and of a series of autobiographies largely centering on his Irish childhood and upbringing in Bolton. It has been the historic role of Irish writers from Richard Brinsley Sheridan to Oscar Wilde, from Elizabeth Bowen to William Trevor, to give the English back to themselves in a gallery of portraits. Naughton is part of this tradition, but, unlike these other writers, his subject is the English working class, which he writes about from within, with both sympathy and knowledge. It can be readily conceded that his work is not at the forefront of modern English or Irish writing, but it does deserve to be better known and appreciated. Here in this discursive essay, with an eye on his Irish background, I move back and forth across his writing to reflect on his contribution not so to much the cultural greening of Britain as to the mass observation of the English and of the Irish in Britain.

Radioactivity monitoring of the Irish marine environment 1985-86

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunningham, J.D.; O'Grady, J.; Rush, T.

1988-01-01

This report presents the results of the monitoring programme for the two-year period from January 1985 to December 1986. Information on the radioactive contamination of the marine environment is obtained from the analysis of environmental samples taken at a number of locations along the coastline and various sampling stations in the western Irish Sea. These usually include samples of surface seawater, sediment, seaweed, fish and shellfish. Estimates are presented of the individual and collective doses received by the Irish public from the consumption of fish and shellfish during the period 1985-1986. These doses are assessed in terms of the system of dose limitation recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection and embodied in the Basic Safety Standards Directive of the European Community

Ecocriticism and Irish Poetry A Preliminary Outline

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James Mc Elroy

2011-03-01

Full Text Available This article offers a brief thumbnail sketch of how Irish poetry has situated “nature” inside its competing narrative forms. Beginning with Irish poetry’s earliest lyrics and concluding with some of Ireland’s most recent, and most experimental, writers, the goal of the piece is to introduce some rudimentary eco-critical theory as a means of better understanding how nature acts as a complex cultural and political semiotic, so often overlooked, in Irish literature. En route, the article examines and in part deconstructs those critical categories that have often divided Irish literature into two distinct ecological camps: the picturesque (read colonialist/tourist and the oral (read native/indigenous. The article also considers the importance of ecofeminist theory and asks how critics might better read Ireland’s women poets as nature poets in their own right. In closing, the piece turns its attention to a number of recent poets, both men and women, who have exceeded the picturesque/oral divide and now require eco-alternative readings of nature as we enter the second decade of the 21st Century.

75 FR 10159 - Irish-American Heritage Month, 2010

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-05

... America A Proclamation From long before American independence to today, countless individuals have reached... the Emerald Isle. Irish Americans fought for our independence, and their signatures adorn our founding documents. When famine ravaged Ireland in the 1840s and 1850s, many Irish men and women sought a new...

Corned Beef: an Enigmatic Irish Dish

OpenAIRE

Mac Con Iomaire, Máirtín; Gallagher, Pádraic Óg

2011-01-01

Corned beef and cabbage, which is consumed in America in large quantities each Saint Patrick’s Day (17th March), is considered by most Americans to be the ultimate Irish dish. However, corned beef and cabbage is seldom eaten in modern day Ireland. It is widely reported that Irish immigrants replaced their beloved bacon and cabbage with corned beef and cabbage when they arrived in America, drawing on the corned beef supplied by their neighbouring Jewish butchers, but not all commentators beli...

Irish Corned Beef: A Culinary History

OpenAIRE

Mac Con Iomaire, Máirtín; Gallagher, Pádraic Óg

2011-01-01

This article proposes that a better knowledge of culinary history enriches all culinary stakeholders. The article will discuss the origins and history of corned beef in Irish cuisine and culture. It outlines how cattle have been central to the ancient Irish way of life for centuries, but were cherished more for their milk than their meat. In the early modern period, with the decline in the power of the Gaelic lords, cattle became and economic commodity that was exported to England. The Cattle...

Welcome to the Irish Journal of Paramedicine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alan M Batt

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Welcome to the first issue of the Irish Journal of Paramedicine (IJP. It gives me great pleasure to launch this journal, a first for Irish paramedics, and pre-hospital care in Ireland. I am also honoured to announce that the IJP has been adopted as the official journal of the Irish College of Paramedics, the professional body for prehospital emergency care practitioners in Ireland.               A newly emerging profession, paramedicine is now poised at  a crossroads. Previously alluded to with  colleagues from around the globe, the role of the paramedic is one that is rapidly evolving, and yet paramedicine as a discipline has yet to figure out where it belongs.(1 Are we public safety professionals, first responders or healthcare professionals? Williams has previously stated that the road less travelled requires the paramedic profession to pursue identity as a healthcare profession and not as emergency responders, EMS workers, or ambulance drivers, which we are so commonly identified as.(2 Initiatives within Ireland such as the Centre for Prehospital Research national research agenda, the move to higher education for paramedics in University College Dublin and the University of Limerick, and the publication of high-quality peer-reviewed research, undertaken for paramedics, led by paramedics, and published in paramedicine journals are key components in this pursuit of professionalism. It is our hope that the Irish Journal of Paramedicine will play its part as a vehicle in this endeavour. It is important however to point out that the Irish Journal of Paramedicine is not exclusively for paramedics. Within Ireland, and around the world, there are many other prehospital care providers, including community responders, volunteer first responders, EMT practitioners, nurses, physicians and others who deliver high quality patient care and are as committed to their personal and professional development as any paramedic. This journal is for

Modelling travel and residence times in the eastern Irish Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dabrowski, T.; Hartnett, M.

2008-01-01

The Irish Sea, which lies between 51 deg. N-56 deg. N and 2 deg. 50'W-7 deg. W, provides a sheltered environment to exploit valuable fisheries resource. Anthropogenic activity is a real threat to its water quality. The majority of freshwater input down rivers flows into the eastern Irish Sea. The structure of the water circulation was not well understood during the planning of Sellafield nuclear plant outfall site in the eastern Irish Sea. A three-dimensional primitive equation numerical model was applied to the Irish Sea to simulate both barotropic and baroclinic circulation within the region. High accuracy was achieved with regard to the prediction of both tidal circulation and surface and nearbed water temperatures across the region. The model properly represented the Western Irish Sea Gyre, induced by thermal stratification and not known during planning Sellafield. Passive tracer simulations based on the developed hydrodynamic model were used to deliver residence times of the eastern Irish Sea region for various times of the year as well as travel times from the Sellafield outfall site to various locations within the Irish Sea. The results indicate a strong seasonal variability of travel times from Sellafield to the examined locations. Travel time to the Clyde Sea is the shortest for the autumnal tracer release (90 days); it takes almost a year for the tracer to arrive at the same location if it is released in January. Travel times from Sellafield to Dublin Bay fall within the range of 180-360 days. The average residence time of the entire eastern Irish Sea is around 7 months. The areas surrounding the Isle of Man are initially flushed due to a predominant northward flow; a backwater is formed in Liverpool Bay. Thus, elevated tracer concentrations are predicted in Liverpool Bay in the case of accidental spills at the Sellafield outfall site

Gaeilge Gaming: Assessing How Games Can Help Children to Learn Irish

Science.gov (United States)

Dalton, Gene; Devitt, Ann

2016-01-01

In the 2011 census almost one in three Irish teenagers claimed to be unable to speak Irish (Central Statistics Office, Ireland, 2012), despite the language being taught daily in school. The challenges facing the Irish language in schools are complex and multifaceted. The research reported here attempts to address some of these challenges by…

Glacigenic landforms and sediments of the Western Irish Shelf

Science.gov (United States)

McCarron, Stephen; Monteys, Xavier; Toms, Lee

2013-04-01

Vibrocoring of possible glacigenic landforms identified from high resolution bathymetric coverage of the Irish Shelf by the Irish National Seabed Survey (INSS) has provided several clusters of short (<3m) cores that, due to a regional post-glacial erosional event, comprise last glacial age stratigraphies. In addition, new shallow seismic data and sedimentological information from across the Western Irish Shelf provide new insights into aspects of the nature, timing and pattern of shelf occupation by grounded lobate extensions of the last Irish Ice Sheet. Restricted chronological control of deglacial sequences in several cores indicates that northern parts of the western mid-shelf (south of a prominent outer Donegal Bay ridge) were ice free by ~24 ka B.P., and that ice had also probably retreated from outer shelf positions (as far west as the Porcupine Bank) at or before this time.

Forecasting Irish Inflation: A Composite Leading Indicator

OpenAIRE

Quinn, Terry; Mawdsley, Andrew

1996-01-01

This paper presents the results of research into the construction of a composite leading indicator of the Irish rate of inflation, as measured by the annual percentage change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). It follows the work of Fagan and Fell (1994) who applied the business cycle leading indicator methodology, initially established by Mitchell and Burns (1938,1946), to construct a composite leading indicator of the Irish business cycle.

Travellers and Cowboys: Myths of the Irish West.

Science.gov (United States)

Bisplinghoff, Gretchen

The recent Irish film "Into the West" (1992) explores the myth of the West on two continents. Images from television and movies appear as a visual reference point within "Into the West"; the main characters, two young Irish boys, are fascinated with the American West of cowboys and Indians as depicted in countless Hollywood…

Attitudes of Irish dental graduates to vocational training.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

McKenna, G

2010-05-01

Vocational training (VT) is a mandatory 12 month period for UK dental graduates after graduation. Graduates of Irish Dental Schools are eligible to enter the general dental service in Ireland or obtain an NHS performers list number in the UK immediately after qualification. Reports would suggest that some graduates of Irish Dental Schools are choosing to take part in VT in the UK and find the experience beneficial. This study aimed to record the uptake of VT amongst recent graduates from University College Cork and to document their experiences. It was designed to compare the attitudes and experiences of graduates of Irish Dental Schools who undertook VT compared with those who entered the general dental service.

Technetium-99 in the Irish marine environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, V.; Fegan, M.; Pollard, D.; Long, S.; Hayden, E.; Ryan, T.P

2001-07-01

Technetium-99 activity concentrations in seawater and biota from Irish coastal waters are presented. Time series measurements of {sup 99}Tc in seawater and Fucus vesiculosus from the western Irish Sea show that activity concentrations have increased in line with the increase in discharges of {sup 99}Tc from Sellafield. The peak in activity concentrations in both seawater and Fucus vesiculosus occurred in 1997 approximately two years after the peak in {sup 99}Tc discharges. The highest activity concentration recorded in Fucus vesiculosus showed a 29-fold increase over the mean concentration for the period 1988-1993. Technetium-99 activity concentrations were measured in fish, lobsters, prawns, mussels and oysters landed at major fishing ports on the east and northeast coasts of Ireland between 1996 and 1998. Concentration factors for {sup 99}Tc in the brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus and certain species of fish, crustaceans and molluscs from the Irish Sea were estimated. In general, these concentration factors were higher than those in the literature which were derived from laboratory studies, but agreed well with values which were based on field studies. The mean committed effective doses to Irish typical and heavy seafood consumers due to {sup 99}Tc in the period 1996-1998 were 0.061 and 0.24 {mu}Sv, respectively.

Radioactivity monitoring of the Irish marine environment 2000 and 2001

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryan, T.P.; McMahon, C.A.; Dowdall, A.

2003-04-01

doses will be influenced by the remobilisation of radionuclides bound to sediments in the Irish Sea. The Institute takes the view that the very highest possible standards of safety and waste management should apply to nuclear facilities including the implementation of best available techniques for the further reduction of discharges with a view to minimising their environmental impact

Angels and IPOs: Policies for Sustainable Equity Financing of Irish Small Businesses

OpenAIRE

Mulcahy, Diane

2005-01-01

Angels and IPOs: Policies for Sustainable Equity Financing of Irish Small Businesses explores the rationale for the Irish government?s investments of more than 300 million Euro in Irish companies and the domestic venture capital industry. It challenges the conventional wisdom that there is an `equity gap? of early stage risk capital in Ireland. In the context of the equity financing cycle, it discusses the limited supply of angel capital available to Irish firms as well as the `exit gap? resu...

EJBEVol.1 No.1/2010 Page 134 The Conditionality of Irish aid ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

focus will be on the impact of Irish development assistance in Sudan. Irish aid administered by .... 'priority' countries and the relationships between Irish Aid and trade. ..... of excessive government spending, budget deficits and inflation, and overvalued ..... indemnified against any credit risk from overseas customers by the.

Aspects of the biology of Mya arenaria and Ensis spp. (Mollusca; Bivalvia) in the Irish Sea and adjacent areas

OpenAIRE

Cross, Maud E.

2014-01-01

This study was undertaken to investigate the general biology, including the reproductive cycle and health status, of two clam taxa in Irish waters, with particular reference to the Irish Sea area. Monthly samples of the soft shell clam, Mya arenaria, were collected from Bannow Bay, Co. Wexford, Ireland, for sixteen months, and of the razor clam, Ensis spp. from the Skerries region (Irish Sea) between June 2010 and September 2011. In 2010, M. arenaria in Bannow Bay matured over the summer mont...

Is Irish set dancing feasible for people with Parkinson's disease in Ireland?

Science.gov (United States)

Shanahan, Joanne; Morris, Meg E; Bhriain, Orfhlaith Ni; Volpe, Daniele; Richardson, Margaret; Clifford, Amanda M

2015-02-01

To investigate if community-based Irish set dancing is feasible in Irish adults with Parkinson's disease. Over an eight week period, ten participants attended one set dancing class per week and completed a home programme in parallel. Feasibility was assessed by monitoring adverse effects, participants' verbal feedback, compliance rates and feedback from an exit questionnaire. Participants were assessed using the Berg balance scale, 6-min walk test, UPDRS-3 and PDQ-39, before and after the intervention. No adverse effects were detected. Attendance at classes was 86%. Compliance with the home programme was 67%. Findings from the exit questionnaire showed participants enjoyed participating and reported improvements in aspects of health including balance. Quality of life improved with the dance programme and there was a trend toward improvement on the UPDRS-3. These findings suggest community-based Irish set dancing is a feasible form of exercise that can positively influence quality of life. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Irish psychiatric nurses' self-reported sources of knowledge for practice.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Yadav, B L

2012-02-01

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an approach to health care in which health professionals use the best evidence available to guide their clinical decisions and practice. Evidence is drawn from a range of sources, including published research, educational content and practical experience. This paper reports the findings of a study that investigated the sources of knowledge or evidence for practice used by psychiatric nurses in Ireland. The paper is part of a larger study, which also investigated barriers, facilitators and level of skills in achieving EBP among Irish psychiatric nurses. Data were collected in a postal survey of a random sample of Irish psychiatric nurses using the Development of Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire. The findings revealed that the majority of survey respondents based their practice on information which was derived from interactions with patients, from their personal experience and from information shared by colleagues and members of the multidisciplinary team, in preference to published sources of empirically derived evidence. These findings are consistent with those of the previous similar studies among general nurses and suggest that Irish psychiatric nurses face similar challenges to their general nursing counterparts in attaining of EBP.

Bowery to Broadway. The American Irish in Classic Hollywood Cinema (Christopher Shannon & New Irish Storytellers. Narrative Strategies in Film (Díóg O’Connell

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Menéndez-Otero

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Reseñas de los libros de cine Bowery to Broadway. The American Irish in Classic Hollywood Cinema (Christopher Shannon 2010 & New Irish Storytellers. Narrative Strategies in Film (Díóg O’Connell 2010

A cross-sectional study on the prevalence and risk factors for foot and limb lesions in piglets on commercial farms in Ireland

OpenAIRE

Quinn, Amy Jean; Boyle, L. A.; Kilbride, A. L. (Amy L.); Green, Laura E.

2015-01-01

A cross-sectional survey of 68 integrated Irish pig farms was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors for foot and limb lesions in 2948 piglets from 272 litters. One litter was selected per age category; 3–7 days, 8–14 days, 15–21 days and 22–28 days per farm. All piglets were examined for sole bruising, sole erosion, coronary band injuries, limb abrasions, alopecia, swollen limbs and swollen feet and scored from 0 to 3 based on relative size. Environmental parameters were reco...

Making the Case for Irish through English: Eco-critical Politics of Language by Learners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John L. Murphy

2010-03-01

Full Text Available This paper examines recent accounts by Americans who have learned Irish. Their narratives from the West of Ireland express what translation theorist Michael Cronin calls ‘individualist politics of language’. He claims that the English-speaking majority will determine the survival of 21st century Irish.  Cronin shifts Irish into a globalized, ‘late modern’ network. Foreign-born learners enter this network when they choose to study Irish. They counter the stereotype of Irish schoolchildren forced into rote recitation of a moribund language.  Patricia Monaghan combines goddess-worship with academic research into indigenous spirituality, place-name lore, literature, and the Irish environmental inheritance. Her travelogue and reports by five other American visitors to Gaeltachtaí are compared with John Montague and Éilís Ní Dhuibhne’s literary depictions of 20th-century Irish-born school-level learners.Feminist, post-colonial, and literary criticisms enrich understanding of how American students apply ecological and cultural strategies that seek to recover this indigenous language. Choosing to make the case for Irish, adult students share Cronin’s ‘individualist politics’. In English-language books, American advocates preserve and expand a linguistic ecology in which Irish may survive.

Personal Development in Secondary Education: The Irish Transition Year

Science.gov (United States)

Clerkin, Aidan

2012-01-01

Secondary education in Ireland includes an optional Transition Year (TY) between the junior and senior examination cycles, when students are typically about 15 years old. Transition Year is an innovative programme, unique to Irish education, which is intended as a non-academic year devoted to personal and social development in the absence of…

Between Irish National Cinema and Hollywood: Neil Jordan’s Michael Collins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raita Merivirta-Chakrabarti

2007-03-01

Full Text Available When Neil Jordan’s film Michael Collins was released in 1996, it was seen by some as a Hollywood epic, by others as a great national film. I would argue that Michael Collins combines these two traditions and occupies a space between Irish national cinema and Hollywood. The subject matter, the creative talent and the locations were Irish and the film was produced by using the Irish filmmaking infrastructure and the Irish government’s support mechanisms, but it was largely financed and distributed by a Hollywood studio. Also, to make it more appealing especially globally, but probably also locally (since Hollywood is now the international standard, it makes use of Hollywood conventions, making it accessible to international audiences as well. Despite the Hollywood mode, the fact remains that Michael Collins is a national film text, and Jordan does not make too many concessions to the non-Irish audiences.

Profiling the Cross-Border Funding of the Irish Banking System

OpenAIRE

Coates, Dermot; Everett, Mary

2013-01-01

Between 2002 and 2008, there was a surge in foreign funding ows to the Irish banking system. This unprecedented increase in in ows was a key driver of the credit boom in Ireland. In the wake of the domestic banking and global nancial crises, the Irish banking system experienced a sharp decrease in its foreign wholesale funding. This Economic Letter addresses two primary questions: (i) who funded the Irish banking system during the boom?; and (ii) how did foreign funding contract in the post-S...

Accumulation of technetium-99 in the Irish Sea?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leonard, Kinson S.; McCubbin, David; Bonfield, Rachel; McDonald, Paul; Service, Matthew; Conney, Stuart

2004-01-01

An assessment has been carried out to determine the impact of continued 99 Tc discharges into the Irish Sea from the nuclear fuels reprocessing plant at Sellafield. Samples of surface and bottom seawater and sediment have been collected from the Irish Sea and analysed for 99 Tc. The information has been used, together with supporting data, to determine the effect of summer stratification upon the seawater concentrations and to evaluate whether sediments provide a sink for 99 Tc. Hydrographic data provide clear evidence of thermal stratification of waters above the muddy sediment in the western Irish Sea. Surface water contained higher 99 Tc concentrations than bottom water, and concentrations were inversely related to water salinity. This inverse relationship was not observed in the eastern Irish Sea close to Sellafield. 99 Tc activities in surficial sediments were greatest (>20 Bq/kg) at sites closest to the Cumbrian coastline. Activity, from equivalent sampling sites, remained similar between surveys carried out in 1995 and 1998. The muted response of the seabed sediments, to fluctuations in the Sellafield discharges, compared with the water column is to be expected given that they reflect the integrated radionuclide discharge history

`Googling' Terrorists: Are Northern Irish Terrorists Visible on Internet Search Engines?

Science.gov (United States)

Reilly, P.

In this chapter, the analysis suggests that Northern Irish terrorists are not visible on Web search engines when net users employ conventional Internet search techniques. Editors of mass media organisations traditionally have had the ability to decide whether a terrorist atrocity is `newsworthy,' controlling the `oxygen' supply that sustains all forms of terrorism. This process, also known as `gatekeeping,' is often influenced by the norms of social responsibility, or alternatively, with regard to the interests of the advertisers and corporate sponsors that sustain mass media organisations. The analysis presented in this chapter suggests that Internet search engines can also be characterised as `gatekeepers,' albeit without the ability to shape the content of Websites before it reaches net users. Instead, Internet search engines give priority retrieval to certain Websites within their directory, pointing net users towards these Websites rather than others on the Internet. Net users are more likely to click on links to the more `visible' Websites on Internet search engine directories, these sites invariably being the highest `ranked' in response to a particular search query. A number of factors including the design of the Website and the number of links to external sites determine the `visibility' of a Website on Internet search engines. The study suggests that Northern Irish terrorists and their sympathisers are unlikely to achieve a greater degree of `visibility' online than they enjoy in the conventional mass media through the perpetration of atrocities. Although these groups may have a greater degree of freedom on the Internet to publicise their ideologies, they are still likely to be speaking to the converted or members of the press. Although it is easier to locate Northern Irish terrorist organisations on Internet search engines by linking in via ideology, ideological description searches, such as `Irish Republican' and `Ulster Loyalist,' are more likely to

Is Bank Finance the Achilles' Heel of Irish SMEs?

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, Dermot; Flynn, Antoinette

2005-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research paper is to examine the implications of new banking regulations (Basel II) for the Irish SME sector. Training gaps are identified and recommendations to advance social capital networks are provided. Design/methodology/approach: The Irish SME dependence on external (bank) finance and their susceptibility to…

The other "Irish question".

Science.gov (United States)

Browne, H

1992-05-01

The influence of the Roman Catholic Church on Irish society makes it difficult for sex and health educators and HIV/AIDS prevention efforts. Divorce, abortion, consensual sex between consenting adult men, and contraception for those under 18 years is banned in Ireland. Public opinions and recent court decisions do appear to bring a measure of hope for more lenient attitudes. The trends vary from the recent Supreme Court case of the 14-year old rape victim being permitted an abortion because she was suicidal to a radio talk show host, Father Michael Cleary who suspected she was "set-up" to test the ban on abortion. Father Cleary also outraged health educators by stating inaccurately that condoms did not prevent AIDS. It is estimated that 500 Irish women have abortions each year in Britain; there have been 262 reported AIDS cases and estimates of up to 10,000 HIV infected out of a population of 3.5 million. An AIDS education campaign was mounted in 1987, but in the 37-minute Department of Health video only 1 minute was devoted to condoms and no sex was promoted as the only safe sex. Access is limited to consenting pharmacies and clinics for people 18 years of older; rural chemists may exercise discretion and refuse sales. In 1991, the government proposed lowering the age to 17 years for condom availability and assigning the regional health boards, the responsibility of determining who sells contraceptives. A university lecturer reported that inaction on this bill was close to "criminal inactivity." Challenges in February 1991 were made by the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) in setting up a condom sales kiosk in Dublin. The IFPA was fined, but opinion polls indicated that 57% supported condom availability for 16 year olds. On Valentines Day in 1992, condom vending machines, which are illegal, were installed in pubs and nightclubs, police action has been cautious. A new health minister is concerned about AIDS prevention and the republic's first woman President

The Role of Irish Language Teaching: Cultural Identity Formation or Language Revitalization?

Science.gov (United States)

Slatinská, Anna; Pecníková, Jana

2017-01-01

The focal point of the article is Irish language teaching in the Republic of Ireland. Firstly, we deal with the most significant documents where the status of the Irish language is being defined. In this respect, for the purposes of analysis, we have chosen the document titled "20 Year Strategy for the Irish language" which plays a…

Temporal trends in reproductive performance in Irish dairy herds and associated risk factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mee John F

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Irish dairy herd fertility has been declining since the 1980s. The extent, nature and causes of this decline in fertility and the current status of Irish dairy herd fertility were described. An increase in calving interval of approximately one day per year has been recorded. The principal components of this trend have been an increased incidence of postpartum endocrinopathies, reduced expression of oestrus and a fall in conception rate. Both submission rate and calving-to-service interval have increased slightly over time. Significant risk factors associated with these trends have been strain substitution within the Holstein-Friesian breed and single trait selection for milk production. Critically, these changes have been reflected in loss of body condition. Contributory factors included increased herd size and possibly increased use of DIYAI. The most recent Irish study showed that 48% of cows conceived to first service and 14% of cows were not pregnant at the end of the industry-average 15-week spring breeding season. However, the top quartile of herds achieved a first-service conception rate of 59%, illustrating the wide variation between herds. These phenotypic trends were attributed to both genetic and environmental factors and their interactions. Recent Irish dairy herd fertility performance falls short of the targets set for seasonal compact calving.

CULTURAL NATIONALISM AND THE IRISH LITERARY REVIVAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Pierce

2002-12-01

Full Text Available The impact of cultural nationalism on the Insh Literary Revival is a topic of continuing interest for the cultural critic and literary historian alike. In recent years, with the Fa11 of the Berlin Wall, political scientists and others, suchas A.D. Smith, Ernest Gellner, and E.J. Hobsbawm, have also focused on the subject of nationalism. The intention here in this article is to revisit a familiar site in the light of these new ideas and to test their validity or appropriateness in the Irish context. The article, part of a larger project to be published in 2003 by Polity Press under the title A Cultural History of Twentieth-Century Irish Literature, is divided into 5 sections: What ish my Nation?; What is a Nation?; Do Nations Have Navels?; 1890s: Winds of Change; English As We Speak It In Ireland. Among Irish authors discussed are Hyde, Shaw. Yeats, Wilde, Lady Gregory, Joyce, and Beckett.

Outward-Oriented Economic Development and the Irish Education System

Science.gov (United States)

Barry, Frank

2014-01-01

Most studies of the relationship between education and economic development focus on the line of causation running from the former to the latter. The present paper studies how the pattern of Irish development has influenced the structure of the Irish education system. The first section sets out the economic context of late industrialisation within…

Ghost Stories, Ghost Estates: Melancholia in Irish Recession Literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Molly Slavin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This article considers representations of melancholia in post-Celtic Tiger Irish literature. By situating their post-recession fictions in “ghost estates,” or largely uninhabited housing developments, Donal Ryan and Tana French present neoliberally-inflected varieties of melancholia for their contemporary readers to contemplate. The settings of the ghost estates – and the accompanying supernatural elements to the texts – call to mind ghosts of Ireland’s past and legacies of recent economically unsound policies, spurring the reader to think about the imagined loss of futurity that accompanied the Irish economic crash. “Ghost stories for ghost estates,” then, represent an important contribution to the growing field of post-recession Irish literature.

Comparative Analysis of Irish Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Production in the Farming Sectors that Emerged from Zimbabwe’s Radical Land Reform of 2000

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Svubure, O.; Struik, P.C.; Haverkort, A.J.; Steyn, J.M.

2017-01-01

© 2017 European Association for Potato ResearchIrish potato production in Zimbabwe can be traced back to the early 1900s. Large-scale commercial farmers dominated production until the early 2000s. Potato is the most important horticultural crop and has been declared a strategic national food

76 FR 16323 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Washington; Continuance Referendum

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-23

...; FV11-946-1 CR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Washington; Continuance Referendum AGENCY: Agricultural... conducted among eligible Washington potato growers to determine whether they favor continuance of the marketing order regulating the handling of Irish potatoes grown in Washington. DATES: The referendum will be...

A Woman Alone: The Depictions of Spinsters in Irish Women’s Short Stories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ann Wan-lih Chang

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the manner in which single women are represented in contemporary Irish women’s short stories.  Typically in these stories, such women are portrayed as a distinctive social group within a society in which a traditionally negative image of the spinster has been reinforced by a dominant social ideology which has as objective the exertion of social control over women.  Contemporary Irish female writers attempt to ridicule this problematic “single-woman phobia” by demonstrating that this phenomenon is actually the result of women’s “selflessness” rather than the “selfishness” associated with the spinster stereotype.  Irish women’s stories demonstrate also a fundamental unfairness inherent within Irish society in which women are compelled to sacrifice their own lives and needs for the benefit of others by assuming a surrogate mothering role as “social mothers”.  Ironically, this paradox acts as the main obstacle preventing Irish spinsters from fulfilling their roles as wives and biological mothers.  In response, Irish female writers de-demonise the witch-like spinster stereotypes by deconstructing through their narratives those paradoxical social norms which have actually nurtured and reinforced negative perceptions of the “single women” within Irish society.

Economic/Environmental power dispatch for power systems including wind farms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imen BEN JAOUED

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the problem of the Economic/Environmental power Dispatching (EED of hybrid power system including wind energies. The power flow model for a stall regulated fixed speed wind generator (SR-FSWG system is discussed to assess the steady-state condition of power systems with wind farms. Modified Newton-Raphson algorithm including SR-FSWG is used to solve the load flow equations in which the state variables of the wind generators are combined with the nodal voltage magnitudes and angles of the entire network. The EED problem is a nonlinear constrained multi-objective optimization problem, two competing fuel cost and pollutant emission objectives should be minimized simultaneously while satisfying certain system constraints. In this paper, the resolution is done by the algorithm multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been verified on IEEE 6-generator 30-bus test system and using MATLAB software package.

Irish Baking Book

OpenAIRE

Ross, Ruth Isabel

1995-01-01

Published by Gill & Macmillan, Goldenbridge, Dublin 8 in 1995 at a cost of £4.99 Irish pounds.Editorial consultant Roberta Reeners, Illustrations by Tom Brady, Design and print origination by Identikit Design Consultants Dublin, index compiled by Helen Litton, printed by the Guernsey Press Ltd. 98p., 19cm., paperback. Access the publisher's website here http://arrow.dit.ie/irckbooks/1006/thumbnail.jpg

Minority Language Advertising: A Profile of Two Irish-Language Newspapers

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly-Holmes, Helen; Atkinson, David

2007-01-01

This paper investigates the Irish-language adscape through an analysis of the profile of two Irish-language newspapers, "Foinse," published in the Republic of Ireland, and "La," published in Northern Ireland. The advertising in both papers is analysed in terms of products and services advertised, advertisers represented and…

76 FR 33967 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Southeastern States; Suspension of Marketing Order Provisions

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-10

... IR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Southeastern States; Suspension of Marketing Order Provisions AGENCY... suspends the marketing order for Irish potatoes grown in Southeastern states (order), and the rules and regulations implemented thereunder, through March 1, 2014. The order regulates the handling of Irish potatoes...

Comparison in maternal body composition between Caucasian Irish and Indian women.

Science.gov (United States)

Farah, N; Murphy, M; Ramphul, M; O'Connor, N; Kennelly, M M; Turner, M J

2011-08-01

The use of body mass index (BMI) for the diagnosis of obesity has limitations, especially when comparing ethnic groups with different body proportions. The aim of this prospective study was to compare maternal body composition in early pregnancy between Caucasian Irish and Indian women. A total of 81 Indian women and 81 Irish Caucasian women were matched for age, parity and BMI. Maternal weight and height were measured, and body composition analysed using bioelectrical impedance. The Irish women were taller and weighed more than the Indian women (pIndian women had a higher total body fat percentage, visceral fat level and high fat percentage than the Irish women (p=0.024, 0.001 and 0.001, respectively). Our findings suggest that lower BMI cut-offs should be used for screening for gestational diabetes mellitus in Indian women attending our antenatal services.

Host Students' Perspectives of Intercultural Contact in an Irish University

Science.gov (United States)

Dunne, Ciaran

2009-01-01

Given the increasing numbers of international students in Ireland and the lack of attention afforded to host culture students in existing research on intercultural relations in higher education, a grounded theory study was conducted in an Irish university exploring host (Irish) students' perspectives on intercultural contact. The study focused on…

Improved age constraints for the retreat of the Irish Sea Ice Stream

Science.gov (United States)

Smedley, Rachel; Chiverrell, Richard; Duller, Geoff; Scourse, James; Small, David; Fabel, Derek; Burke, Matthew; Clarke, Chris; McCarroll, Danny; McCarron, Stephen; O'Cofaigh, Colm; Roberts, David

2016-04-01

BRITICE-CHRONO is a large (> 45 researchers) consortium project working to provide an extensive geochronological dataset constraining the rate of retreat of a number of ice streams of the British-Irish Ice Sheet following the Last Glacial Maximum. When complete, the large empirical dataset produced by BRITICE-CHRONO will be integrated into model simulations to better understand the behaviour of the British-Irish Ice Sheet in response to past climate change, and provide an analogue for contemporary ice sheets. A major feature of the British-Irish Ice Sheet was the dynamic Irish Sea Ice Stream, which drained a large proportion of the ice sheet and extended to the proposed southern limit of glaciation upon the Isles of Scilly (Scourse, 1991). This study will focus on a large suite of terrestrial samples that were collected along a transect of the Irish Sea basin, covering the line of ice retreat from the Isles of Scilly (50°N) in the south, to the Isle of Man (54°N) in the north; a distance of 500 km. Ages are determined for both the eastern and western margins of the Irish Sea using single-grain luminescence dating (39 samples) and terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide dating (10 samples). A Bayesian sequence model is then used in combination with the prior information determined for deglaciation to integrate the geochronological datasets, and assess retreat rates for the Irish Sea Ice Stream. Scourse, J.D., 1991. Late Pleistocene stratigraphy and palaeobotany of the Isles of Scilly. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B334, 405 - 448.

Radioactivity monitoring of the Irish marine environment 1998 and 1999

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryan, T.P.; Long, S.; Dowdall, A.; Hayden, E.; Smith, V.; Fegan, M.; Sequeira, S.; Pollard, D.; Cunningham, J.D.

2000-09-01

The safety of the food chain and the protection of the environment are prime concerns of the Irish public. This report presents the results of the marine radioactivity monitoring programme carried out by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) during 1998 and 1999. The primary objective of the programme is to assess the exposure of the Irish population resulting from radioactive contamination of the Irish marine environment and to estimate the risks to health from this exposure. Discharged radioactive waste from the British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) reprocessing plant at Sellafield continues to be the dominant source of this contamination. In particular, the remobilisation from sediments of historic discharges makes an important contribution to the levels of radioactivity in the seawater of the western Irish Sea. Approximately 300 samples of fish, shellfish, seaweed, seawater and sediment were collected in 1998 and again in 1999. Both the Marine Institute and the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources assisted the Institute with this sampling. The samples were analysed for a range of contaminating radionuclides at the Institute's radio-analytical laboratory. The results show that the radionuclide of greatest dosimetric significance continues to be caesium-137. The activity concentration of this radionuclide in the Irish marine environment has remained relatively stable since the mid 1990s but at a lower level than that observed during the previous two decades. Along the Irish coastline the highest activity concentrations observed are in the north-east. Since 1994 the commissioning and operation of new facilities at Sellafield have resulted in an increase in the discharges of technetium-99 to the Irish Sea. This has been reflected in an increase in the activity concentrations of this radionuclide at all east coast sampling sites between 1994 and 1999. However, the low radiotoxicity of technetium-99 means that it is generally of lesser

Radioactivity monitoring of the Irish marine environment 1998 and 1999

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryan, T.; Long, S.; Dowdall, A.

2000-09-01

The safety of the food chain and the protection of the environment are prime concerns of the Irish public. This report presents the results of the marine radioactivity monitoring programme carried out by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) during 1998 and 1999. The primary objective of the programme is to assess the exposure of the Irish population resulting from radioactive contamination of the Irish marine environment and to estimate the risks to health from this exposure. Discharged radioactive waste from the British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) reprocessing plant at Sellafield continues to be the dominant source of this contamination. In particular, the remobilization from sediments of historic discharges makes an important contribution to the levels of radioactivity in the seawater of the western Irish Sea. Approximately 300 samples of fish, shellfish, seaweed, seawater and sediment were collected in 1998 and again in 1999. Both the Marine Institute and the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources assisted the Institute with this sampling. The samples were analysed for a range of contaminating radionuclides at the Institute's radio-analytical laboratory. The results show that the radionuclide of greatest dosimetric significance continues to be caesium-137. The activity concentration of this radionuclide in the Irish marine environment has remained relatively stable since the mid 1990s but at a lower level than that observed during the previous two decades. Along the Irish coastline the highest activity concentrations observed are in the north-east. Since 1994 the commissioning and operation of new facilities at Sellafield have resulted in an increase in the discharges of technetium-99 to the Irish Sea. This has been reflected in an increase in the activity concentrations of this radionuclide at all east coast sampling sites between 1994 and 1999. However, the low radiotoxicity of technetium-99 means that it is generally of lesser

Radioactivity Monitoring of the Irish Environment 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGinnity, P.; Currivan, L.; Dowdall, A.; Fegan, M.; Hanley, O.; Kelleher, K.; McKittrick, L.; Somerville, S.; Wong, J.; Pollard, D.

2010-12-01

This report presents the results of the environmental radioactivity monitoring programme carried out by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) during 2009. The RPII has routinely monitored levels of radioactivity in the environment since 1982 and this is the latest in the RPII's series of environmental monitoring reports. The RPII reviews and updates its environmental programme annually so as to ensure it remains relevant and continues to focus on the most important sources of radioactivity in the environment. The principal aims of the RPII's monitoring programme are; to assess the level of radioactivity to which the Irish population is exposed as a result of radioactivity in the environment; to study trends and establish the geographical distribution of contaminating radionuclides so as to better understand the long term behaviour of artificial radioactivity in the food chain and the environment; to ensure that any increase in radiation levels resulting from an accidental release of radioactivity to the environment is detected and assessed rapidly. During 2009 radioactivity was measured in a wide range of foods and environmental materials including: air, water, milk, seafood, foodstuffs and complete meals. The most significant source of artificial radioactivity in the Irish marine environment is the discharge of low level liquid radioactive waste from the Sellafield Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Plant on the north east coast of England. In order to assess the exposure arising from the source extensive sampling of fish and shellfish landed at ports along the north east coast of Ireland is undertaken. The most exposed group of individuals to discharges from Sellafield have been identified as commercial oyster and mussel farmers working along the north east coastline and their families. Manmade radioactivity is also present in the terrestrial environment due primarily to residual global fallout arising primarily from atmospheric testing of nuclear

Radioactivity Monitoring of the Irish Environment 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fegan, M.; Currivan, L.; Dowdall, A.; Hanley, O.; Hayden, E.; Kelleher, K.; Long, S.; McKittrick, L.; Somerville, S.; Wong, J.; Pollard, D.

2010-01-01

This report presents the results of the environmental radioactivity monitoring programme carried out by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) during 2008. The RPII has routinely monitored levels of radioactivity in the environment since 1982 and this is the latest in the RPII's series of environmental monitoring reports. The RPII reviews and updates its environmental programme annually so as to ensure it remains relevant and continues to focus on the most important sources of radioactivity in the environment. The principal aims of the RPII's monitoring programme are; to assess the level of radioactivity to which the Irish population is exposed as a result of radioactivity in the environment; to study trends and establish the geographical distribution of contaminating radionuclides so as to better understand the long term behaviour of artificial radioactivity in the food chain and the environment; to ensure that any increase in radiation levels resulting from an accidental release of radioactivity to the environment is detected and assessed rapidly. During 2008 radioactivity was measured in a wide range of foods and environmental materials including: air, water, milk, seafood, foodstuffs and complete meals. The most significant source of artificial radioactivity in the Irish marine environment is the discharge of low level liquid radioactive waste from the Sellafield Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Plant on the north east coast of England. In order to assess the exposure arising from the source extensive sampling of fish and shellfish landed at ports along the north east coast of Ireland is undertaken. The most exposed group of individuals to discharges from Sellafield have been identified as commercial oyster and mussel farmers working along the north east coastline and their families. Manmade radioactivity is also present in the terrestrial environment due primarily to residual global fallout arising primarily from atmospheric testing of nuclear

Contemporary Irish identity on the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McAtackney, Laura; Ryzewski, Krysta; Cherry, John F

2014-01-01

In recent decades, the island of Montserrat has been noticeably repositioning itself within the Caribbean as a place with a unique Irish heritage. Using the tag-line ‘the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean’, there has been an explicit attempt to evoke images of a verdant, green island with a long Irish...

Irish International Cultural and Educational Exchange: Two Models for Inspiration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bøss, Michael

2006-01-01

An account of the cultural and educational foreign policies of Denmark and Canada and a discussion of their relevance for the future of Irish foreign policy.......An account of the cultural and educational foreign policies of Denmark and Canada and a discussion of their relevance for the future of Irish foreign policy....

Debbie Ging, Men and Masculinities in Irish Cinema

OpenAIRE

Epinoux, Estelle

2013-01-01

Men and Masculinities in Irish Cinema was written by Debbie Ging, who is a lecturer in Film and Media Studies at Dublin City University’s School of Communications in Ireland. Her book falls into the field of media studies and more precisely film studies. It is divided into nine chapters which interweave the notions of gender, nation, identity and masculinity. The author centres her research around the concept of masculinity, unveiling its multiple understandings within the context of Irish so...

Advocating Commodification: An Ethnographic Look at the Policing of Irish as a Commercial Asset

Science.gov (United States)

Brennan, Sara C.

2018-01-01

Based on ethnographic fieldwork in two towns in the Republic of Ireland, this article explores the local negotiation, endorsement, and contestation of two community-level Irish language advocacy organizations' attempts to regulate the use of Irish in business by mobilizing discourses of language commodification to position Irish as a commercial…

Investment in Edification: Reflections on Irish Education Policy since Independence

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, Muiris

2014-01-01

Beginning with a historical review of Irish education policy since the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, this paper focuses on the issue of investment in education through the lens of the "Investment in Education" report. Following this historical review, the author explores how the legacy of the past continues to define the…

Comparison in maternal body composition between Caucasian Irish and Indian women.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Farah, N

2012-02-01

The use of body mass index (BMI) for the diagnosis of obesity has limitations, especially when comparing ethnic groups with different body proportions. The aim of this prospective study was to compare maternal body composition in early pregnancy between Caucasian Irish and Indian women. A total of 81 Indian women and 81 Irish Caucasian women were matched for age, parity and BMI. Maternal weight and height were measured, and body composition analysed using bioelectrical impedance. The Irish women were taller and weighed more than the Indian women (p<0.001). At any given BMI, the Indian women had a higher total body fat percentage, visceral fat level and high fat percentage than the Irish women (p=0.024, 0.001 and 0.001, respectively). Our findings suggest that lower BMI cut-offs should be used for screening for gestational diabetes mellitus in Indian women attending our antenatal services.

Clinical research ethics in Irish healthcare: diversity, dynamism and medicalization.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Condell, Sarah L

2012-11-01

Gaining ethical clearance to conduct a study is an important aspect of all research involving humans but can be time-consuming and daunting for novice researchers. This article stems from a larger ethnographic study that examined research capacity building in Irish nursing and midwifery. Data were collected over a 28-month time frame from a purposive sample of 16 nurse or midwife research fellows who were funded to undertake full-time PhDs. Gaining ethical clearance for their studies was reported as an early \\'rite of passage\\' in the category of \\'labouring the doctorate\\'. This article penetrates the complexities in Irish clinical research ethics by describing the practices these nurse and midwife researchers encountered and the experiences they had. The key issue of representation that occurred in the context of \\'medicalized\\' research ethics is further explored including its meaning for nursing or midwifery research.

Speciation and bioavailability of plutonium and americium in the Irish Sea and other marine ecosystems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vives i Batlle, J.

1993-12-01

Since the late 1960s, the Irish Sea has become a repository for a variety of radio-elements originating mainly in discharges from the British Nuclear Fuels (BNF) plc. Sellafield reprocessing complex located on the Cumbrian coast. In particular, transuranium nuclides such as plutonium, americium and curium (the main constituents of the α-emitting discharges) have become incorporated into every marine compartment by a variety of mechanisms, many of which are not well understood. Although extensive studies have been carried out in the near-field (eastern Irish Sea, especially in the vicinity of the discharge point and collateral muddy sediments), comparatively little had been done to assess the long-term behaviour and bioavailability of plutonium and americium in the far-field, e.g., the western Irish Sea, prior to the present study. In this dissertation, the results of an extensive research programme, undertaken in order to improve and refine our understanding of the behaviour of plutonium and americium in the marine environment, are presented. Specifically, the thesis details the results of (and conclusions deduced from) a series of experiments in which the physical and chemical speciation, colloidal association, mobility and bioavailability of plutonium and americium were examined in diverse environments including the Irish Sea and the Mediterranean. (author)

Windscale experiment. A study of Windscale's pollution of the Irish Sea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blackith, R

1984-01-01

The discharge of radioactive waste into the Irish Sea from the Windscale reprocessing plant in Cumbria is discussed from an Irish viewpoint. A history of accidents at the plant is reviewed, and past, present and future levels of discharge to the environment are outlined. The effect on the Irish population of discharges to the marine environment is evaluated by consideration of the food chain and the exposure pathways to man, in particular the concentration of radioactive caesium and plutonium in the flesh of fish in the Irish Sea. The general health effects attributed to radiation exposures are given, and a cluster of Downs Syndrome babies born to mothers who were at the same school in Co. Louth is attributed to increased exposure during the 1957 fire at the Windscale plant. The author concludes that, because of military implications and the need for plutonium for nulcear weapons, the reprocessing plant will continue to operate, but with greatly reduced levels of discharges permitted.

Irish nurses’ and midwives’ understanding and experiences of empowerment

OpenAIRE

Corbally, Melissa; Scott, Anne; Matthews, Anne; MacGabhann, Liam; Murphy, Catriona

2007-01-01

Aim This study explored conceptualisations of empowerment amongst Irish nurses and midwives. Background Current literature on the meaning of empowerment in the literature lacks consensus. As a result there is a likelihood that empowerment will be conceptualised differently between managers and sub-ordinates. Method In order to get a sense of how Irish practitioners viewed empowerment, ten focus groups were held in locations throughout Ireland (n = 93). A national distribution of par...

Entangled geographies of "Irish" finance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendrikse, R.P.

2013-01-01

This paper dissects the financial crisis through an analysis of financial development in Ireland. Although a single system, Irish finance is split in two. Illustrative of national financial developments, this paper details how public officials aimed to create a financial center in Cork. Exemplifying

Job satisfaction of professional Irish dancers: implications for performer health and well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

Cahalan, Roisin; O'Sullivan, Kieran

2013-12-01

This study investigates for the first time whether experienced former and current professional Irish dancers (PIDs) would recommend a career in Irish dance, and their perceived positive and negative attitudes toward this occupation. One hundred and sixty-five (71 current, 94 retired) PIDs participated in an online survey. Additional focus group interviews of six current and three retired PIDs were conducted to validate survey findings. PID comments were examined independently by the two investigators using thematic analysis and then cross-indexed and coded into the most common positive and negative themes. Ninety-four percent of surveyed PIDs and 100% of focus group participants stated that they would recommend a career in professional Irish dance. The main positive attributes identified included the opportunity to travel and experience diverse cultures, the development of enduring friendships, the pursuit of a hobby as a financially lucrative career, evolving personal life skills, and the maintenance of good physical health and fitness. The main negative themes included the insecure and short-term nature of the career, physical consequences in terms of pain and injury, potentially damaging psychological consequences, and practical difficulties inherent in a touring lifestyle. The effects of dancer job satisfaction on health, wellbeing, and performance are discussed, and recommendations for company managers and dance captains are developed based on findings.

The place of the Irish Sea oil and gas industryin the economy of the region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoney, P.J.M.

1995-01-01

The economies of two areas close to the Irish Sea, Morecambe Bay and Liverpool Bay, are compared in order to illustrate the effect of the Irish Sea oil and gas industry on these regions. Capital investment projects connected with those industries during the construction and operational lifetime periods are considered in terms of direct, indirect and induced effects. Mathematical modelling is used to provide a conceptual basis for making inferences about the possible size of oil and gas industry effects on local economies. Information on employment in various regions and sectors of industry, including forecasts of future profitability are given. (UK)

Coupled wave and surge modelling for the eastern Irish Sea and implications for model wind-stress

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Jennifer M.; Wolf, Judith

2009-05-01

We revisit the surge of November 1977, a storm event which caused damage on the Sefton coast in NW England. A hindcast has been made with a coupled surge-tide-wave model, to investigate whether a wave-dependent surface drag is necessary for accurate surge prediction, and also if this can be represented by an optimised Charnock parameter. The Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory Coastal Modelling System-Wave Model (POLCOMS-WAM) has been used to model combined tides, surges, waves and wave-current interaction in the Irish Sea on a 1.85 km grid. This period has been previously thoroughly studied, e.g. Jones and Davies [Jones, J.E., Davies, A.M., 1998. Storm surge computations for the Irish Sea using a three-dimensional numerical model including wave-current interaction. Continental Shelf Research 18(2), 201-251] and we build upon this previous work to validate the POLCOMS-WAM model to test the accuracy of surge elevation predictions in the study area. A one-way nested approach has been set up from larger scale models to the Irish Sea model. It was demonstrated that (as expected) swell from the North Atlantic does not have a significant impact in the eastern Irish Sea. To capture the external surge generated outside of the Irish Sea a (1/9° by 1/6°) model extending beyond the continental shelf edge was run using the POLCOMS model for tide and surge. The model results were compared with tide gauge observations around the eastern Irish Sea. The model was tested with different wind-stress formulations including Smith and Banke [Smith, S.D., Banke, E.G., 1975. Variation of the surface drag coefficient with wind speed. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorology Society, 101(429), 665-673] and Charnock [Charnock, H., 1955. Wind-stress on a water surface. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 81(350), 639-640]. In order to get a single parameterisation that works with wave-coupling, the wave-derived surface roughness length has been imposed in the surge model

Is the Price Right?: Stereotypes, Co-Production Policy and Irish Television.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibbons, Luke

The purpose of this paper is to examine how recent demand for greater realism in portrayals of Irish life in the television and film industries serves to authenticate existing stereotypes and romantic images which characterize "Irishness" in the popular imagination rather than refute or undermine them. Discussions of a political thriller…

Currents in the Eastern Irish Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howarth, M.J.

1983-01-01

Low level radioactive waste is discharged from the nuclear re-processing plant at Sellafield, Cumbria. Its movement away from the discharge point is determined by the Irish Sea's dynamics, both for the soluble compounds and for those compounds which become attached to the sediment. Near Sellafield the tidal currents are weak and parallel to the shore, becoming stronger east/west to the north and south of the Isle of Man. Wind driven currents near Sellafield are predominantly north-westward, strongest near the coast, and oppose the other low frequency currents. Hence, the soluble effluent will initially be dispersed parallel to the shore by the weak tidal currents, moving episodically, southeastward during weak winds and northwestward during storms. Eventually it will leave the Irish Sea, flowing northward through the North Channel. (author)

Organising methods and member recruitment in Irish Trade Unions

OpenAIRE

Turner, Thomas; O'Sullivan, Michelle; D'Art, Daryl

2011-01-01

peer-reviewed Purpose This paper explores the recruiting and organising methods used by Irish full-time union officials to recruit new members in the private sector of the economy. Design/methodology/approach The analysis is based on a survey of full-time union officials in eight Irish trade unions. Findings Results indicate that the use of organising techniques by officials had no significant impact on changes in membership numbers but did have a significant and po...

The Irish glaciated margin: processes and environments of deglaciation.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarron, Stephen; Monteys, Xavier; Scott, Gill

2015-04-01

High resolution bathymetric data for Donegal Bay and parts of the western Irish Continental Shelf have become available in recent years due to the Irish National Seabed Survey [INSS] (2000-2009). Relative to onshore glacigenic landform preservation and visibility on the shelf and on the floor of Donegal Bay is excellent. Here we describe some of the the data, paying particular attention to the area close to the north Mayo coastline. We discuss inferred connections between well exposed and age constrained glacial geology along the coastal fringe and the submarine evidence of deglcial processes and timing. It is argued that the sediment and landform assemblage within the Bay is derived from multiple, lobate extensions of the last British Irish Ice Sheet into the Donegal Bay topographic low from source areas to the southeast (north Mayo) and east/northeast (Sligo and Donegal/Fermanagh) during overall deglaciation (Termination 1).

A case study of the carbon footprint of milk from high-performing confinement and grass-based dairy farms.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Brien, D; Capper, J L; Garnsworthy, P C; Grainger, C; Shalloo, L

2014-03-01

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is the preferred methodology to assess carbon footprint per unit of milk. The objective of this case study was to apply an LCA method to compare carbon footprints of high-performance confinement and grass-based dairy farms. Physical performance data from research herds were used to quantify carbon footprints of a high-performance Irish grass-based dairy system and a top-performing United Kingdom (UK) confinement dairy system. For the US confinement dairy system, data from the top 5% of herds of a national database were used. Life-cycle assessment was applied using the same dairy farm greenhouse gas (GHG) model for all dairy systems. The model estimated all on- and off-farm GHG sources associated with dairy production until milk is sold from the farm in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-eq) and allocated emissions between milk and meat. The carbon footprint of milk was calculated by expressing GHG emissions attributed to milk per tonne of energy-corrected milk (ECM). The comparison showed that when GHG emissions were only attributed to milk, the carbon footprint of milk from the Irish grass-based system (837 kg of CO2-eq/t of ECM) was 5% lower than the UK confinement system (884 kg of CO2-eq/t of ECM) and 7% lower than the US confinement system (898 kg of CO2-eq/t of ECM). However, without grassland carbon sequestration, the grass-based and confinement dairy systems had similar carbon footprints per tonne of ECM. Emission algorithms and allocation of GHG emissions between milk and meat also affected the relative difference and order of dairy system carbon footprints. For instance, depending on the method chosen to allocate emissions between milk and meat, the relative difference between the carbon footprints of grass-based and confinement dairy systems varied by 3 to 22%. This indicates that further harmonization of several aspects of the LCA methodology is required to compare carbon footprints of contrasting dairy systems. In

Irish women who seek abortions in England.

Science.gov (United States)

Francome, C

1992-01-01

In 1991, 4158 women from Ireland and 1766 from Northern Ireland traveled to England for abortions. This situation has been ignored by Irish authorities. The 1992 case of the 14-year old seeking an abortion in England finally caught legal attention. This study attempts to help define who these abortion seekers are. Questionnaires from 200 Irish abortion seeking women attending private Marie Stopes clinics in London and the British Pregnancy Advisory Services clinic in Liverpool between September 1988 and December 1990 were analyzed. Findings pertain to demographic characteristics, characteristics of first intercourse, family discussion of sexual activity, and contraceptive use. From this limited sample, it appears that Irish women are sexually reserved and without access to modern methods of birth control and abortion. Sex is associated with shame and guilt. 23% had intercourse before the age of 18 years and 42% after the age of 20. 76% were single and 16% were currently married. 95% were Catholic; 33% had been to church the preceding Sunday and 68% within the past month. Basic information about menstruation is also limited and procedures such as dilatation and curettage may be performed selectively. 28% of married women were uninformed about menstruation prior to its onset. Only 24% had been using birth control around the time of pregnancy. The reason for nonuse was frequently the unexpectedness of intercourse. 62% of adults and 66% of women believe in legalizing abortion in Ireland. British groups have tried to break through the abortion information ban by sending telephone numbers of abortion clinics to Irish firms for distribution to employees. On November 25, 1992, in the general election, there was approval of constitutional amendments guaranteeing the right to travel for abortions and to receive information on abortion access. The amendment to allow abortion to save the life of the mother was not accepted.

Training and Developing Non-Irish Workers: The Perspectives of Interested Stakeholders

Science.gov (United States)

Prendergast, Mary

2016-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the challenges facing Irish organisations in the training and development of non-Irish workers. It analyses the importance of fluency in the host country's language and the approach taken by organisations in relation to language training. In-depth semi-structured interviews provide significant insights for the…

Early Reading Strategies in Irish and English: Evidence from Error Types

Science.gov (United States)

Parsons, Christine E.; Lyddy, Fiona

2009-01-01

For the majority of people in Ireland, Irish is a second language acquired primarily through the schooling system. This study examined the reading strategies children used in response to English and Irish words (presented in isolation), through an analysis of their oral reading errors. Children in their 4th year of schooling attending…

Square-Toed Boots and Felt Hats: Irish Revolutionaries and the Invasion of Canada (1848-1871

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Ramón-García

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The Fenian movement was born in 1858 as an alliance between the Irish Republican Brotherhood, a revolutionary secret society, and the Fenian Brotherhood, an Irish-American organisation intended to supply this society with funds and trained officers. This was not the first time that Irish nationalists on both sides of the Atlantic had tried to cooperate, but it was the first time that there was a steady arrangement in place. The Fenian partnership was extremely successful on the surface, but it was undermined by fundamental differences in customs, political attitudes and ultimate goals between Irish and American Fenians. The clearest evidence of these differences was afforded by the Fenian Brotherhood’s successive attempts to invade Canada between 1866 and 1871. As military episodes the Canadian raids were negligible; as Irish revolutionary attempts they seem absurd. However, they were a perfectly coherent manifestation of the Irish-American “hyphenated identity”. The present article traces the parallel evolution of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and the Fenian Brotherhood up to 1866, and reconstructs the cultural and political reasons for the revival of the Canadian scheme, the ensuing split in the Fenian Brotherhood, and the final collapse of the Fenian alliance.

The core faecal bacterial microbiome of Irish Thoroughbred racehorses.

Science.gov (United States)

O' Donnell, M M; Harris, H M B; Jeffery, I B; Claesson, M J; Younge, B; O' Toole, P W; Ross, R P

2013-12-01

In this study, we characterized the gut microbiota in six healthy Irish thoroughbred racehorses and showed it to be dominated by the phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Actinobacteria, Euryarchaeota, Fibrobacteres and Spirochaetes. Moreover, all the horses harboured Clostridium, Fibrobacter, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, Eubacterium, Oscillospira, Blautia Anaerotruncus, Coprococcus, Treponema and Lactobacillus spp. Notwithstanding the sample size, it was noteworthy that the core microbiota species assignments identified Fibrobacter succinogenes, Eubacterium coprostanoligenes, Eubacterium hallii, Eubacterium ruminantium, Oscillospira guillermondii, Sporobacter termiditis, Lactobacillus equicursoris, Treponema parvum and Treponema porcinum in all the horses. This is the first study of the faecal microbiota in the Irish thoroughbred racehorse, a significant competitor in the global bloodstock industry. The information gathered in this pilot study provides a foundation for veterinarians and other equine health-associated professionals to begin to analyse the microbiome of performance of racehorses. This study and subsequent work may lead to alternate dietary approaches aimed at minimizing the risk of microbiota-related dysbiosis in these performance animals. Although Irish thoroughbreds are used nationally and internationally as performance animals, very little is known about the core faecal microbiota of these animals. This is the first study to characterize the bacterial microbiota present in the Irish thoroughbred racehorse faeces and elucidate a core microbiome irrespective of diet, animal management and geographical location. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Deliberating the Irish Language in Northern Ireland: From Conflict to Multiculturalism?

Science.gov (United States)

McMonagle, Sarah

2010-01-01

The Belfast Agreement (1998) contains a clause on respect and tolerance for linguistic diversity in Northern Ireland (NI). It is unsurprising that this clause was included given the role of Irish--and Ulster Scots--in identity politics in the region. The call for respect for NI's languages can therefore be seen as a type of conflict management.…

Radioactivity Monitoring of the Irish Environment 2010-2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGinnity, P.; Currivan, L.; Dowdall, A.; Hanley, O.; Kelleher, K.; McKittrick, L.; Pollard, D.; Somerville, S.; Wong, J.; McMahon, C.

2012-11-01

This report presents the results of the environmental radioactivity monitoring programme carried out by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland RPII during 2010 and 2011. The RPII has routinely monitored levels of radioactivity in the Irish environment since 1982 and this is the latest in the RPII's series of environmental monitoring reports. The RPII reviews and updates its environmental programme annually to ensure it remains relevant and continues to focus on the most important sources of radioactivity in the environment. The data presented in this report confirm that while the levels of artificial radioactivity in the Irish environment are detectable, they are low. They do not pose a significant risk to the human health of the Irish population. Trace amounts of radioactive isotopes consistent with the Fukushima nuclear accident were detected in air, rainwater and milk samples during the period March to May 2011. These increases in levels of radioactivity were not of concern from a public health point of view. For the remainder of the reporting period, activity concentrations of radionuclides in airborne particles were low and consistent with measurements made in recent years. Radioactivity levels in milk, mixed diet and a wide range of foodstuffs were low and, for the majority of samples, below the detection limits. All drinking waters tested were found to be in compliance with the total indicative dose defined in national and EU legislation. The doses incurred by the Irish public in 2010 and 2011 as a result of artificial radioactivity in the marine environment are small when compared to dose limits or to natural radiation doses received by the Irish public. The doses to the most exposed individuals, members of the oyster and mussel farmers critical group, were approximately 0.02 per cent and 0.05 per cent of the annual dose limit of 1000 microsieverts for members of the public from practices involving controllable sources of radiation in 2010 and

Of Mermaids and Changelings: Human Rights, Folklore and Contemporary Irish Language Poetry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rióna Ní Fhrighil

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This article investigates the intersection of human rights discourse, Irish folklore and contemporary Irish-language poetry. The author contends that contemporary Irish-language poets Louis de Paor and Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill exploit the multi-faceted nature of international folklore motifs, along with their local variants, to represent human rights violations in their poetry. Focusing specifically on the motif of the changeling in De Paor’s poetry and on the motif of the mermaid in Ní Dhomhnaill’s, the author traces how folklore material is reimagined in ways that eschew uncomplicated transnational solidarity but which engender empathetic settlement.

The Irish organic food market: shortfalls, opportunities and the need for research.

Science.gov (United States)

Tobin, Rachel; Larkin, Tracey; Moane, Siobhan

2011-09-01

In 2009 the Irish organic food market was forecasted to grow from €120 m to €239 m by 2013; however, recent figures set its value at just €90 m. An estimated 70% of this market is imported. Surveys of Irish consumers reveal that 66% of consumers prefer to buy local produce and most organic consumers are buying organic at supermarkets. This evidence reveals that Irish producers must trade at supermarkets, and promote 'local produce' to ensure their produce reach the majority of buyers. Seventy-eight % of organic rejecters state price and 21% state unawareness of the benefits as reasons for not buying organic. Many Irish consumers are buying organic food on the perceived belief that it is healthier, safer and tastes better; however, a review of studies on organic versus conventional foods in terms of health benefits, safety and sensory quality has shown that existing data is limited in scope and fails to show a clear trend. The review concludes with the need for a comprehensive study of a range of organic and conventional foods available to the Irish consumer in order to determine if differences in organic cultivation result in statistically significant differences in health linked compounds and sensory quality. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Real exchange-rates, co-integration and purchasing power parity - Irish experience in the EMS

OpenAIRE

Thom, R

1989-01-01

Dickey-Fuller and Co-Integration techniques are used to test the hypothesis that co-movements in Irish nominal exchange rates and relative prices are consistent with the implications of Purchasing Power Parity. The data reject PPP between Ireland and the US. Results from Irish/UK and Irish/German data are less decisive against the possibility that linear combinations of the nominal exchange rate and corresponding relative prices are stationary series.

"The Balancing Act"--Irish Part-Time Undergraduate Students in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Darmody, Merike; Fleming, Bairbre

2009-01-01

While the numbers of part-time students has increased in higher education in Ireland, little is known about these students or about how they balance their study and other commitments. Drawing on a larger study on Irish students' experiences in higher education, this article attempts to address this gap in research and reports on Irish part-time…

Vitamin D intake and status in Irish elderly women and adolescent girls

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McCarthy, D.; Collins, A.; O’Brien, M.

2006-01-01

Aim To assess vitamin D status during summer and winter in Irish girls and elderly women, and to estimate vitamin D intake in these two age-groups. Methods Ambulatory free-living, elderly Irish women (aged 70-76 years; n = 43) and girls (aged 11-13 years; n = 17) were recruited. Fasting serums we...... collected during August/ September 2002 and February/March 2003 and analysed for 25 (OH) D by HPLC. Results Mean daily intakes of vitamin D were 4.6 mu g and 2.1 mu g in elderly women and girls, respectively Serum 25 (OH) D was significantly lower (P......Aim To assess vitamin D status during summer and winter in Irish girls and elderly women, and to estimate vitamin D intake in these two age-groups. Methods Ambulatory free-living, elderly Irish women (aged 70-76 years; n = 43) and girls (aged 11-13 years; n = 17) were recruited. Fasting serums were...

Codeswitching in the Irish-Latin Leabhar Breac: Mediæval homiletic culture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Horst, Th.J.E. ter

2017-01-01

An Leabhar Breac ('The Speckled Book'; c.1410) is a manuscript containing a collection of mostly religious material in both Latin and Irish, now housed in Dublin at the Royal Irish Academy. The present publication explores the make-up of the manuscript, focusing on the question which languages are

The Advent of Representative Associations in the Irish Defence Forces

Science.gov (United States)

1992-06-05

year period from 1975 to 1988. The Submission Group had difficulty finding appropriate groups in the Irish labour market against which to compare the...in the Irish Labour market , the average male industrial worker was chosen. In choosing the male industrial worker, it was not suggested that this...Defence Forces to have all young officers attend University College Galway ( UCG ) or a similar third level institute for the purpose of acquiring a

Head-dependent asymmetries in Munster Irish prosody

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavel Iosad

2013-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper I propose an analysis of stress in Munster Irish which builds on two important premises. First, I argue for a distinction between the notion ‘head of a constituent’ and the notion of ‘stress’: these are separate entities, and the typologically frequent isomorphic distribution of the two is just one possible outcome of the phonological computation. Second, I propose to employ a particular family of constraints requiring head-dependent asymmetries (Dresher and van der Hulst 1998 to account for the mismatch between the placement of foot heads and stress in Munster Irish. Overall, the paper is an argument for elaborate abstract structure as an explanatory factor in phonology, as opposed to relatively shallow, substance-based representations.

New Uses of Traditional Healing in Contemporary Irish Literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia A. Lynch

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This is a comparative study in two ways.  After a summary of the historical and cultural research into traditional healing which is relevant to this article, then some comments about the general usage of such themes in contemporary Irish literature, the article moves on to examine the role and function of traditional healing as a motif in four specific literary texts.  These are: two Irish plays, Brian Friel’s Faith Healer, and Jim Nolan’s Blackwater Angel, and two pieces of Irish fiction, P.J. Curtis’ novel The Lightning Tree and Claire Keegan’s short story “The Night of the Quicken Trees”.  Strong similarities are found on many fronts between the texts, especially in the acceptance of healing and the mystery associated with it.  However, differences also occur, depending on the artistic choices of the authors, the gender and community emphasis used, and the relative importance of healing in the context of the work.  Women healers seem to be more rooted and less tragic than their male counterparts, but all healers are seen paradoxically as both an asset and a potential threat to society. When these texts are compared with research into historical and cultural aspects of Irish folk medicine, they clearly draw on tradition for their plot elements, but only in the fiction and plays can the full dramatic potential of these life and death situations be explored.

Psychometric Properties of the Drive for Muscularity Attitudes Questionnaire Among Irish Men

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Travis A. Ryan

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The Drive for Muscularity Attitudes Questionnaire (DMAQ was developed to measure men’s desire to attain an idealized muscular body. To date, the cross-cultural suitability of this measure has received limited attention. The current study addressed this omission by testing the psychometric properties of the DMAQ using an online sample of Irish men (N = 327. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that a unidimensional model adequately matched observed data (i.e., fit indices suggested acceptable model fit. Analyses also showed that the DMAQ yielded reliable and construct valid scores, suggesting that the scale holds promise as an indicant of the drive for muscularity among Irish men. Strengths and limitations associated with this study are discussed, such as advantages and disadvantages of Internet research. Directions for future research are given, including the need for more psychometric work.

76 FR 4254 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Certain Designated Counties in Idaho, and Malheur County, Oregon...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-25

... Service 7 CFR Part 945 [Doc. No. AMS-FV-10-0109; FV11-945-1] Irish Potatoes Grown in Certain Designated... among eligible producers of Irish potatoes in certain designated counties in Idaho, and Malheur County... Irish potatoes grown in the production area. DATES: The referendum will be conducted from March 5 to...

Prevalence of and Attitudes about Concussion in Irish Schools' Rugby Union Players

Science.gov (United States)

Delahunty, Sinéad E.; Delahunt, Eamonn; Condon, Brian; Toomey, David; Blake, Catherine

2015-01-01

Background: Youth rugby players represent 45.2% (N?=?69,472) of the Irish rugby union playing population. The risk and consequences of concussion injury are of particular concern in these young athletes, but limited epidemiological data exists. This study investigated annual and lifetime prevalence of concussion in an Irish schoolboy rugby union…

Student voice: An emerging discourse in Irish education policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Domnall Fleming

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In positioning student voice within the Irish education policy discourse it is imperative that this emergent and complex concept is explored and theorized in the context of its definition and motivation. Student voice can then be positioned and critiqued as it emerged within Irish education policy primarily following Ireland’s ratification of the United Nations Charter on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC in 1992. Initially emerging in policy from a rights-based and democratic citizenship perspective, the student council became the principal construct for student voice in Irish post-primary schools. While central to the policy discourse, the student council construct has become tokenistic and redundant in practice. School evaluation policy, both external and internal, became a further catalyst for student voice in Ireland. Both processes further challenge and contest the motivation for student voice and point to the concept as an instrument for school improvement and performativity that lacks any centrality for a person-centered, rights-based, dialogic and consultative student voice within an inclusive classroom and school culture.

Development and application of a processing model for the Irish dairy industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Geary, U; Lopez-Villalobos, N; Garrick, D J; Shalloo, L

2010-11-01

A processing-sector model was developed that simulates (i) milk collection, (ii) standardization, and (iii) product manufacture. The model estimates the product yield, net milk value, and component values of milk based on milk quantity, composition, product portfolio, and product values. Product specifications of cheese, butter, skim and whole milk powders, liquid milk, and casein are met through milk separation followed by reconstitution in appropriate proportions. Excess cream or skim milk are used in other product manufacture. Volume-related costs, including milk collection, standardization, and processing costs, and product-related costs, including processing costs per tonne, packaging, storage, distribution, and marketing, are quantified. Operating costs, incurred irrespective of milk received and processing activities, are included in the model on a fixed-rate basis. The net milk value is estimated as sale value less total costs. The component values of fat and protein were estimated from net milk value using the marginal rate of technical substitution. Two product portfolio scenarios were examined: scenario 1 was representative of the Irish product mix in 2000, in which 27, 39, 13, and 21% of the milk pool was processed into cheese (€ 3,291.33/t), butter (€ 2,766.33/t), whole milk powder (€ 2,453.33/t), and skim milk powder (€ 2,017.00/t), respectively, and scenario 2 was representative of the 2008 product mix, in which 43, 30, 14, and 13% was processed into cheese, butter, whole milk powder, and skim milk powder, respectively, and sold at the same market prices. Within both scenarios 3 milk compositions were considered, which were representative of (i) typical Irish Holstein-Friesian, (ii) Jersey, and (iii) the New Zealand strain of Holstein-Friesian, each of which had differing milk constituents. The effect each milk composition had on product yield, processing costs, total revenue, component values of milk, and the net value of milk was examined

Adspots and Green Eyes: 'National' Identity in Irish TV Commercials and Other 'Marginal' Areas of Irish Television.

Science.gov (United States)

McBride, Stephanie

This paper discusses the relationship between national identity and the so-called "marginal" areas of Irish television, i.e., advertisements, continuity announcements, and promotional trailers. The following issues are considered: (1) how these "spaces" between television programs compare in terms of use and influence to…

Equity in Irish health care financing: measurement issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Samantha

2010-04-01

This paper employs widely used analytic techniques for measuring equity in health care financing to update Irish results from previous analysis based on data from the late 1980s. Kakwani indices are calculated using household survey data from 1987/88 to 2004/05. Results indicate a marginally progressive financing system overall. However, interpretation of the results for the private sources of health financing is complicated. This problem is not unique to Ireland but it is argued that it may be relatively more important in the context of a complex health financing system, illustrated in this paper by the Irish system. Alternative options for improving the analysis of equity in health care financing are discussed.

“Is it English what we speak?” Irish English and Postcolonial Identity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariavita Cambria

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the case of Ireland as an anti-litteram postcolonial context. Within this context, a main concern is that of the relationship between language and identity. Irish English (the variety of English spoken in Ireland enjoys a unique position within the constellation of world-wide English varieties. Various factors led to the emergence of Irish English, it may well have developed as a resistance to the (contrasting forces of colonialism and has been perceived as a different vehicle for communication when compared to received colonial English. Scholars now generally believe that Irish people, at a certain moment in time, decided to use a language which offered better possibilities for work. Via the analysis of some postcolonial issues, such as the linguistic crisis of the colonial subject, the paper will first illustrate the circumstances that led to the emergence of Irish English and then list the main features of this variety.

The image of mathematics held by Irish post-primary students

Science.gov (United States)

Lane, Ciara; Stynes, Martin; O'Donoghue, John

2014-08-01

The image of mathematics held by Irish post-primary students was examined and a model for the image found was constructed. Initially, a definition for 'image of mathematics' was adopted with image of mathematics hypothesized as comprising attitudes, beliefs, self-concept, motivation, emotions and past experiences of mathematics. Research focused on students studying ordinary level mathematics for the Irish Leaving Certificate examination - the final examination for students in second-level or post-primary education. Students were aged between 15 and 18 years. A questionnaire was constructed with both quantitative and qualitative aspects. The questionnaire survey was completed by 356 post-primary students. Responses were analysed quantitatively using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and qualitatively using the constant comparative method of analysis and by reviewing individual responses. Findings provide an insight into Irish post-primary students' images of mathematics and offer a means for constructing a theoretical model of image of mathematics which could be beneficial for future research.

Radioactivity monitoring of the Irish marine environment 1993 to 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pollard, D.; Long, S.; Hayden, E.; Smith, V.; Ryan, T.P.; Dowdall, A.; McGarry, A.; Cunningham, J.D.

1996-10-01

This report presents the results of the marine radioactivity monitoring programme carried out by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland during the period 1993 to 1995. The principal objective of this programme is to assess the exposure to the Irish population arising from radioactive contamination in the Irish marine environment and to estimate the risks to human health arising from such exposure. In addition, the programme aims to assess the distribution of the significant contaminating radionuclides in the marine environment and to identify tends with a view to assessing possible future effects. The results show that by 1995 the mean concentration of caesium-137 in fish landed at north-east ports had fallen to 1.6 Bq/kg, from a figure of 68 Bq/kg in 1979-82 and 3.0 Bq/kg in 1993. A similar decline is evident for seawater, sediment and seaweed. In addition, the Irish Sea data show the progressive dilution of artificial radioactivity with increasing distance from Sellafield

Radioactivity monitoring in Irish upland lakes 1988 - 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Sullivan, M.; McGarry, A.T.; Lyons, S.; McEnri, C.; Cunningham, J.D.

1995-04-01

In 1988, monitoring of radioactivity in upland lakes was initiated in areas of Ireland which had been subjected to highest deposition following the Chernobyl accident. The monitoring programme was continued in 1989 and extended in 1990 to include 25 lakes in 13 counties. This survey provided a comprehensive national picture of the distribution of Chernobyl contamination in Irish freshwater lakes. In 1991 and 1992, the monitoring programme concentrated on those lakes which had shown highest levels in the 1990 survey. This report details the results of the freshwater lake monitoring programme for the years 1988 - 1992. As assessment of the radiation doses to those consumers who include relatively large amounts of freshwater fish in their diet is also made

Yield gap analysis and resource footprints of Irish potato production systems in Zimbabwe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Svubure, O.; Struik, P.C.; Haverkort, A.J.; Steyn, J.M.

2015-01-01

Irish potato is the third most important carbohydrate food crop in Zimbabwe after maize and wheat. In 2012, the Government of Zimbabwe declared it a strategic national food security crop. In this study, we examine the country's potential for increasing Irish potato yield and help ease the nation's

Training Cubs for the Celtic Tiger: The Volume Production of Technical Graduates in the Irish Educational System

Science.gov (United States)

Wickham, James; Boucher, Gerard W.

2004-01-01

This article examines the claim that the Irish educational system was one cause of Ireland's rapid economic growth in the 1990s. For decades Irish economic policy has assumed that economic growth depended on foreign direct investment (FDI). During the 1990s, Irish exports largely comprised high-technology manufacturing products; foreign-owned…

The Roman-Irish Bath: Medical/health history as therapeutic assemblage.

Science.gov (United States)

Foley, Ronan

2014-04-01

The invention of a new form of hot-air bath in Blarney, Ireland in 1856, variously known in its lifetime as the Roman-Irish or Turkish Bath, acted as the starting point for a the production of a globalised therapeutic landscape. Tracking the diffusion of the Roman-Irish bath template from its local invention in Ireland to a global reach across the Victorian world and recognizing its place within a wider hydrotherapeutic history, this paper frames that diffusion as a valuable empirical addition to assemblage theory. The specific empirical history of the spread of the Roman-Irish/Turkish bath idea is drawn from primary archival and secondary historical sources. It is then discussed and, drawing from work on assemblage theory, analyzed against three broad themes: mobile networks, socio-material practices and contested emergence. The emergent relational geographies of the Roman-Irish Bath identify important roles for the diffusion and transformation of specific medical settings, identities and functions. These were linked in turn to competing social-healing pathways wherein bodies were technologically and morally managed, to produce a more inhabited form of therapeutic assemblage. In all cases the differential diffusion of the bath idea, it's shifting and fractured material forms and multiple inhabitations and discourses were contested and mobile and spoke to an assemblage approach which has ripe potential for exploration across a range of medical/health geography settings. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radioactivity monitoring of the Irish marine environment 1996 and 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long, S.; Pollard, D.; Hayden, E.; Smith, V.; Fegan, M.; Ryan, T.P.; Dowdall, A.; Cunningham, J.D.

1998-07-01

This report presents the results of the marine radioactivity monitoring programme carried out be the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) during 1996 and 1997. The primary objective of the programme is to assess the exposure to the Irish population resulting from radioactive contamination of the Irish marine environment and to estimate the risks to health from this exposure. Discharges from the British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) reprocessing plant at Sellafield continue to be the principal source of this contamination. Approximately 300 samples of fish, shellfish, seaweed, seawater and sediment were collected each year. The samples were analysed for a range of contaminating radionuclides at the Institute's radioanalytical laboratory. The results show that the radionuclide of greatest dosimetric significance continues to be caesium-137. Since 1994 the commissioning and operation of new facilities at Sellafield have resulted in an increase in the discharges of technetium-99 to the Irish Sea. This has been reflected in an increase in the activity concentration of this radionuclide at all east coast sampling sites during the reporting period. The main pathway contributing to the exposure of the Irish public is the consumption of seafood. The committed effective dose to heavy consumers of seafood due to artificial radionuclides in 1996 was 1.6 μSv and in 1997 was 1.4 μSv. in 1996 was 1.6 μSv and in 1997 was 1.4 μSv

Farm Population of the United States: 1975. Current Population Reports: Farm Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Banks, Vera J.; And Others

Presented via narrative and tabular data, this report includes: Population of the U.S., Total and Farm: 1960-1975; Metropolitan-Nonmetropolitan Residence of the Farm and Nonfarm Population, by Race: 1975; Fertility Characteristics of Farm and Nonfarm Women, by Race: 1975; Persons 14 Years Old and Over Employed in Agriculture, by Farm-Nonfarm…

The Irish Women's Movement

OpenAIRE

Cullen, Pauline

2015-01-01

Ireland’s long history of patriarchy is matched by the ongoing evolution of its women’s movements. Today’s complex, transnational feminism finds its precursor in the colonial era. The first wave of the Irish women’s movement dates from the mid-19th century, with the franchise secured for women in 1918 while still under British colonial rule. First-wave feminists played a role in the nationalist movement, but their demands were sidelined later, during the construction of a conserva...

76 FR 11929 - Irish-American Heritage Month, 2011

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-03

... life in a new Nation, these intrepid immigrants built strong communities and helped forge our country's... the American story. Through hard work, perseverance, and patriotism, women and men of Irish descent...

Irish general practitioner attitudes toward decriminalisation and medical use of cannabis: results from a national survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Crowley, Des; Collins, Claire; Delargy, Ide; Laird, Eamon; Van Hout, Marie Claire

2017-01-13

Governmental debate in Ireland on the de facto decriminalisation of cannabis and legalisation for medical use is ongoing. A cannabis-based medicinal product (Sativex®) has recently been granted market authorisation in Ireland. This unique study aimed to investigate Irish general practitioner (GP) attitudes toward decriminalisation of cannabis and assess levels of support for use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes (CTP). General practitioners in the Irish College of General Practitioner (ICGP) database were invited to complete an online survey. Anonymous data yielded descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages) to summarise participant demographic information and agreement with attitudinal statements. Chi-square tests and multi-nominal logistic regression were included. The response rate was 15% (n = 565) which is similar to other Irish national GP attitudinal surveys. Over half of Irish GPs did not support the decriminalisation of cannabis (56.8%). In terms of gender, a significantly higher proportion of males compared with females (40.6 vs. 15%; p cannabis should be decriminalised (54.1 vs. 31.5%; p = 0.021). Over 80% of both genders supported the view that cannabis use has a significant effect on patients' mental health and increases the risk of schizophrenia (77.3%). Over half of Irish GPs supported the legalisation of cannabis for medical use (58.6%). A higher percentage of those who were level 1-trained (trained in addiction treatment but not to an advanced level) agreed/strongly agreed cannabis should be legalised for medical use (p = 0.003). Over 60% agreed that cannabis can have a role in palliative care, pain management and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). In the regression response predicator analysis, females were 66.2% less likely to agree that cannabis should be decriminalised, 42.5% less likely to agree that cannabis should be legalised for medical use and 59.8 and 37.6% less likely to agree that cannabis has a role in

I Have a Dream: Organic Movements Include Gene Manipulation to Improve Sustainable Farming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerhart U. Ryffel

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Several papers in a Special Issue of Sustainability have recently discussed various aspects to evaluate whether organic farming and gene manipulation are compatible. A special emphasis was given to new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs. These new approaches allow the most predictable genetic alterations of crop plants in ways that the genetically modified plant is identical to a plant generated by conventional breeding. The articles of the Special Issue present the arguments pro and contra the inclusion of the plants generated by NPBTs in organic farming. Organic movements have not yet made a final decision whether some of these techniques should be accepted or banned. In my view these novel genetically manipulated (GM crops could be used in such a way as to respect the requirements for genetically manipulated organisms (GMOs formulated by the International Federation of Organic Movements (IFOAM. Reviewing the potential benefits of disease-resistant potatoes and bananas, it seems possible that these crops support organic farming. To this end, I propose specific requirements that the organic movements should proactively formulate as their standards to accept specific GM crops.

Between Apathy and Antipathy: The Vikings in Irish and Scandinavian History

OpenAIRE

HOLM, POUL

1995-01-01

PUBLISHED "Neither apathy nor antipathy can ever bring out the truth of history" (Eoin MacNeill, Phases of Irish History, Dublin, 1919, vi). Around 1970 the subject of "the Vikings in Ireland" was seen, historiographically, as a non-problem. Scandinavian historians did not deal with Irish history, and except for the casual asides of four or five specialists, there was no particular interest in Ireland as an area in Viking studies. However, during the seventies there was a veritable boom...

Solar Orientation of Irish Early Christian Oratories

Science.gov (United States)

Tiede, V. R.

2001-12-01

The Hiberno-Latin literary metaphor of "Xpistus sol verus" (Christ the True Sun) finds an architectural analogue in the orientation of the single eastern window of Irish monastic stone chapels or oratories. The author's field surveys in Ireland, Hebrides, Orkney and Shetlands revealed that the window of Irish rectangular dry stone oratories framed the rising solar disk on the Feast Days of selected saints of the Celtic Early Christian Church, AD 800-1100. The most frequent target skyline declinations were to sunrise on the Feast Days of St. Patrick (March 17th) and St. Aidan of Lindisfarne (August 31st). During the Early Christian period, St. Patrick's Day coincided with the Vernal Equinox, and heralded the Paschal Full Moon (i.e., Passover crucifixion) and Easter Sunday as proclaimed by Emperor Constantine at the Council of Nicaea (AD 325). St. Aidan of Lindisfarne (d. AD 651) inspired the Irish monks who, at the Synod of Whitby (AD 664), remained loyal to the Jewish 84-year cycle determining Passover and refused to replace it with the new orthodox 19-year computus for Easter adopted by the Roman Catholic Church (AD 527). Hypothetical affiliation between monastic communities whose oratories share common solar orientation, interior length/width ratios (e.g., 4:3 and 3:2) and units of measurement (e.g., Scottish ell, Coptic cubit, or Roman pes) is discussed. Grateful acknowledgement is made to the Michael D. Coe Fund and Augusta Hazard Fund of Yale University for research grant support in 1999.

ARIZONA FARM LABOR REPORT.

Science.gov (United States)

SALTER, RICHARD H.

THE ORGANIZATION OF THE FARM PLACEMENT PROGRAM IS DESCRIBED. INCLUDED ARE THE ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATIONS, THE LOCAL LEVELS, THE STATE FARM LABOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THE PLANNING AND OPERATING METHODS USED BY FARM PLACEMENT PERSONNEL IN MEETING FARM LABOR NEEDS. MAJOR CROP ACTIVITIES ARE RELATED TO COTTON AND VEGETABLES. THE LABOR FORCE IS…

"The Next Level": Investigating Teaching and Learning within an Irish Traditional Music Online Community

Science.gov (United States)

Kenny, Ailbhe

2013-01-01

Online music communities offer a new context and culture for musical participation globally. This article, employing a socio-cultural theoretical lens, examines how the Online Academy of Irish Music (OAIM) functions as a teaching and learning online community for Irish traditional music. Findings from qualitative case study research present…

Haunting the Text: Nicola Pierce’s Spirit of the Titanic and Irish Historical Children’s Fiction

OpenAIRE

Beyer, Charlotte

2015-01-01

My article explores representations of Irish identity, history, and trauma in the Irish writer Nicola Pierce’s contemporary children’s novel, Spirit of the Titanic (2011). I examine the representation of Irish society and culture around the time of the construction of the Titanic,\\ud with a particular emphasis on the portrayal of marginalised individuals and groups. My article analyses the representation of history and the portrayal of trauma and affective ties, and concludes that Spirit of t...

Community rating in the absence of risk equalisation: lessons from the Irish private health insurance market.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Brian; Shinnick, Edward

2013-04-01

Ireland's private health insurance market operates on the basis of community rating, alongside open enrolment and lifetime cover. A risk equalisation scheme was introduced in 2003 to bolster community rating. However, in July 2008 the Irish Supreme Court set aside this scheme, on the basis of the interpretation of community rating in Irish legislation. This decision has significant implications for the Irish private health insurance market. This paper reviews the development of the market, focusing in particular on community rating. The breakdown of community rating in a market with multiple insurers with differing risk profiles is discussed. Applying this to the Irish market, it can be seen that the Irish Supreme Court judgment has significant implications for the application of community rating. Specifically, while community rating operates within plans, it no longer operates across the market, leading to high-risk lives paying more, on average, than low-risk lives. It has also led to greater opportunities for insurers to engage in market segmentation. This may have relevance for the design and operation of other community rated markets.

78 FR 30737 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Reestablishment of Membership on the Colorado Potato...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-23

... FR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Reestablishment of Membership on the Colorado Potato...: This final rule reestablishes the membership on the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee, Area No... Irish potatoes grown in Colorado. This action modifies the Committee membership structure by amending...

Irradiation could help Irish food processors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourke, Edward

1985-01-01

The applications of irradiation processing in the food industry are reviewed, and the present situation in Ireland outlined. The caution of legislators, choice of product labelling and consumer acceptance are seen as major factors in the adoption of this technology by Irish industry, although at least two concerns are considering setting up a service facility near Dublin

Certified safe farm: identifying and removing hazards on the farm.

Science.gov (United States)

Rautiainen, R H; Grafft, L J; Kline, A K; Madsen, M D; Lange, J L; Donham, K J

2010-04-01

This article describes the development of the Certified Safe Farm (CSF) on-farm safety review tools, characterizes the safety improvements among participating farms during the study period, and evaluates differences in background variables between low and high scoring farms. Average farm review scores on 185 study farms improved from 82 to 96 during the five-year study (0-100 scale, 85 required for CSF certification). A total of 1292 safety improvements were reported at an estimated cost of $650 per farm. A wide range of improvements were made, including adding 9 rollover protective structures (ROPS), 59 power take-off (PTO) master shields, and 207 slow-moving vehicle (SMV) emblems; improving lighting on 72 machines: placing 171 warning decals on machinery; shielding 77 moving parts; locking up 17 chemical storage areas, adding 83 lockout/tagout improvements; and making general housekeeping upgrades in 62 farm buildings. The local, trained farm reviewers and the CSF review process overall were well received by participating farmers. In addition to our earlier findings where higher farm review scores were associated with lower self-reported health outcome costs, we found that those with higher farm work hours, younger age, pork production in confinement, beef production, poultry production, and reported exposure to agrichemicals had higher farm review scores than those who did not have these characteristics. Overall, the farm review process functioned as expected. encouraging physical improvements in the farm environment, and contributing to the multi-faceted CSF intervention program.

Cumann na mBan & Women in Irish Republican Paramilitary Organisations, 1969-1986

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dieter Reinisch

2016-03-01

Full Text Available 2014 marked the centenary of Cumann na mBan, the Irish Republican women’s organisation. While a number of recent publications have dealt with the first decade of Cumann na mBan, its existence in the second half of the 20th century has largely been neglected by academics. However, women played an integral part in the Republican struggle and many of these women held influential positions in the Irish Republican Movement. With this in mind, the article will discuss the role of Cumann na mBan within the so-called Provisional Republican Movement between 1969 and 1986. Based on 25 Oral History interviews with former members of the women’s organisation, the membership structure of the organisation and its activities will be discussed. In particular, the role of women in the Irish Republican Movement will be examined along with a number of other factors which have hitherto been largely underplayed in the historiography of women activists in the Irish Republican Movement. This will provide students and academics with literature for further in-depth research on Cumann na mBan. In essence, the aim of the article is to introduce Cumann na mBan into the historiography of the recent conflict in the North of Ireland.

3 CFR 8350 - Proclamation 8350 of March 2, 2009. Irish-American Heritage Month, 2009

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

..., and pursue the American Dream. Many took on the difficult work of constructing America’s... 3 The President 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Proclamation 8350 of March 2, 2009. Irish-American... 2, 2009 Proc. 8350 Irish-American Heritage Month, 2009By the President of the United States of...

Managing innovation in SMEs product development in small Irish electronics firms

CERN Document Server

Ledwith, Ann; Bessant, John

2009-01-01

Innovating and developing new products is critical for the survival and growth of any small firm but particularly for technology based firms. This study of NPD at small Irish electronics firms makes two main contributions to knowledge. Firstly, the management of NPD at small firms is found to be different from that at large firms in several respects including; NPD resources and expenditure, organising for NPD, NPD process proficiency, marketing and technical skills and proficiency, R&D/marke...

Farm Management Basic Core Curriculum. Kansas Postsecondary Farm and Ranch Management Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Albracht, James, Ed.

Thirty-five units of instruction are included in this core curriculum in farm management for postsecondary farm and ranch management programs. Units of instruction are divided into 12 instructional areas: (1) Introduction to Financial Management, (2) Farm Business Arrangement, (3) Credit Management, (4) Budgeting, (5) Recordkeeping, (6) Record…

The prevalence of two major health risk behaviours in an Irish older adult population & their relationship to ageing self-perceptions: Findings from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing

OpenAIRE

Copley, Antoinette Mary

2014-01-01

Objective: The leading causes of death among older Irish adults are diseases of the circulatory system. These are in a major part, diseases of lifestyle and so health behaviours across the lifecycle, including older age, are important targets for prevention. It is imperative to understand older adults’ engagement in preventive health behaviours such as not smoking and drinking sensibly. While research on the association between ageing self-perceptions and health behaviours is relatively no...

Policies and practices of parental involvement and parent-teacher relations in Irish primary education: a critical discourse analysis

OpenAIRE

Bennett, Brigid

2015-01-01

This thesis presents a critical discourse analysis of policies of parental involvement in Irish education from the past decade. It explores three questions: Do discourses of parental involvement and teacher professionalism construct parent-teacher relations in Irish primary education?; What implications do these constructions have for policies and practices of parent-teacher relationships, particularly parent-teacher partnerships, in Irish primary education?; How can these constructions be ch...

Are large farms more efficient? Tenure security, farm size and farm efficiency: evidence from northeast China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yuepeng; Ma, Xianlei; Shi, Xiaoping

2017-04-01

How to increase production efficiency, guarantee grain security, and increase farmers' income using the limited farmland is a great challenge that China is facing. Although theory predicts that secure property rights and moderate scale management of farmland can increase land productivity, reduce farm-related costs, and raise farmer's income, empirical studies on the size and magnitude of these effects are scarce. A number of studies have examined the impacts of land tenure or farm size on productivity or efficiency, respectively. There are also a few studies linking farm size, land tenure and efficiency together. However, to our best knowledge, there are no studies considering tenure security and farm efficiency together for different farm scales in China. In addition, there is little study analyzing the profit frontier. In this study, we particularly focus on the impacts of land tenure security and farm size on farm profit efficiency, using farm level data collected from 23 villages, 811 households in Liaoning in 2015. 7 different farm scales have been identified to further represent small farms, median farms, moderate-scale farms, and large farms. Technical efficiency is analyzed with stochastic frontier production function. The profit efficiency is regressed on a set of explanatory variables which includes farm size dummies, land tenure security indexes, and household characteristics. We found that: 1) The technical efficiency scores for production efficiency (average score = 0.998) indicate that it is already very close to the production frontier, and thus there is little room to improve production efficiency. However, there is larger space to raise profit efficiency (average score = 0.768) by investing more on farm size expansion, seed, hired labor, pesticide, and irrigation. 2) Farms between 50-80 mu are most efficient from the viewpoint of profit efficiency. The so-called moderate-scale farms (100-150 mu) according to the governmental guideline show no

Irish (Republic) versus British (North West) orthopaedic trainees: what are the differences?

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Banks, L N

2012-02-01

British Trainees have gradually had their working week curtained over the last 8 years. The Republic of Ireland Trainees have not been subjected to the European Working Time Directive prior to 2009 and have therefore worked on average, more hours than their British counterparts. We wanted to see if the differing schemes had an impact on recruiting and training orthopaedic surgeons. We surveyed Republic of Ireland orthopaedic specialist registrars (SpRs) and North West (NW) British SpRs\\/specialist trainees (ST3 and above) to see if there were any discernable differences in working patterns and subsequent training exposure. A standard proforma was given to Irish Trainees and to NW SpRs\\/STs at their National or regional teaching (January\\/February 2009). 62% of Irish and 47% of British NW Trainees responded. Irish trainees were more likely to have obtained a post-graduate degree (p = 0.03). The Irish worked more hours per week (p < 0.001) doing more trauma operative lists (p = 0.003) and more total cases per 6 months than the NW British (p = 0.003). This study suggests that more hours worked, equals more operative exposure, without detriment to the academic side of training. Obviously it is not possible to say whether fewer operations make for a poorer surgeon, but the evidence suggests that it may be true.

Five years after implementation: A review of the Irish Mental Health Act 2001.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Ramsay, Hugh

2013-01-01

The Mental Health Act 2001 (MHA 2001) was implemented in November 2006. Since that time, there has been considerable research into its impact, including the impact on service provision, use of coercive practices and the perceptions by key stakeholders. Our objective is to present a summary of research into the MHA 2001 since its implementation in the Irish state in the context of international standards and practice.

Radioactivity monitoring of the Irish marine environment 1991 and 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGarry, A.; Lyons, S.; McEnri, C.; Ryan, T.; O'Colmain, M.; Cunningham, J.D.

1994-05-01

This report presents the results of the Radiological Protection Institute's programme of monitoring of radioactivity in the seas around Ireland during 1991 and 1992. The principal objective of the monitoring programme is to review the risks to human health arising from the Sellafield discharges. Secondary objectives include studies of the distribution of the significant contaminating radionuclides in the marie environment and the identification of trends with a view to assessing possible future effects. Estimates of the radiation doses to the Irish public are also presented in this report. 23 refs. 24 tabs. 9 figs

Representing Sikhism: essays in memory of the Irish scholar Max Arthur Macauliffe

OpenAIRE

Shackle, Christopher; Bocking, Brian

2017-01-01

This is an introduction, by the guest editors, to the special issue of JISASR (Vol 4, 2017) entitled 'Representing Sikhism: Essays in Memory of the Irish Scholar Max Arthur Macauliffe'. The genesis of this special issue lies in pioneering work on Macauliffe's Irish identity and personal and scholarly life undertaken by Professor Tadhg Foley (Galway). The active interest and support of members of the Sikh community in Ireland led to a conference, hosted by the Study of Religions Department at ...

Megaphone Diplomacy in the Northern Irish Peace Process: Squaring the Circle by Talking to Terrorists through Journalists

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sparre, Kirsten

2001-01-01

In early 1994, British and Irish mainstream media were instrumental in facilitating an indirect dialogue between their governments and the Irish Republican movement about the terms on which Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, could be admitted into political talks...... of journalists, but also that it is possible for journalists to strengthen the process and yet stay within the journalistic paradigm. The article concludes with an assessment of the contributions of the media dialogue to the wider peace process....

What Stick Figures Tell Us about Irish Politics: Creating a Critical and Collaborative Learning Space

Science.gov (United States)

Feeney, Sharon; Hogan, John; Donnelly, Paul F.

2015-01-01

This paper focuses upon the interpretation of freehand drawings produced by a small sample of 220 first-year students taking an Irish politics introductory module in response to the question, "What is Irish Politics?" By sidestepping cognitive verbal-processing routes, through employing freehand drawing, we aim to create a critical and…

Non proliferation and disarmament: the 'golden age' of the Irish diplomacy (1957-1961) - Historical note

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hautecouverture, Benjamin

2007-06-01

The author proposes an analysis of the Irish diplomatic actions and policy with respect to non proliferation and disarmament at the end of the 1950's. Inspired by the Swedish international posture, this policy notably produced the so-called 'Irish resolution'. The author first comments the origin of this resolution, and then describes the negotiation process which lasted about two years to finally produce this resolution which was voted by the United Nations General Assembly. The last part of the article comments the content of the resolution which stated that the NPT had to be considered as a first step on the way to disarmament. While evoking the evolution of the Irish diplomatic action during the following years, the author comments the implications and influence of this Irish resolution

Uncovering the glacial history of the Irish continental shelf (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Dunlop, P.; Benetti, S.; OCofaigh, C.

2013-12-01

In 1999 the Irish Government initiated a €32 million survey of its territorial waters known as the Irish National Seabed Survey (INSS). The INSS is amongst the largest marine mapping programmes ever undertaken anywhere in the world and provides high-resolution multibeam, backscatter and seismic data of the seabed around Ireland. These data have been used to provide the first clear evidence for extensive glaciation of the continental shelf west and northwest of Ireland. Streamlined drumlins on the mid to outer shelf record former offshore-directed ice flow towards the shelf edge and show that the ice sheet was grounded in a zone of confluence where ice flowing onto the shelf from northwest Ireland merged with ice flowing across the Malin Shelf from southwest Scotland. The major glacial features on the shelf are well developed nested arcuate moraine systems that mark the position of the ice sheet margin and confirm that the former British Irish Ice Sheet was grounded as far as the shelf edge around 100 km offshore of west Donegal at the last glacial maximum. Distal to the moraines, on the outermost shelf, prominent zones of iceberg plough marks give way to the Barra/Donegal fan and a well developed system of gullies and canyons which incise the continental slope. Since 2008 several scientific cruises have retrieved cores from the shelf and slope to help build a more detailed understanding of glacial events in this region. This presentation will provide an overview of the glacial history of the Irish shelf and will discuss ongoing research programmes that are building on the initial research findings to produce a better understanding of the nature and timing of ice sheet events in this region.

“Caint na ndaoine”. The Irish Language as a Precedent for Standardisation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlo James Waskowski Ritchie

2016-12-01

Full Text Available “Caint na ndaoine”. The Irish Language as a Precedent for Standardisation Critics of the standardisation of the Irish language argue that the “modernisation” of the Irish orthography has been detrimental to the preservation of the various dialects that form native spoken Irish. The effects of standardisation on Irish consequently form an important precedent for language standardisation. The potential alienation of a language’s native speakers is an outcome of standardisation that is obviously destructive for a language community that exists in a minority. The issues that surround the movement for a standardised Plattdeutsch are similar to those faced in the standardisation of Modern Irish. Since the recognition by the European Union of Low German (Plattdeutsch as a regional language in 1998, there has been newfound momentum in the movement for its reestablishment as a unified language of Northern Germany. One of the great difficulties of this movement however is the lack of any universal orthography due to the separate nature of the language’s dialects. Given the sociolinguistic similarities of these two (albeit unrelated languages, a study of the effects of the standardisation of Irish is useful for an assessment of the possibility of a standardised Plattdeutsch.   “Caint na ndaoine”. Język irlandzki jako precedens standaryzacji Krytycy procesu standaryzacji języka irlandzkiego uważają, że „modernizacja” irlandzkiej ortografii zaszkodziła ochronie wielu dialektów składających się na oralny język natywnych Irlandczyków. Skutki standaryzacji irlandzkiego stanowią więc ważny precedens standaryzacji języków. Możliwe wyobcowanie natywnych użytkowników języka jest w oczywisty sposób destrukcyjnym dla trwania wspólnoty mniejszościowej rezultatem procesu standaryzacji. Zagadnienia towarzyszące ruchowi na rzecz standaryzacji języka dolnoniemieckiego są podobne do problemów standaryzacji, wobec kt

Carbon tax scenarios and their effects on the Irish energy sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Cosmo, Valeria; Hyland, Marie

2013-01-01

In this paper we use annual time series data from 1960 to 2008 to estimate the long run price and income elasticities underlying energy demand in Ireland. The Irish economy is divided into five sectors: residential, industrial, commercial, agricultural and transport, and separate energy demand equations are estimated for all sectors. Energy demand is broken down by fuel type, and price and income elasticities are estimated for the primary fuels in the Irish fuel mix. Using the estimated price and income elasticities we forecast Irish sectoral energy demand out to 2025. The share of electricity in the Irish fuel mix is predicted to grow over time, as the share of carbon intensive fuels such as coal, oil and peat, falls. The share of electricity in total energy demand grows most in the industrial and commercial sectors, while oil remains an important fuel in the residential and transport sectors. Having estimated the baseline forecasts, two different carbon tax scenarios are imposed and the impact of these scenarios on energy demand, carbon dioxide emissions, and government revenue is assessed. If it is assumed that the level of the carbon tax will track the futures price of carbon under the EU-ETS, the carbon tax will rise from €21.50 per tonne CO 2 in 2012 (the first year forecasted) to €41 in 2025. Results show that under this scenario total emissions would be reduced by approximately 861,000 tonnes of CO 2 in 2025 relative to a zero carbon tax scenario, and that such a tax would generate €1.1 billion in revenue in the same year. We also examine a high tax scenario under which emissions reductions and revenue generated will be greater. Finally, in order to assess the macroeconomic effects of a carbon tax, the carbon tax scenarios were run in HERMES, the ESRI's medium-term macroeconomic model. The results from HERMES show that, a carbon tax of €41 per tonne CO 2 would lead to a 0.21% contraction in GDP, and a 0.08% reduction in employment. A higher carbon

EUROASPIRE (European Action on Secondary Prevention through Intervention to Reduce Events) III--a comparison of Irish and European results.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Cooney, M T

2009-04-01

The EUROASPIRE III audit was a Europe-wide study which took place in 2006\\/2007. The objective was to examine the control of risk factors in subjects with established cardiovascular disease. Here, we compare the Irish results to those of the other 21 European countries which participated. Control of blood cholesterol was significantly better in Irish participants, with 73% below the target of 4.5 mmol\\/l. Blood pressure control was less satisfactory in both Irish and European individuals, with an average of 52% of Irish participants not achieving blood pressure targets. Medication usage was high throughout, particularly anti-platelet agents, beta-blockers and, especially in Ireland, statins. Obesity figures were particularly high in Ireland and throughout Europe, with 82% Irish men and women either overweight or obese. Smoking figures in Irish women were also of concern, with 24% continuing to smoke. Cardiac rehabilitation attendance was particularly high in Ireland, with 68% attending; substantially higher than the European figure of 34%. In common with the rest of Europe, current control of body weight and blood pressure in Ireland is unsatisfactory and in need of increased consideration on the part of both patients and healthcare professionals.

The role of near-shore industrial waste releases in the dispersion of radionuclides in the NE Irish Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamilton, E.I.

1999-01-01

Over the past 27 years, through the use of autoradiographic methods combined with field observations and laboratory studies, I have concluded that the behaviour and distribution of the α-active actinide radionuclides in the estuarine and marine sediments of the NE Irish Sea are significantly influenced by the releases of other non-radioactive industrial wastes. Since the 1700s, the various industrial activities in the Cumbrian coastal region have included: haematite mining, diverse non-ferric metal extraction industries, coal mining and a large number of blast furnaces for the manufacture of iron. More recently (1954-92), the Albright and Wilson phosphoric acid factory at Whitehaven, Cumbria, has discharged large quantities of phosphogypsum slurries into the NE Irish Sea. Iron wastes and slag products, together with phosphogypsum and its associated by-products containing the rare earth elements, are extremely reactive towards the actinides. These wastes are now slowly being removed from the region by natural processes following the rapid decline of heavy industry in the area. These wastes have been present since BNFL first started to discharge radionuclides into the NE Irish Sea and have not, so far, been considered in any models for the dispersion of radionuclides in the region. It is shown that sediments of the NE Irish Sea and local estuaries contain a significant part of the actinide content as coatings on two iron minerals, magnetite and haematite; there is also a significant diffuse distribution associated with hydrated iron oxides attached to quartz grains. However, not all magnetite and haematite grains from a given site show α-activity. Relative to the intensity of the α-activity of the constituent minerals in sediments, the two iron minerals can be regarded as hot particles and are associated with a further set of far more intense hot particles that either may be totally derived from BNFL Sellafield or may also include a contribution from the Albright

Strategic Planning and Accountability in Irish Education

Science.gov (United States)

Gleeson, Jim; O Donnabhain, Diarmaid

2009-01-01

This article considers the impact of the New Public Management culture on Irish education and calls for a debate in relation to the prevailing bureaucratic model of accountability. The influence of the Lisbon Agenda (2000) on education planning is identified and the 2005/7 Education Strategy Statement is analysed using the relevant OECD framework.…

Radiological mass screening in the Irish Republic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Donnell, B.

1987-01-01

Mass chest screening was first introduced to Ireland in the late 1940's. Routine mammography has never been used in the Irish Republic. For some years it has been customary to carry our routine clinical screening for congenital dislocation of hips on new born babies. Pre-- employment and pre- surgery x-ray screening were also being practiced

Performance Of Irish Potato Varieties Under Aeroponic Conditions In ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

cntaganda

1Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, National University of Rwanda. (NUR) ... Though Irish potato is very important in Rwanda, average yields ... One plausible solution to this problem is to adopt a soil-less seed production.

A health and safety survey of Irish funeral industry workers.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Kelly, N

2012-02-01

BACKGROUND: Those handling deceased individuals, including the funeral industry, face a variety of health and safety hazards including occupationally acquired infectious disease. AIMS: To identify the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of Irish funeral industry workers towards occupational hazards and infectious disease in 2009. METHODS: The sample analysed consisted of all listed member premises of the Irish Association of Funeral Directors as at 1 July 2009. A postal survey was sent to each premises in July 2009, with two rounds of follow-up reviews sent to non-responders. Four main areas were covered--occupational hazards, embalming, industry expertise and demographics. The quantitative and qualitative results were analysed to assess knowledge, attitudes and beliefs. Data collection was completed on 31 December 2009. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty listed member premises were contacted. Twenty-two were unsuitable for the survey. One hundred and thirty-eight valid replies were received from 130 premises, representing a premises response rate of 63% (130\\/208). Seventy-three premises (56%) identified themselves as embalmers. Embalmers had variable vaccine uptake and variable knowledge, attitude and beliefs towards embalming those with blood-borne viruses. Fifteen per cent of respondents reported a work-related injury, back injury being the most common. Splash and sharps injuries were reported as a work-related injury, and infections believed to be work related were also reported. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates widespread occupational health concerns among this professional group. It confirms the need for occupational health advice and services. There is also a strong desire for regulation of this profession in Ireland.

J. F. Powers and Betty Wahl: Irish Americans and Returning Yanks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John L. Murphy

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The limited critical attention given J.F. Powers (1917-99 has concentrated on his engagement with Catholicism. Powers also applies Irish American motifs to his fiction. This article analyzes the depiction that Powers and his wife Betty Wahl (1924-88, who left postwar America to live on and off in Ireland, made of the Irish in both their homeland and in America. Powers only once directly addressed his own experience as a sporadic Irish resident, in the final story, “Tinkers,” anthologized in his third and last collection in 1975. Wahl’s writing career proved limited. Her only novel, Rafferty and Co. (1969, semi-fictionalizes the Powers family’s decision to move to Ireland, for a series of extended stays in the 1950s and early 1960s. This article examines these writers’ dramatization of postwar Ireland as expatriate Americans. Powers’ story and Wahl’s novel depict the stresses of living in suburbs south of Dublin while struggling to sustain a countercultural yet conservative idealism. That combination drove the family away from the Midwest, in both fiction and fact, to settle in an economically destitute and patriotically insecure Ireland.

The Irish famine of 1740-1741: famine vulnerability and "climate migration"

Science.gov (United States)

Engler, S.; Mauelshagen, F.; Werner, J.; Luterbacher, J.

2013-05-01

The "Great Frost" of 1740 was one of the coldest winters of the eighteenth century and impacted many countries all over Europe. The years 1740-1741 have long been known as a period of general crisis caused by harvest failures, high prices for staple foods, and excess mortality. Vulnerabilities, coping capacities and adaptation processes varied considerably among different countries. This paper investigates the famine of 1740-1741 in Ireland applying a multi-indicator model developed specifically for the integration of an analysis of pre-famine vulnerability, the Famine Vulnerability Analysis Model (FVAM). Our focus is on Ireland, because famine has played a more outstanding role in Irish national history than in any other European country, due to the "Great Famine" of 1845-1852 and its long-term demographic effects. Our analysis shows that Ireland was already particularly vulnerable to famine in the first half of the eighteenth century. During and after the experience of hardship in 1740-1741, many Irish moved within Ireland or left the country entirely. We regard migration as a form of adaptation and argue that Irish migration in 1740-1741 should be considered as a case of climate-induced migration.

CleverFarm - A SuperSCADA system for wind farms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giebel, G [ed.; Juhl, A; Gram Hansen, K; Biebhardt, J [and others

2004-08-01

The CleverFarm project started out to build an integrated monitoring system for wind farms, where all information would be available and could be used across the wind farm for maintenance and component health assessments. This would enable wind farm operators to prioritise their efforts, since they have a good view of the farm status from home. A large emphasis was placed on the integration of condition monitoring approaches in the central system, enabling estimates of the remaining lifetime of components, especially in the nacelle. During the 3,5 years of the project, software and hardware was developed and installed in two wind farms in Denmark and Germany. The connected hardware included two different condition monitoring systems based on vibration sensors from Gram&Juhl and ISET, plus a camera system developed by Overspeed. Additionally, short-term predictions of the wind farm output were delivered by DMI and Risoes Prediktor system throughout the period of the project. All these diverse information sources are integrated through a web interface based on Java Server Pages. The software was developed in Java, and is delivered as so-called CleverBeans. The main part of the software is open-sourced. The report contains the experiences and results of a one-year experimental period. This report is a slightly edited version of the final publishable report to the EU Commission as part of the requirements of the CleverFarm project.

Claiming and displaying national identity: Irish travellers' and students' strategic use of 'banal' and 'hot' national identity in talk.

Science.gov (United States)

Joyce, Carmel; Stevenson, Clifford; Muldoon, Orla

2013-09-01

Two complementary explanations have been offered by social psychologists to account for the universal hold of national identity, first that national identity is ideologically assumed, as it forms the 'banal' background of everyday life, and second that national identity is 'hotly' constructed and contested in political and everyday settings to great effect. However, 'banal' and 'hot' aspects of national identity have been found to be distributed unevenly across national and subnational groups and banality itself can be strategically used to distinguish between different groups. The present paper develops these ideas by examining possible reasons for these different modes and strategies of identity expression. Drawing upon intergroup theories of minority and majority relations, we examine how a group who see themselves unequivocally as a minority, Irish Travellers, talk about their national identity in comparison to an age and gender-matched sample of Irish students. We find that Travellers proactively display and claim 'hot' national identity in order to establish their Irishness. Irish students 'do banality', police the boundaries and reputation of Irishness, and actively reject and disparage proactive displays of Irishness. The implications for discursive understandings of identity, the study of intra-national group relations and policies of minority inclusion are discussed. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.

78 FR 14431 - Irish-American Heritage Month, 2013

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-06

... to pursue their dreams. Millions among them were born in Ireland, separated from our shores but... principle, may America and Ireland always continue to move forward together in common purpose. NOW... me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 2013 as Irish...

Aerobic Mesophilic Bacteria Associated With Irish Potato ( Solanum ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A total of 15 samples of spoilt Irish potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) were collected from five grocery shops in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria and were analysed for aerobic mesophilic bacterial load. The isolated aerobic mesophilic bacteria were phenotypically characterized by biochemical tests and their susceptibility to ...

Acoustic Seabed Characterization of the Porcupine Bank, Irish Margin

Science.gov (United States)

O'Toole, Ronan; Monteys, Xavier

2010-05-01

The Porcupine Bank represents a large section of continental shelf situated west of the Irish landmass, located in water depths ranging between 150 and 500m. Under the Irish National Seabed Survey (INSS 1999-2006) this area was comprehensively mapped, generating multiple acoustic datasets including high resolution multibeam echosounder data. The unique nature of the area's datasets in terms of data density, consistency and geographic extent has allowed the development of a large-scale integrated physical characterization of the Porcupine Bank for multidisciplinary applications. Integrated analysis of backscatter and bathymetry data has resulted in a baseline delineation of sediment distribution, seabed geology and geomorphological features on the bank, along with an inclusive set of related database information. The methodology used incorporates a variety of statistical techniques which are necessary in isolating sonar system artefacts and addressing sonar geometry related issues. A number of acoustic backscatter parameters at several angles of incidence have been analysed in order to complement the characterization for both surface and subsurface sediments. Acoustic sub bottom records have also been incorporated in order to investigate the physical characteristics of certain features on the Porcupine Bank. Where available, groundtruthing information in terms of sediment samples, video footage and cores has been applied to add physical descriptors and validation to the characterization. Extensive mapping of different rock outcrops, sediment drifts, seabed features and other geological classes has been achieved using this methodology.

“The way the Irish asylum system turns people into un-human is my problem”: An Interview with Ifedinma Dimbo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Martín-Ruiz

2015-03-01

Ifedinma Dimbo currently lives in Dublin, where she works and researches for her PhD in Medical Sociology. The Nigerian-born, Irish-based writer was kind enough to answer my questions via e-mail between the months of August and October 2014, with some final elaboration in January 2015. Ifedinma Dimbo’s writing, as well as her answers in this interview, are an invaluable testimony to a reality that is currently taking place in Ireland and has often been silenced. Now that Irish society is beginning to be aware of the unfair treatment that refugees and asylum seekers receive at the hands of the Irish system, it is high time to let people who, like Ifedinma Dimbo, have made Ireland their home, have their voices heard in the field of Irish Studies. In this interview, Ifedinma Dimbo very sharply shares her views on writing, immigration, religion and Irish society.

Institutional Design and Irish Political Reform

OpenAIRE

Hardiman, Niamh

2010-01-01

Part of Symposium: Resolving Ireland's Fiscal Crisis (read before the Society, 26th November 2009) The financial and economic crisis that erupted in 2008 exposed significant weaknesses in Irish decision-making and policy implementing processes. In contrast with other European countries in the grip of crisis, the political system was not fundamentally challenged and the incumbent government held onto power. But confidence in government?s capacity to respond adequately fell to historically l...

The Irish epilepsy surgery experience: Long-term follow-up.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Dunlea, Orla

2010-05-01

To assess the long-term seizure outcome of Irish patients who underwent resective surgery for refractory epilepsy since 1975. We also wished to determine the impact of pathology and surgical technique (with particular reference to neocorticectomy) on seizure outcome.

Breast cancer risk in a screening cohort of Asian and white British/Irish women from Manchester UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, D Gareth; Brentnall, Adam R; Harvie, Michelle; Astley, Susan; Harkness, Elaine F; Stavrinos, Paula; Donnelly, Louise S; Sampson, Sarah; Idries, Faiza; Watterson, Donna; Cuzick, Jack; Wilson, Mary; Jain, Anil; Harrison, Fiona; Maxwell, Anthony J; Howell, Anthony

2018-01-25

The differences between breast cancer risk factors in white British/Irish and Asian women attending screening in the UK are not well documented. Between 2009-15 ethnicity and traditional breast cancer risk factors were self-identified by a screening cohort from Greater Manchester, with follow up to 2016. Risk factors and incidence rates were compared using age-standardised statistics (European standard population). Eight hundred and seventy-nine Asian women and 51,779 unaffected white British/Irish women aged 46-73 years were recruited. Asian women were at lower predicted breast cancer risk from hormonal and reproductive risk factors than white British/Irish women (mean 10 year risk 2.6% vs 3.1%, difference 0.4%, 95%CI 0.3-0.5%). White British/Irish women were more likely to have had a younger age at menarche, be overweight or obese, taller, used hormone replacement therapy and not to have had children.. However, despite being less overweight Asian women had gained more weight from age 20 years and were less likely to undertake moderate physical activity. Asian women also had a slightly higher mammographic density. Asian age-standardised incidence was 3.2 (95%CI 1.6-5.2, 18 cancers) per thousand women/year vs 4.5 (95%CI 4.2-4.8, 1076 cancers) for white British/Irish women. Asian women attending screening in Greater Manchester are likely to have a lower risk of breast cancer than white British/Irish women, but they undertake less physical activity and have more adult weight gain.

Work-life Balance Practices Among Irish Hotel Employees and Implications for HRM

OpenAIRE

Farrell, Kathleen

2015-01-01

The aim of this article is to examine work-life balance in the Irish hotel sector from an employee perspective with implications for HRM. This particular article presents part of a larger study on work flexibility and work-family balance (Farrell, 2012). The study included a survey of managers and employees. Two-hundred and forty-six questionnaires from employees were returned which was a 22% response rate from the original sample group. The research data show that company benefits were not ...

FATAL FOETAL ABNORMALITY, IRISH CONSTITUTIONAL LAW, AND MELLET v IRELAND.

Science.gov (United States)

de Londras, Fiona

2016-12-27

Under the Irish Constitution abortion is allowed only where the life of the pregnant woman is at risk. The provision in question, Article 40.3.3 (or the 8th Amendment) has long been criticised for failing to respect women's autonomy, and in Mellet v Ireland, the UN Human Rights Committee found that Amanda Jane Mellet, who travelled to Liverpool to access abortion following a finding that her foetus suffered a fatal abnormality, had suffered a violation of her rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). In this commentary I demonstrate the value of Mellet when compared to the possible legal findings in such circumstances under both the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, and argue that the findings are not restricted to cases of fatal foetal abnormality. Rather, the Committee's decision illustrates the suffering that all women in Ireland who travel to access abortion experience, arguably constituting a violation of their right to be free from cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment. On that reading, Mellet signifies the need to implement a comprehensive rethink of Irish abortion law including, but going beyond, access to abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Modelling the existing Irish energy-system to identify future energy costs and the maximum wind penetration feasible

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Connolly, D.; Leahy, M.; Lund, H.; Mathiesen, B.V.

2010-01-01

In this study a model of the Irish energy-system was developed using EnergyPLAN based on the year 2007, which was then used for three investigations. The first compares the model results with actual values from 2007 to validate its accuracy. The second illustrates the exposure of the existing Irish energy-system to future energy costs by considering future fuel prices, CO 2 prices, and different interest rates. The final investigation identifies the maximum wind penetration feasible on the 2007 Irish energy-system from a technical and economic perspective, as wind is the most promising fluctuating renewable resource available in Ireland. It is concluded that the reference model simulates the Irish energy-system accurately, the annual fuel costs for Ireland's energy could increase by approximately 58% from 2007 to 2020 if a business-as-usual scenario is followed, and the optimum wind penetration for the existing Irish energy-system is approximately 30% from both a technical and economic perspective based on 2020 energy prices. Future studies will use the model developed in this study to show that higher wind penetrations can be achieved if the existing energy-system is modified correctly. Finally, these results are not only applicable to Ireland, but also represent the issues facing many other countries. (author)

Experience of the Irish National Centre for hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia 2003-2008.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Ni Bhuachalla, C F

2012-01-31

Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a group of autosomal dominant disorders of vascular structure. The Irish National Centre for HHT at the Mercy University Hospital, Cork, Ireland was founded in 2003. From 2003 to 2008, screening of 164 patients with contrast echocardiography, thoracic computerised tomography (CT) and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has identified 88 patients with definite HHT, 72 (82%) of whom had epistaxis, 70 (80%) had telangiectasia and 81 (92%) had a first-degree relative with HHT. We sought to describe the manifestations of HHT in an Irish population and to determine differences between internationally reported data. The HHT patient database was analysed to describe demographics, clinical manifestations and interventional procedures performed in all referred patients. Contrast echocardiography and\\/or CT were performed in 86 patients with definite HHT, identifying 27 patients (31%) with pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (pAVMs). Nineteen patients with single or multiple pAVMs had 28 embolisation procedures performed, with 1-6 pAVMs embolised per procedure. Cerebral MRI was performed in 78 (89%) patients and 2 (2.3%) had cerebral arteriovenous malformations (cAVMs). HHT prevalence is thought to be 1 in 2500-8000, suggesting that there are many undiagnosed cases in Irish patients. Internationally published data suggest a prevalence of 15-35% for pAVMs and 10-23% for cAVMs in patients with HHT. While the prevalence of pAVMs in our group is consistent with these data, the prevalence of cAVMs is considerably lower, suggesting that Irish patients with HHT may differ genotypically and phenotypically from those in other countries.

Engaging with Leadership Development in Irish Academic Libraries: Some Reflections of the Future Leaders Programme (FLP)

Science.gov (United States)

Fallon, Helen; Maxwell, Jane; McCaffrey, Ciara; McMahon, Seamus

2011-01-01

Four librarians from Irish university libraries completed the U.K. Future Leaders Programme (FLP) in 2010. In this article they recount their experience and assess the effect of the programme on their professional practice and the value for their institutions. The programme is explored in the context of the Irish higher education environment,…

75 FR 3333 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Modification of the Handling Regulation for Area No. 2

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-21

... FR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Modification of the Handling Regulation for Area No. 2 AGENCY... requirement under the Colorado potato marketing order, Area No. 2. The marketing order regulates the handling of Irish potatoes grown in Colorado, and is administered locally by the Colorado Potato...

78 FR 35743 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Modification of the General Cull and Handling Regulation for...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-14

... IR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Modification of the General Cull and Handling Regulation for.... SUMMARY: This interim rule modifies the size requirements for potatoes handled under the Colorado potato marketing order, Area No. 2 (order). The order regulates the handling of Irish potatoes grown in Colorado...

Are we prepared for a growing population? Morbid obesity and its implications in Irish emergency departments.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

2012-01-31

Two percent of the Irish population is morbidly obese with this figure expected to rise significantly. This survey aimed to establish the present logistical capacity of Irish emergency departments (EDs) to adequately cater for the bariatric patients. A telephone survey was carried out of 37 health service executive EDs over a 5-day period in October 2008. Questions were posed to the departmental lead nurse regarding facilities (Supplemental digital content 1). No ED had adequate facilities. Two of 37 units questioned had on-site hoists designed to lift patients of more than 170 kg. Four departments had rapid access to mattresses within the hospital and three of these four had access to beds and trolleys for weighing patients. Two percent of the Irish population is morbidly obese with this figure expected to rise significantly to more than 150 kg. One department had access to commodes, chairs, wheelchairs and trolleys from inpatient services. All departments had extra-wide blood pressure cuffs and 12 had a difficult airways trolley. Necessary infrastructure and equipment for bariatric patients is deficient in the majority of Irish EDs.

Food and beverage cues in UK and Irish children-television programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Scully, Paul; Reid, Orlaith; Macken, Alan; Healy, Mark; Saunders, Jean; Leddin, Des; Cullen, Walter; Dunne, Colum; O'Gorman, Clodagh S

2014-11-01

Increased time in which children spend watching television is a well-described contributor to paediatric obesity. This study investigated the frequency and type of food and beverage placement in children-specific television broadcasts and compared data from UK (UK) and Irish television stations. Content analysis, totalling 82.5 h, reflecting 5 weekdays of children-specific television broadcasting on UK and Irish television channels was performed. To allow comparison between UK and Irish food and beverage cues, only broadcasts between 06.00 and 11.30 were analysed. Data were coded separately by two analysts and transferred to SPSS for analyses. Food and beverage cues were coded based on type of product, product placement, product use, motivation, outcome and characters involved. A total of 1155 food and beverage cues were recorded. Sweet snacks were the most frequent food cue (13.3%), followed by sweets/candy (11.4%). Tea/coffee was the most frequent beverage cue (13.5%), followed by sugar-sweetened beverages (13.0%). The outcome of the cue was positive in 32.6%, negative in 19.8%, and neutral in 47.5% of cases. The most common motivating factor associated with each cue was celebratory/social (25.2%), followed by hunger/thirst (25.0%). Comparison of UK and Irish placements showed both to portray high levels of unhealthy food cues. However, placements for sugar-sweetened beverages were relatively low on both channels. This study provides further evidence of the prominence of unhealthy foods in children's programming. These data may provide guidance for healthcare professionals, regulators and programme makers in planning for a healthier portrayal of food and beverage in children's television. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Who is the Populist Irish Voter?

OpenAIRE

Reidy, Theresa; Suiter, Jane

2017-01-01

read before the Society, 20 April 2017; Symposium 2016-2017: Globalisation, Inequality and the Rise of Populism Across the EU, the Great Recession begot economic and political crisis heralding a renewed march towards populism and party system fragmentation. Much commentary about Ireland remarked on the absence of a populist surge of the type seen in many other bailout states (Clifford, 2016; Pappas, 2015). But is this characterization of the Irish experience accurate? The imposition of aus...

Primary medical care in Irish prisons

OpenAIRE

ALLWRIGHT, SHANE PATRICIA ANN; DARKER, CATHERINE; BARRY, JOSEPH; O'DOWD, THOMAS

2010-01-01

PUBLISHED Background: An industrial dispute between prison doctors and the Irish Prison Service (IPS) took place in 2004. Part of the resolution of that dispute was that an independent review of prison medical and support services be carried out by a University Department of Primary Care. The review took place in 2008 and we report here on the principal findings of that review. Methods: This study utilised a mixed methods approach. An independent expert medical evaluator (one of ...

75 FR 17034 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Relaxation of the Handling Regulation for Area No. 3

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-05

...; FV09-948-2 IFR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Relaxation of the Handling Regulation for Area No. 3...: This rule relaxes the size requirement prescribed under the Colorado potato marketing order. The marketing order regulates the handling of Irish potatoes grown in Colorado, and is administered locally by...

Eating and drinking habits of young London-based Irish men: a qualitative study.

OpenAIRE

Kelly, Aidan; Ciclitira, Karen

2011-01-01

This qualitative study is based on interviews with young Irish men living in London about their diets and their views on healthy eating. The data were analysed using combined thematic and discourse analysis. Interviewees gave various reasons for not adopting healthy eating habits, including the cost of healthy foods, their lack of time and ability to cook, and their prioritisation of drinking. Views about the status of different foods also affected their eating habits: they considered red mea...

78 FR 3 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Modification of the Handling Regulation for Area No. 2

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-02

...; FV12-948-1 IR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Modification of the Handling Regulation for Area No. 2...: This rule modifies the grade requirements for potatoes handled under the Colorado potato marketing order, Area No. 2 (order). The order regulates the handling of Irish potatoes grown in Colorado and is...

78 FR 70191 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Modification of the General Cull and Handling Regulation for...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-25

...-FV-13-0001; FV13-948-1 FIR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Modification of the General Cull and..., without change, an interim rule that modified the size requirements for potatoes handled under the Colorado potato marketing order, Area No. 2 (order). The order regulates the handling of Irish potatoes...

Application of Dexter’s soil physical quality index: an Irish case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fenton O.

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Historically, due to a lack of measured soil physical data, the quality of Irish soils was relatively unknown. Herein, we investigate the physical quality of the national representative profiles of Co. Waterford. To do this, the soil physical quality (SPQ S-Index, as described by Dexter (2004a,b,c using the S-theory (which seeks the inflection point of a soil water retention curve [SWRC], is used. This can be determined using simple (S-Indirect or complex (S-Direct soil physical data streams. Both are achievable using existing data for the County Waterford profiles, but until now, the suitability of this S-Index for Irish soils has never been tested. Indirect-S provides a generic characterisation of SPQ for a particular soil horizon, using simplified and modelled information (e.g. texture and SWRC derived from pedo-transfer functions, whereas Direct-S provides more complex site-specific information (e.g. texture and SWRC measured in the laboratory, which relates to properties measured for that exact soil horizon. Results showed a significant correlation between S-Indirect (Si and S-Direct (Sd. Therefore, the S-Index can be used in Irish soils and presents opportunities for the use of Si at the national scale. Outlier horizons contained >6% organic carbon (OC and bulk density (Bd values <1 g/cm3 and were not suitable for Si estimation. In addition, the S-Index did not perform well on excessively drained soils. Overall correlations of Si. with Bd and of Si. with OC% for the dataset were detected. Future work should extend this approach to the national scale dataset in the Irish Soil Information System.

Primary medical care in Irish prisons

OpenAIRE

Barry, Joe M; Darker, Catherine D; Thomas, David E; Allwright, Shane PA; O'Dowd, Tom

2010-01-01

Abstract Background An industrial dispute between prison doctors and the Irish Prison Service (IPS) took place in 2004. Part of the resolution of that dispute was that an independent review of prison medical and support services be carried out by a University Department of Primary Care. The review took place in 2008 and we report here on the principal findings of that review. Methods This study utilised a mixed methods approach. An independent expert medical evaluator (one of the authors, DT)...

The Interstitial Status of Irish Gayness in Colm Tóibín’s The Blackwater Lightship and The Master

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José M. Yebra

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the liminal status of Irish gayness in the aftermath of its decriminalization in 1993. Colm Tóibín’s The Blackwater Lightship (1999 tries to reconcile Irish Catholicism and traditional family with new models of Irishness. Declan, the protagonist of the novel, goes back home when he is about to die of AIDS. His return reveals a dysfunctional family which only his disease brings together. His grandmother, mother and sister mourn Declan’s corpse-like body. Making reference to Julia Kristeva’s concepts of “abjection” and “the chora” (1982, 1984, I contend that the hero’s disease is a necessary sacrifice for the family and Ireland as a whole to resurface. The second part of the paper addresses Tóibín’s The Master (2004, whose fictional Henry James counterbalances Declan’s overt homosexuality and AIDS-related death. The Master delves into James’s hybridity as a closeted American of Irish descent opposed to Oscar Wilde’s flamboyant gay Irishness. The restraint of the former and the traumatic downfall of the latter make up the late-Victorian framework through which Declan’s late-twentieth-century sacrifice becomes meaningful.

“Who am I? Well, I’m Irish anyway, that’s something.” Iris Murdoch and Ireland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carla de Petris

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Peter J. Conradi, a lifelong friend and biographer of Iris Murdoch,born in Dublin of Anglo-Irish parents, speaks of her attachment to/detachment from her country of origin as follows: “Her Irish connectionwas reflected in a lifetime’s intellectual and emotional engagement[that] – before her illness – transformed her from a romanticMarxist idealist to a hard-line Unionist and defender of the politicsof Ian Paisley” (Conradi 2001b. This article is an attempt to investigatepossible connections between Murdoch’s social, ethnic, andreligious background and her philosophy based on up-rooted androotedness and self-distancing (terms borrowed from Simone Weilpersonified in the characters of her numerous novels. Her only worksset in Ireland, namely the short story “Something Special” (1958,and the novels The Unicorn (1963 and The Red and the Green (1965,will be analysed and compared with the novels of another womanwriterfrom the same background, Jennifer Johnston, the doyen ofIrish writers, who has inherited and modified the same tradition inthe light of contemporary Irish history.

Politics as Usual? Theatre, the Northern Irish Assembly, and the Romanticization of Normality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eleanor Owicki

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This article explores the treatment of Northern Irish electoral politics in two plays featuring Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs as major characters. Between 2007 and 2016, many viewed the stability of the Northern Irish Assembly as evidence of the continued success of the peace process. Although the principle of mandatory coalition at the system’s heart bears witness to the lasting nature of divisions within the state, the collaboration between once-bitter enemies demonstrates a real shift in Northern Irish politics. Until the institution’s (perhaps temporary collapse in 2017, many commentators and politicians suggested that its success proved that the state was progressing in the nebulous but desirable direction of ‘normality’. Colin Bell’s 'God’s Country' (2010 and Rosemary Jenkinson’s 'Planet Belfast' (2013 suggest, however, that a valorization of normality obscures the dangers posed to Northern Ireland by problems that occur on more global levels. 'God’s Country' explores the dangerous impact of homophobia in the North, and particularly within unionist politics, while 'Planet Belfast' depicts the combined threat of environmental destruction and corporate interference. Both plays depict Northern Irish politics functioning smoothly, with minimal evidence of sectarian divisions deeper than the partisanship present in most democracies. In spite of this, however, they caution against treating normality as an end goal or as evidence that the state is safe. Instead, they suggest that the state faces a wide array of problems that have been obscured by the focus on sectarianism and the legacy of the Troubles.

The Age-Related Association of Movement in Irish Adolescent Youth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diarmuid Lester

2017-10-01

Full Text Available (1 Background: Research has shown that post-primary Irish youth are insufficiently active and fail to reach a level of proficiency across basic movement skills. The purpose of the current research was to gather cross-sectional baseline data on Irish adolescent youth, specifically the prevalence of movement skills and patterns, in order to generate an overall perspective of movement within the first three years (Junior Certificate level of post-primary education. (2 Methods: Data were collected on adolescents (N = 181; mean age: 14.42 ± 0.98 years, attending two, mixed-gender schools. Data collection included 10 fundamental movement skills (FMS and the seven tests within the Functional Movement Screen (FMS™. The data set was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20.0 for Windows. (3 Results: Overall, levels of actual mastery within fundamental and functional movement were low. There were statistically significant age-related differences observed, with a progressive decline as age increased in both the object control (p = 0.002 FMS sub-domain, and the in-line lunge (p = 0.048 test of the FMS™. (4 Conclusion: In summary, we found emerging evidence that school year group is significantly associated with mastery of movement skills and patterns. Results from the current study suggest that developing a specifically tailored movement-oriented intervention would be a strategic step towards improving the low levels of adolescent fundamental and functional movement proficiency.

Modelling the smart farm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael J. O'Grady

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Smart farming envisages the harnessing of Information and Communication Technologies as an enabler of more efficient, productive, and profitable farming enterprises. Such technologies do not suffice on their own; rather they must be judiciously combined to deliver meaningful information in near real-time. Decision-support tools incorporating models of disparate farming activities, either on their own or in combination with other models, offer one popular approach; exemplars include GPFARM, APSIM, GRAZPLAN amongst many others. Such models tend to be generic in nature and their adoption by individual farmers is minimal. Smart technologies offer an opportunity to remedy this situation; farm-specific models that can reflect near real-time events become tractable using such technologies. Research on the development, and application of farm-specific models is at a very early stage. This paper thus presents an overview of models within the farming enterprise; it then reviews the state-of the art in smart technologies that promise to enable a new generation of enterprise-specific models that will underpin future smart farming enterprises.

12 CFR 619.9140 - Farm Credit bank(s).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Farm Credit bank(s). 619.9140 Section 619.9140 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM DEFINITIONS § 619.9140 Farm Credit bank(s). Except as otherwise defined, the term Farm Credit bank(s) includes Farm Credit Banks...

FARM PERFORMANCE AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Li

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This article emphasizes the strategic and operations aspects of managing a farm. In this article, farm management performance is analyzed based on yearly Illinois Farm Business Farm Management (FBFM panel data across 9,831 farms from 1996 through 2014. The alpha scores (or skill estimates for farm managers are analyzed to determine if most profitable farmers possess specific skills or knowledge against adverse events in a volatile environment. Farms are evaluated under different scenarios of management skill portfolios. Fundamental farm management basics are discussed in this study, including budgeting, production planning, financial analysis, financial management, investment analysis, and control management. We find substantial difference of farm management styles and performance efficiency in management skill portfolios. We also find evidence of most skilled farm managers are more efficient on both revenue side and costs side. The approaches used in this study also allow comparison among farms of different sizes and types. The activities of top farms can be replicated by poorer performers and the study provide a unique way for comparing the farm management styles and ability of most skilled farm managers to that of less skilled ones. The innovative method is framed by comparing business strategies and performance styles in the following aspects: production and operations planning, land management and control, and production costs evaluation. Farm managers will want to consult it as well to improve the effectiveness, objectivity, and success of their decisions.

Glyphosate in Irish adults - A pilot study in 2017.

Science.gov (United States)

Connolly, Alison; Leahy, Michelle; Jones, Kate; Kenny, Laura; Coggins, Marie A

2018-05-02

Glyphosate is the highest volume herbicide used globally and has recently been classified as a 2 A 'probably carcinogenic to humans' by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). There is limited data to evaluate the public health impacts from glyphosate exposure. The objective of this study is to conduct an exploratory glyphosate exposure assessment study among Irish adults, who were non-occupational users of glyphosate. A convenient sampling method was used, collecting one first morning void spot urine sample from each participant. A biomonitoring survey involving the collection and analysis of 20 ml spot urine samples from 50 Irish adults was conducted in June 2017. Participants completed a short questionnaire to collect information on demographics, dietary habits and lifestyle. Glyphosate was extracted using solid phase extraction (SPE) and analysed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MC/MS). Of the 50 urine samples analysed, 10 (20%) contained detectable levels of glyphosate (0.80-1.35 µg L -1 ). Exposure concentrations are higher than those reported in comparable studies of European and American adults. Glyphosate was detectable in 20% of the samples collected from Irish adults. The low proportion of detectable glyphosate levels could be due to lower localised use of pesticides, having a small sample size or the higher analytical detection limit used in this study (0.5 µg L -1 ), which could underestimate the true exposure and warrants further investigation. Given the widespread use of glyphosate, further information on population exposure is required to advance our understanding of the relationship between chronic low dose exposure to glyphosate and human health risk. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Actual Condition of Paddy Field Levee Maintenance by Various Farm Households including Large-scale Farming in the Developed Land Renting Area

Science.gov (United States)

Sakata, Yasuyo

The survey of interview, resource acquisition, photographic operation, and questionnaire were carried out in the “n” Community in the “y” District in Hakusan City in Ishikawa Prefecture to investigate the actual condition of paddy field levee maintenance in the area where land-renting market was proceeding, large-scale farming was dominant, and the problems of geographically scattered farm-land existed. In the study zone, 1) an agricultural production legal person rent-cultivated some of the paddy fields and maintained the levees, 2) another agricultural production legal person rent-cultivated some of the soy bean fields for crop changeover and land owners maintained the levees. The results indicated that sufficient maintenance was executed on the levees of the paddy fields cultivated by the agricultural production legal person, the soy bean fields for crop changeover, and the paddy fields cultivated by the land owners. Each reason is considered to be the managerial strategy, the economic incentive, the mutual monitoring and cross-regulatory mechanism, etc.

How advocates use health economic data and projections: the Irish experience.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Murray, Eugene

2009-07-01

Approximately 30,000 people die in Ireland each year. Currently over 6000 people access specialist palliative care services annually, a figure that is projected to rise to 12,500 by 2016. In 2006, the Irish Hospice Foundation entered a joint advocacy alliance with the Irish Cancer Society and the Irish Association for Palliative Care. By speaking with one voice and using quality data, these three national voluntary groups were able to influence government and social partners to address clearly identified regional inequities in the provision of palliative care services. Over the past three years, there has been significant public investment in palliative care services, culminating in the recent publication by the national health agency of a five-year plan for a comprehensive national palliative care service. However, the sudden economic downturn in 2008 and the severe deterioration of public finances threaten the implementation of the plan. New services can only be developed if there is strong evidence to illustrate that they are cost-effective in delivering patient care. Having reviewed the international evidence, the joint advocacy group has used this economic evidence to strengthen the case that the development of palliative care services can actually save money in health budgets. The campaign mounted by the joint advocacy group was greatly facilitated by the existence of good data and an agreed evidence-based policy on what constitutes a comprehensive service.

We don't like (to) party : explaining the significance of Independents in Irish political life

OpenAIRE

Weeks, Liam

2008-01-01

The aim of this thesis is to explain the significant presence of Independents (non-party representatives) in the Irish political system. This topic was chosen because parties have a monopoly on parliamentary representation in almost all liberal democracies. Ireland is an exception to this pattern, as independents have been elected to every session of parliament since the foundation of the modern Irish state. There have been very few academic analyses of Independents carried out in relation...

Sequencing and analysis of an Irish human genome.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Tong, Pin

2010-01-01

Recent studies generating complete human sequences from Asian, African and European subgroups have revealed population-specific variation and disease susceptibility loci. Here, choosing a DNA sample from a population of interest due to its relative geographical isolation and genetic impact on further populations, we extend the above studies through the generation of 11-fold coverage of the first Irish human genome sequence.

Strategic Planning in Irish Quantity Surveying Pracitces

OpenAIRE

Murphy, Roisin

2011-01-01

The role and usefulness of strategic planning has been well documented over several decades of strategic management research. Despite the significant body of existing knowledge in the field of strategic planning, there remains a paucity of investigation into the construction sector, specifically in Professional Service Firms (PSF’s) operating within it. The aim of this research was to ascertain the type, scope and extent of strategic planning within Irish Quantity Surveying (QS) practices and...

Primary medical care in Irish prisons.

Science.gov (United States)

Barry, Joe M; Darker, Catherine D; Thomas, David E; Allwright, Shane P A; O'Dowd, Tom

2010-03-22

An industrial dispute between prison doctors and the Irish Prison Service (IPS) took place in 2004. Part of the resolution of that dispute was that an independent review of prison medical and support services be carried out by a University Department of Primary Care. The review took place in 2008 and we report here on the principal findings of that review. This study utilised a mixed methods approach. An independent expert medical evaluator (one of the authors, DT) inspected the medical facilities, equipment and relevant custodial areas in eleven of the fourteen prisons within the IPS. Semistructured interviews took place with personnel who had operational responsibility for delivery of prison medical care. Prison doctors completed a questionnaire to elicit issues such as allocation of clinician's time, nurse and administrative support and resources available. There was wide variation in the standard of medical facilities and infrastructure provided across the IPS. The range of medical equipment available was generally below that of the equivalent general practice scheme in the community. There is inequality within the system with regard to the ratio of doctor-contracted time relative to the size of the prison population. There is limited administrative support, with the majority of prisons not having a medical secretary. There are few psychiatric or counselling sessions available. People in prison have a wide range of medical care needs and there is evidence to suggest that these needs are being met inconsistently in Irish prisons.

An on-farm investigation of beef suckler herds using an animal welfare index (AWI).

Science.gov (United States)

Mazurek, Mickael; Prendiville, Daniel J; Crowe, Mark A; Veissier, Isabelle; Earley, Bernadette

2010-12-13

Beef suckler farms (194 farms throughout 13 counties) were assessed once with housed cattle and once with cattle at grass using an animal welfare index (AWI). Twenty-three of the 194 farms were revisited a year later and re-evaluated using the AWI and the Tier-Gerechtheits-Index 35L/2000 (TGI35L/2000). Thirty-three indicators were collected in five categories: locomotion (5 indicators); social interactions (between animals) (7), flooring (5), environment (7) and Stockpersonship (9). Three indicators relating to the size of the farm were also collected.Improving animal welfare is an increasingly important aspect of livestock production systems predominantly due to increased consumer concern about the source of animal products. The objectives were (i) to evaluate animal welfare of Irish beef suckler herds using an animal welfare index (AWI), (ii) to examine correlations between parameters, how they influence the AWI and investigate the applicability of the parameters used, (iii) to investigate the impact of the activity of the farmer (full-time or part-time), the interest of the farmer and the number of animals on the AWI. The mean AWI was 65% and ranged from 54% to 83%. The grazing period represented 16.5% of the total points of the AWI. Seventy percent of the farms were rated as "Very Good" or "Excellent". There was no difference (P > 0.05) in AWI between full-time and part-time farmers. Part-time farmers had greater (P = 0.01) "social interactions": calving (P = 0.03) and weaning (P animals (P = 0.03) and their animals had less lameness (P = 0.01). The number of animals on-farm and the interest of the Stockperson were negatively and positively correlated (P = 0.001), respectively, with the AWI. A hierarchical classification was performed to examine how the indicators influenced the AWI. The AWI was easily applicable for an on-farm evaluation of welfare. The Stockpersonship was an important factor in determining the AWI (11% of the total variation) more

78 FR 43827 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Modoc and Siskiyou Counties, California, and in All Counties in Oregon...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-22

... Service 7 CFR Part 947 [Doc. No. AMS-FV-13-0036; FV13-947-1 PR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Modoc and Siskiyou... handling of Irish potatoes grown in Modoc and Siskiyou Counties, California, and in all counties in Oregon... by the Oregon-California Potato Committee (Committee), which recommended termination of the marketing...

The Irish famine of 1740–1741: famine vulnerability and "climate migration"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Engler

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The "Great Frost" of 1740 was one of the coldest winters of the eighteenth century and impacted many countries all over Europe. The years 1740–1741 have long been known as a period of general crisis caused by harvest failures, high prices for staple foods, and excess mortality. Vulnerabilities, coping capacities and adaptation processes varied considerably among different countries. This paper investigates the famine of 1740–1741 in Ireland applying a multi-indicator model developed specifically for the integration of an analysis of pre-famine vulnerability, the Famine Vulnerability Analysis Model (FVAM. Our focus is on Ireland, because famine has played a more outstanding role in Irish national history than in any other European country, due to the "Great Famine" of 1845–1852 and its long-term demographic effects. Our analysis shows that Ireland was already particularly vulnerable to famine in the first half of the eighteenth century. During and after the experience of hardship in 1740–1741, many Irish moved within Ireland or left the country entirely. We regard migration as a form of adaptation and argue that Irish migration in 1740–1741 should be considered as a case of climate-induced migration.

Kansas Farm and Ranch Management Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Albracht, James, Ed.

Thirty-four units of instruction are included in this core curriculum in farm management for postsecondary farm and ranch management programs. Units of instruction are divided into twelve instructional areas: (1) Introduction to Financial Management, (2) Farm Business Arrangement, (3) Credit Management, (4) Budgeting, (5) Record Keeping, (6)…

Gastrointestinal nematode control practices on lowland sheep farms in Ireland with reference to selection for anthelmintic resistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patten Thomas

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Gastrointestinal parasitism is a widely recognised problem in sheep production, particularly for lambs. While anthelmintics have a pivotal role in controlling the effects of parasites, there is a paucity of data on how farmers use anthelmintics. A representative sample of Irish lowland farmers were surveyed regarding their parasite control practices and risk factors that may contribute to the development of anthelmintic resistance. Questionnaires were distributed to 166 lowland Irish sheep producers. The vast majority of respondents treated their sheep with anthelmintics. Lambs were the cohort treated most frequently, the majority of farmers followed a set programme as opposed to treating at sign of disease. A substantial proportion (61% administered four or more treatments to lambs in a 'normal' year. Departures from best practice in anthelmintic administration that would encourage the development of anthelmintic resistance were observed. In conclusion, in the light of anthelmintic resistance, there is a need for a greater awareness of the principles that underpin the sustainable use of anthelmintics and practices that preserve anthelmintic efficacy should be given a very high priority in the design of helminth control programmes on each farm. To this end, given that veterinary practitioners and agricultural advisors were considered to be the farmer's most popular information resource, the capacity of these professions to communicate information relating to best practice in parasite control should be targeted.

A comparison of mean glandular dose diagnostic reference levels within the all-digital irish national breast screening programme and the Irish symptomatic breast services

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Leary, D.; Rainford, L.

2013-01-01

Data on image quality, compression and radiation dose were collected from symptomatic breast units within the Republic of Ireland. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using SPSS. Recommendations of mean glandular dose (MGD) diagnostic reference levels were made at various levels for film-screen and full field digital mammography units to match levels published worldwide. MGDs received by symptomatic breast patients within Ireland are higher than those received in the all-digital Irish Breast Screening service; 55-65 mm breast: 1.75 mGy (screening) vs. 2.4 mGy (symptomatic) at the 95. percentile; various reasons are proposed for the differences. MGDs achieved in the screening service may be lower because of the exacting requirements for radiographer training, characteristics of the patients and equipment quality assurance levels. More precise imaging guidelines, standards and training of symptomatic radiographers performing mammography are suggested to remediate MGDs delivered to the breasts of Irish women attending the symptomatic breast services. (authors)

Radon in Irish schools: the results of a national survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Synnott, H; Hanley, O; Fenton, D; Colgan, P A

2006-01-01

This paper presents the results of a survey of radon concentrations in Irish primary and post-primary schools. The objective of this survey was to assess the distribution of radon in Irish schools and to identify those requiring remedial work to reduce radon exposure to children and staff. All primary and post-primary schools were invited to participate in the survey. Indoor radon concentrations were measured during the academic year using integrating passive alpha track-etch detectors with a measurement period from three to nine months. The survey was carried out on a phased basis from 1998 to 2004 and is one of the most comprehensive of its kind undertaken in Europe. Measurements were completed in 38 531 ground floor classrooms and offices in 3826 schools, representing over 95% of the approximate 4000 primary and post-primary schools in Ireland. Of these, 984 schools had radon concentrations greater than 200 Bq m -3 in 3028 rooms and 329 schools had radon concentrations in excess of 400 Bq m -3 in 800 rooms. The average radon concentration in schools was 93 Bq m -3 . This results in an annual average effective dose to an Irish child from exposure to radon of 0.3 mSv per year, assuming that the long-term radon concentration is equal to the radon concentration present during the working hours and that the annual average occupancy is 1000 h per year. A programme of remediation of schools with radon concentrations above 200 Bq m -3 has been put in place

A comparison of the exposure response of French and Irish radon detectors during field measurements in houses in Brittany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tymen, G.; Mouden, A.; McLaughlin, J.P.; Wasiolek, P.; Rannou, A.

1988-01-01

Intercomparisons between French (CEA) and Irish (UCD) radon detectors were made during 1986/87 under field conditions in over 100 dwellings within the framework of a regional study in Britanny which commenced in 1984. Two different types of passive radon detectors, both using Kodak-Pathe LR-115 film, were used. The French type is of the open variety while the Irish type is closed. Preliminary analysis of the results obtained from about one hundred exposures shows that while good agreement was found in some cases a mean relative variation of 40% appears to exist between the French and Irish data. In general the Irish data gave the lower radon determinations. Likely reasons for any lack of agreement between the radon data sets obtained from the passive detectors are discussed and also comparisons are made in relation to potential alpha energy data, gamma exposure data and the exposure conditions in the dwellings. (author)

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF QUANTITATIVE DATA OF THE IRISH LANGUAGE FUNCTIONAL POWER IN IRELAND AND NORTHERN IRELAND

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gataullina, K.N.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The globalization processes put a number of regional languages on the verge of extinction, therefore, they have raised awareness of protecting and maintaining the minority languages among a great number of foreign and Russian scholars. The paper deals with Irish that is under protection of the European Charter for regional and Minority Languages in UK and is an official language of Ireland. The research is aimed at comparing the Irish language position in both regions: Ireland and Northern Ireland. Reviewing the quantitative data in the regions under the study allows us to see clearly the language situation, monitor development, and relying on the achieved results, assess the current state and predict the future of Irish in both regions. The research results are considered to be of practical use for further language planning, improving the efficiency of language policies.

Obesity and disability in the symptomatic Irish knee osteoarthritis population.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Ambrose, N L

2010-06-01

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a common disorder with significant social and financial implications. Obesity is the strongest modifiable risk factor of knee OA. There is little data on obesity in Irish knee OA populations and its relationship to other measures of disease severity.

The Intergenerational Transmission of Parenting Styles of Irish Immigrant Mothers

Science.gov (United States)

O'Brien, Helen G.

2010-01-01

The research on child developmental outcomes underscores the importance of exploring parenting styles and identifying their multifactorial and intergenerational influences. This descriptive study examined the individual parenting styles of a sample of 82 Irish immigrant mothers and investigated the factors that influenced their individual…

Battling for the Rights to Privacy and Data Protection in the Irish Courts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shane Darcy

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Far-reaching mass surveillance by the US National Security Agency and other national security services has brought issues of privacy and data protection to the fore in recent years. Information and technology companies have been embroiled in this scandal for having shared, unwittingly or otherwise, users’ personal data with the security services. Facebook, the world’s largest social media company, has long-been criticised by privacy advocates because of its treatment of users’ data. Proceedings before the Irish courts concerning the role of national data protection authorities have seen an examination of these practices in light of relevant Irish and EU law.

The East Irish Sea Basin - from caterpillar to butterfly, a thirty-year metamorphosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Colter, V.S.

1997-12-31

In the thirty years since the award of the first licenses, the East Irish Sea Basin has emerged as a significant hydrocarbon province. This paper first lists some of the occasionally almost arbitrary events that led to the first success in the basin, the discovery of the Morecambe Field, in 1974. An attempt is made to review progress over those thirty years in certain topics, namely (1) stratigraphy, (2) structure, (3) sedimentology, (4) diagenesis `The `Platy Illite problem`; and others, (5) uplift and inversion, (6) hydrocarbon sources and types, (7) East Irish Sea Basin analogues. The paper concludes by summarizing the current state of knowledge. (author)

Measurement of stress effects (scope for growth) and contaminant levels in mussels (Mytilus edulis) collected from the Irish Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Widdows, J; Donkin, P; Staff, F J; Matthiessen, P; Law, R J; Allen, Y T; Thain, J E; Allchin, C R; Jones, B R

2002-05-01

The objective of this research was to quantify the impact of pollution along the coastlines of the Irish Sea. Pollution assessment was based on the combined measurement of scope for growth (SFG), and chemical contaminants in the tissues of mussels (Mytilus edulis) collected from 38 coastal sites around the Irish Sea during June-July in 1996 and 1997. On the UK mainland coast, the SFG showed a general trend with a significant decline in water quality in the Liverpool and Morecambe Bay region. High water quality was recorded along the west coast of Wales, as well as southwest England and northwest Scotland (clean reference sites outside the Irish Sea). Along the coast of Ireland there was a similar trend with reduced SFG within the Irish Sea region. SFG was generally low north of Duncannon and then improved north of Belfast. The poor water quality on both sides of the Irish Sea is consistent with the prevailing hydrodynamics and the spatial distribution of contaminants associated with urban/ industrial development. The decline in SFG of mussels on both sides of the Irish Sea was associated with a general increase in contaminant levels in the mussels. Certain contaminants, including PAHs, TBT, sigmaDDT, Dieldrin, gamma-HCH, PCBs, and a few of the metals (Cd, Se, Ag, Pb), showed elevated concentrations. Many of these contaminants were particularly elevated in the coastal margins of Liverpool Bay, Morecambe Bay and Dublin Bay. A quantitative toxicological interpretation (QTI) of the combined tissue residue chemistry and SFG measurements indicated that at the majority of coastal sites, c. 50 to > 80% of the observed decline in SFG was due to PAHs as a result of fossil fuel combustion and oil spills. TBT levels were highest at major ports and harbours, but these concentrations only made a minor contribution to the overall reduction in SFG. At no sites were individual metals accumulated to concentrations that could cause a significant effect on SFG. The study identified

Explaining Responses in Danish and Irish Banking to the Financial Crisis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kluth, Michael Friederich; Lynggaard, Kennet

The 2008 global financial crises produced very different responses in Ireland and Denmark. While both countries embraced depositor guarantee schemes and recapitalization programmes, their design and adoption reveal important variations. Crucially, the Irish state initially assumed full...

Iguana farming in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eilers, C.H.A.M.; Koops, W.J.; Udo, H.M.J.; Keulen, van H.; Noordhuizen, J.P.T.M.

2001-01-01

Present and former iguana farmers and neighbours were interviewed to find conditions important for iguana farming. Social aspects that facilitated it included few people working off-farm, as iguana farming was time-consuming; co-operative farming, which increases access to technical knowledge;

Development of an online database of typical food portion sizes in Irish population groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, Jacqueline; Walton, Janette; Flynn, Albert

2013-01-01

The Irish Food Portion Sizes Database (available at www.iuna.net) describes typical portion weights for an extensive range of foods and beverages for Irish children, adolescents and adults. The present paper describes the methodologies used to develop the database and some key characteristics of the portion weight data contained therein. The data are derived from three large, cross-sectional food consumption surveys carried out in Ireland over the last decade: the National Children's Food Survey (2003-2004), National Teens' Food Survey (2005-2006) and National Adult Nutrition Survey (2008-2010). Median, 25th and 75th percentile portion weights are described for a total of 545 items across the three survey groups, split by age group or sex as appropriate. The typical (median) portion weights reported for adolescents and adults are similar for many foods, while those reported for children are notably smaller. Adolescent and adult males generally consume larger portions than their female counterparts, though similar portion weights may be consumed where foods are packaged in unit amounts (for example, pots of yoghurt). The inclusion of energy under-reporters makes little difference to the estimation of typical portion weights in adults. The data have wide-ranging applications in dietary assessment and food labelling, and will serve as a useful reference against which to compare future portion size data from the Irish population. The present paper provides a useful context for researchers and others wishing to use the Irish Food Portion Sizes Database, and may guide researchers in other countries in establishing similar databases of their own.

Freedom or Free-For-All in Irish Healthcare? Establishing Improved Consumer Protection Mechanisms in the Irish Complementary and Alternative Medicine Sector

OpenAIRE

O LEARY, CLAIRE LOUISE

2017-01-01

APPROVED Despite political rhetoric, the establishment of working groups, and the publication of commissioned reports in the early and mid-2000s recommending improvements in the regulation of the Irish complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) sector, little of significance has changed. Controversies undermining public confidence in authority, global digital dissemination of information, and higher levels of education and wealth have, among other factors, contributed to the increas...

Radioactivity concentrations in fish from the Irish Sea in Becquerels per kilogram (wet)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1991-01-01

This publication contains the statistical data for Northern Ireland for a wide range of topics from population and vital statistics, law and order, tourism to earnings and income, agriculture, food and fishing. The section on environment and climate includes data on the radioactivity concentration in fish from the Irish sea (whiting, herring, cod, dog fish, nephrops and winkles) and in seaweeds from the Northern Ireland shoreline, over the years 1982-1989. Gamma dose rates in air measured at one metre above intertidal sediments (sand and mud) are given for 1984-1989. (UK)

The Efficacy of Entrepreneurship Education: Perspectives of Irish Graduate Entrepreneurs

Science.gov (United States)

Fenton, Mary; Barry, Almar

2011-01-01

This paper presents an analysis of the views of Irish graduate entrepreneurs on the efficacy of entrepreneurship education in fostering their development as entrepreneurs. It answers three key questions: (a) what was the graduate entrepreneurs' experience of undergraduate entrepreneurship education; (b) what was the graduate entrepreneurs'…

Introducing Farouk's Process Consultation Group Approach in Irish Primary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Marie; Stringer, Phil

2016-01-01

Research has shown that teacher consultation groups increase teachers' behaviour management skills through discussion and collaborative problem-solving. Unlike the United Kingdom, at the time of this research consultation groups were not widely used in Irish schools. This research introduced Farouk's process consultation approach in three Irish…

Nationalism in exotic clothes? Postcolonial thinking, gender and translation in the field day anthology of irish writing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aidan OMalley

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Field Day has been the most important collective cultural initiative in Ireland since Yeats and Lady Gregory’s National Theatre movement in the early twentieth century. Founded in 1980 to articulate a cultural intervention into the crisis in Northern Ireland, it brought together some of the most important cultural figures in Ireland, such as the playwright Brian Friel, the actor Stephen Rea, and the poet Seamus Heaney. While it was originally conceived of as a touring theatre company, the enterprise also became a publishing imprint, and has produced some of the most challenging scholarly work on Irish culture and history. Its most ambitious project was The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing, a massive undertaking that looked to compile and rethink 1,500 years of Irish writing. When the first three volumes of the Anthology were published in 1991 the egregious lack of women’s writing in their 4,044 double-columned pages, and the fact that not one of the editors of the 44 different sections was a woman, were immediately noted. In an embarrassed response, the editors commissioned a second instalment, which was entirely edited by women and devoted to women’s writing, and was published in 2002 in two volumes. The focus of this article is on the modes of postcolonial thinking that informed these two instalments. The first three volumes were clearly influenced by thinkers such as Said, who published a pamphlet with the group, and considered Field Day an archetypal postcolonial enterprise. Indeed, Field Day is credited with having introduced postcolonial thinking into Irish Studies, a move that was by no means uncontroversial. For many critics, theories emanating from African, Caribbean and Indian colonial experiences had no relevance in an Irish context, and they strongly suspected that Field Day’s interest in postcolonial thinking was little more than an attempt by the group to re-dress nationalism in exotic clothes. The blindness to gender

Farm-specific lineages of methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus clonal complex 398 in Danish pig farms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Espinosa-Gongora, Carmen; Larsen, J.; Moodley, Arshnee

2012-01-01

was isolated from 284 of the 391 samples tested, including 230 (74%) animal and 54 (68%) environmental samples. PFGE analysis of a subset of 48 isolates, including the six strains previously isolated from farm workers, revealed the existence of farm-specific pulsotypes. With a single exception, human...

An Assessment of Direct on-Farm Energy Use for High Value Grain Crops Grown under Different Farming Practices in Australia

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Tek Maraseni

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Several studies have quantified the energy consumption associated with crop production in various countries. However, these studies have not compared the energy consumption from a broad range of farming practices currently in practice, such as zero tillage, conventional tillage and irrigated farming systems. This study examines direct on-farm energy use for high value grain crops grown under different farming practices in Australia. Grain farming processes are identified and “typical” farming operation data are collected from several sources, including published and unpublished literature, as well as expert interviews. The direct on-farm energy uses are assessed for 27 scenarios, including three high value grain crops―wheat, barley and sorghum―for three regions (Northern, Southern and Western Australia under three farming conditions with both dryland (both for conventional and zero-tillage and irrigated conditions. It is found that energy requirement for farming operations is directly related to the intensity and frequency of farming operations, which in turn is related to tillage practices, soil types, irrigation systems, local climate, and crop types. Among the three studied regions, Western Australia requires less direct on-farm energy for each crop, mainly due to the easily workable sandy soils and adoption of zero tillage systems. In irrigated crops, irrigation energy remains a major contributor to the total on-farm energy demand, accounting for up to 85% of total energy use.

Prevalence of and attitudes about concussion in Irish schools' rugby union players.

Science.gov (United States)

Delahunty, Sinéad E; Delahunt, Eamonn; Condon, Brian; Toomey, David; Blake, Catherine

2015-01-01

Youth rugby players represent 45.2% (N = 69,472) of the Irish rugby union playing population. The risk and consequences of concussion injury are of particular concern in these young athletes, but limited epidemiological data exists. This study investigated annual and lifetime prevalence of concussion in an Irish schoolboy rugby union cohort. An anonymous cross-sectional survey of youth rugby players was conducted. Diagnosed concussion was defined as an incident where diagnosis was confirmed by a health professional or coach. Demographics, prevalence, and attitudes to concussion were collated. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, chi-square test, t-tests, Mann-Whitney tests, and logistic regression. Overall, 304 youth (aged 12-18 years) responded. Lifetime prevalence of diagnosed concussion was 19.4%, with annual (2010) prevalence 6.6%. Approximately 25.4% of players with diagnosed concussions returned to play without medical advice. Internal motivation (11.8%) was the predominant factor in feeling pressure to play while concussed. A desire for further concussion education was expressed by 89.5% of participants. Reform is required to prevent and manage concussion injuries among youth players in the rugby union, including mandatory education specific to concussion and implementation of return-to-play protocols. These findings have relevance for governing bodies, coaches, clinicians, schools, parents, and rugby union players. © 2014, American School Health Association.

Comparisons of management practices and farm design on Australian commercial layer and meat chicken farms: Cage, barn and free range.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Angela Bullanday; Singh, Mini; Toribio, Jenny-Ann; Hernandez-Jover, Marta; Barnes, Belinda; Glass, Kathryn; Moloney, Barbara; Lee, Amanda; Groves, Peter

2017-01-01

There are few published studies describing the unique management practices, farm design and housing characteristics of commercial meat chicken and layer farms in Australia. In particular, there has been a large expansion of free range poultry production in Australia in recent years, but limited information about this enterprise exists. This study aimed to describe features of Australian commercial chicken farms, with particular interest in free range farms, by conducting on-farm interviews of 25 free range layer farms, nine cage layer farms, nine barn layer farms, six free range meat chicken farms and 15 barn meat chicken farms in the Sydney basin bioregion and South East Queensland. Comparisons between the different enterprises (cage, barn and free range) were explored, including stocking densities, depopulation procedures, environmental control methods and sources of information for farmers. Additional information collected for free range farms include range size, range characteristics and range access. The median number of chickens per shed was greatest in free range meat chicken farms (31,058), followed by barn meat chicken (20,817), free range layer (10,713), barn layer (9,300) and cage layer farms (9,000). Sheds had cooling pads and tunnel ventilation in just over half of both barn and free range meat chicken farms (53%, n = 8) and was least common in free range layer farms (16%, n = 4). Range access in free range meat chicken farms was from sunrise to dark in the majority (93%, n = 14) of free range meat chicken farms. Over half of free range layer farms (56%, n = 14) granted range access at a set time each morning; most commonly between 9:00 to 10.00am (86%, n = 12), and chickens were placed back inside sheds when it was dusk.

Facilitators and Inhibitors of Supply Chain Innovation-prospects for Supply Chain Managment in the Irish Grocery Sector

OpenAIRE

Keegan, Joan; O'Callaghan, Edmund; Wilcox, Mary

2001-01-01

Supply chain management is one of the most significant strategic challenges currently facing the Irish grocery sector. The UK grocery market with its emphasis on composite deliveries via regional distribution centres is extremely sophisticated; the Irish grocery sector, however, is in the embryonic stage of implementing central distribution. The potential to develop innovative supply chain systems is mediated by both national logistic-related variables and company characteristics. In additio...

Primary medical care in Irish prisons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Allwright Shane PA

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background An industrial dispute between prison doctors and the Irish Prison Service (IPS took place in 2004. Part of the resolution of that dispute was that an independent review of prison medical and support services be carried out by a University Department of Primary Care. The review took place in 2008 and we report here on the principal findings of that review. Methods This study utilised a mixed methods approach. An independent expert medical evaluator (one of the authors, DT inspected the medical facilities, equipment and relevant custodial areas in eleven of the fourteen prisons within the IPS. Semistructured interviews took place with personnel who had operational responsibility for delivery of prison medical care. Prison doctors completed a questionnaire to elicit issues such as allocation of clinician's time, nurse and administrative support and resources available. Results There was wide variation in the standard of medical facilities and infrastructure provided across the IPS. The range of medical equipment available was generally below that of the equivalent general practice scheme in the community. There is inequality within the system with regard to the ratio of doctor-contracted time relative to the size of the prison population. There is limited administrative support, with the majority of prisons not having a medical secretary. There are few psychiatric or counselling sessions available. Conclusions People in prison have a wide range of medical care needs and there is evidence to suggest that these needs are being met inconsistently in Irish prisons.

The Image of Mathematics Held by Irish Post-Primary Students

Science.gov (United States)

Lane, Ciara; Stynes, Martin; O'Donoghue, John

2014-01-01

The image of mathematics held by Irish post-primary students was examined and a model for the image found was constructed. Initially, a definition for "image of mathematics" was adopted with image of mathematics hypothesized as comprising attitudes, beliefs, self-concept, motivation, emotions and past experiences of mathematics. Research…

Parametric Pedagogy: Integrating Parametric CAD in Irish Post-Primary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

McGarr, Oliver; Seery, Niall

2011-01-01

Technology education in Irish post-primary schools is undergoing significant change. In recent years the syllabi of all technology-related subjects have been revised. A new subject, Design and Communication Graphics, has replaced the traditional Technical Drawing subject. This new subject aims to develop students' spatial awareness and graphical…

The Challenges of Distributing Leadership in Irish Post-Primary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

O'Donovan, Margaret

2015-01-01

This study explores the challenges and opportunities in relation to developing distributed leadership practice in Irish post-primary schools. It considers school leadership within the context of contemporary distributed leadership theory. Associated concepts such as distributed cognition and activity theory are used to frame the study. The study…

James Joyce’s Home Rule Comet, Elvis Costello’s Anglo-Irish Agreement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dermot Kelly

2007-03-01

Full Text Available It is a truism that Anglo-Irish relations did not progress in the eighty odd years between Joyce’s Trieste lectures and articles and Elvis Costello’s King of America album. If anything they regressed. As Declan Kiberd and others have noted, Joyce foresaw the partitioning of Ireland and, as Greil Marcus has shown, the dark melodies of Costello’s 1986 album are an acrid response to Thatcherism. Tracks like “Sleep of the Just” and “Little Palaces” are threnodies of diaspora. Of course Joyce was prophetic and my reading of Ulysses enables me to fill in the backstory of Marcus’s visceral lines about “Little Palaces” in his 1986 Artforum review: for instance, Bloom’s speech from the dock when he is accused of assaulting the serving girl Mary Driscoll actually reveals the unhappiness of this immigrant’s son. My paper traces continuities of Irish dispossession from Joyce’s “Ireland, Island of Saints and Sages” lecture to Costello’s “Little Palaces” on the one hand and from the Trieste lecture on Mangan to “Sleep of the Just” on the other. I conclude with reflections on Irish absurdism and the seachange in Joyce studies occasioned by the work of critics like Seamus Deane who foreshadowed the Northern Ireland peace process with essays like “Joyce and Nationalism” (1982.

Modelling the existing Irish energy-system to identify future energy costs and the maximum wind penetration feasible

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Connolly, D.; Lund, Henrik; Mathiesen, Brian Vad

2010-01-01

energy- system to future energy costs by considering future fuel prices, CO2 prices, and different interest rates. The final investigation identifies the maximum wind penetration feasible on the 2007 Irish energy- system from a technical and economic perspective, as wind is the most promising fluctuating...... for the existing Irish energy-system is approximately 30% from both a technical and economic perspective based on 2020 energy prices. Future studies will use the model developed in this study to show that higher wind penetrations can be achieved if the existing energy-system is modified correctly. Finally...... renewable resource available in Ireland. It is concluded that the reference model simulates the Irish energy-system accurately, the annual fuel costs for Ireland’s energy could increase by approximately 58% from 2007 to 2020 if a business-as-usual scenario is followed, and the optimum wind penetration...

Summary of Data Farming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gary Horne

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Data Farming is a process that has been developed to support decision-makers by answering questions that are not currently addressed. Data farming uses an inter-disciplinary approach that includes modeling and simulation, high performance computing, and statistical analysis to examine questions of interest with a large number of alternatives. Data farming allows for the examination of uncertain events with numerous possible outcomes and provides the capability of executing enough experiments so that both overall and unexpected results may be captured and examined for insights. Harnessing the power of data farming to apply it to our questions is essential to providing support not currently available to decision-makers. This support is critically needed in answering questions inherent in the scenarios we expect to confront in the future as the challenges our forces face become more complex and uncertain. This article was created on the basis of work conducted by Task Group MSG-088 “Data Farming in Support of NATO”, which is being applied in MSG-124 “Developing Actionable Data Farming Decision Support for NATO” of the Science and Technology Organization, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (STO NATO.

Exploring the multifunctional role of farming systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hermansen, John Erik; Noe, Egon; Halberg, Niels

2006-01-01

Public expectations of farming practices are changing from a demand for environmentally "sustainable farming practices" to farming making an "enhanced contribution to the development of the rural areas", the so-called multifunctionality. Based on our research model of including farmers...... in the development of eco-friendly farming systems, we propose that the achievement of these changed expectations could be facilitated through an appropriate research and development initiative in several European regions. Key elements in such a project sould include: (i) the establishment of platforms for dialogue...... makers and administrators, grassroots movements and research staff. It is expected that such a coordinated research initiative can revitalize the contribution of farming to rural development and yield important insight to be used by the individual farmer in coping with future challenges....

Reasons for not changing to activity-based costing: a survey of Irish firms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Quinn

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose – This paper aims to report on a survey of medium and large Irish firms to ascertain reasons for not changing to more advanced costing techniques, namely, activity-based costing (ABC. Developments in technology and recent poor economic conditions would suggest that the technique could be adopted more by firms, as they make increased efforts to keep costs under control. Design/methodology/approach – A survey instrument was used to gather data drawing from the top 1,000 Irish firms. From a useable population of 821 organisations, a response rate of 20.75 per cent was achieved. Findings – Findings show a rate of adoption of ABC of 18.7 per cent, which is lower than previous studies in an Irish context. The level of information technology in firms is not a key factor for non-adoption. Instead, the main reasoning for non-adoption revolve around stable existing costing methods, which firms expressed satisfaction with. Originality/value – This research suggests the adoption of ABC is not necessarily driven by external factors such as technology and economic shocks, at least in the context of Ireland. It also suggests that costing techniques may be deeply embedded within organisations and are less likely to be subject to change.

Breeding for behavioural change in farm animails

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sandøe, Peter; D'eath, RB; Lawrence, AB

2009-01-01

In farm animal breeding, behavioural traits are rarely included in selection programmes despite their potential to improve animal production and welfare. Breeding goals have been broadened beyond production traits in most farm animal species to include health and functional traits...

Breeding for behavioural change in farm animals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

D'Eath, R.B.; Conington, J.; Lawrence, A.B.

2010-01-01

In farm animal breeding, behavioural traits are rarely included in selection programmes despite their potential to improve animal production and welfare. Breeding goals have been broadened beyond production traits in most farm animal species to include health and functional traits...

Quality evaluation of stiff porridges prepared from Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum) and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) starch blends.

Science.gov (United States)

Abu, Joseph Oneh; Enyinnaya, Chinma Chiemela; James, Samaila; Okeleke, Ezinne

2012-06-01

Quality attributes of stiff porridges prepared from Irish potato and pigeon pea starch blends were studied. Starches were extracted from Irish potato and pigeon pea using a wet extraction method. Various ratios of the starches were mixed and analyzed for chemical, functional and pasting properties. The starch blends were then prepared into stiff porridges for sensory evaluation using a 20-man sensory panel. Substitution of Irish potato starch with pigeon pea starch led to increases in protein (0.15 to 1.2%), fat (0.26 to 0.56%) and ash (0.30 to 0.69%) while the amylose content of the starch blends decreased (from 23.8 to 18.4%) respectively. Functional properties such as bulk density (0.75 to 0.60 g/cm(3)), water absorption capacity (3.1 to 2.6 g water/ g sample) and dispersibility (58.6 to 42.7%) decreased significantly (P pigeon pea starch respectively. Pasting properties such as peak, breakdown, final and setback viscosities increased with increasing levels of pigeon pea starch while peak time and pasting temperature decreased. The sensory attributes of stiff porridges were not adversely affected by pigeon pea starch inclusion. Therefore it should be possible to incorporate up to 50% of low digestible pigeon pea starch into Irish potato starch from legumes such as pigeon pea as alternatives to cassava starch in the preparation of stiff porridges. Such porridges made from Irish potato and legume starches could provide additional incentive for individuals requiring decreased and or slow starch digestibility such as diabetics.

Modelling the economics of farm-based anaerobic digestion in a UK whole-farm context

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, Philip; Salter, Andrew

2013-01-01

Anaerobic digestion (AD) technologies convert organic wastes and crops into methane-rich biogas for heating, electricity generation and vehicle fuel. Farm-based AD has proliferated in some EU countries, driven by favourable policies promoting sustainable energy generation and GHG mitigation. Despite increased state support there are still few AD plants on UK farms leading to a lack of normative data on viability of AD in the whole-farm context. Farmers and lenders are therefore reluctant to fund AD projects and policy makers are hampered in their attempts to design policies that adequately support the industry. Existing AD studies and modelling tools do not adequately capture the farm context within which AD interacts. This paper demonstrates a whole-farm, optimisation modelling approach to assess the viability of AD in a more holistic way, accounting for such issues as: AD scale, synergies and conflicts with other farm enterprises, choice of feedstocks, digestate use and impact on farm Net Margin. This modelling approach demonstrates, for example, that: AD is complementary to dairy enterprises, but competes with arable enterprises for farm resources. Reduced nutrient purchases significantly improve Net Margin on arable farms, but AD scale is constrained by the capacity of farmland to absorb nutrients in AD digestate. -- Highlights: •Lack of empirical data on UK farm AD is barrier to investment and policy formulation. •A modelling approach used to assess economic viability of AD in whole-farm context. •AD increases dairy and arable farm net margin including by savings in nutrient costs. •AD margins better for a few crops than other uses, especially wheat and beet crops. •AD co-exists with dairy, but to obtain best margin displaces conventional cropping

Who is the mother? Negotiating identity in an Irish surrogacy case.

Science.gov (United States)

Christiansen, Karin

2015-08-01

An Irish surrogacy case from 2013 illustrates how negotiations of the mother's identity in a given national and legal context are drawing on novel scientific perspectives, at a time when the use of new biotechnological possibilities (such as IVF) is becoming more widespread and commonplace. The Roman dictum, 'Mater Semper Certa Est' (the mother is always certain, i.e. proven by giving birth) is contested by the finding of this Irish court, in which the judge made a declaration of parentage stating that the genetic parents of twins born using a surrogate (the mother's sister) were the parents. This article critically examines the normative background assumptions involved in this ruling. It will argue that the particular deployment of arguments from genetics and epigenetics in this court case produces a naturalization of the mother's identity that is inherently reductive. A second surrogacy case is also examined, this time regarding the rights of a woman of Irish nationality to receive paid maternity leave or paid leave similar to adoptive leave after the birth of her daughter to a surrogate mother in the US state of California. This case, which was brought to the Equality Tribunal in Ireland and decided by the Court of Justice of the European Union, is used to illustrate the possible ramifications of conflicting definitions of motherhood in the legal system. In concluding, this article argues for the development and deployment of a more complex understanding of the evolving state of motherhood within the courts, in keeping with developments in the IVF industry and the various new mother-relations it makes possible.

The Changing Identities of History Teachers in an Irish School

Science.gov (United States)

O'Boyle, Ailish

2004-01-01

This article explores how the nature of history as a subject has shaped the subcultural identities of the eight teachers in the History Department of an Irish post-primary school. Using a biographical, cultural and micropolitical framework popular within symbolic interactionism, this case study is based on data gathered over three years from…

Food and farm products surveillance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poston, T.M.

1995-06-01

This section of the 1994 Hanford Site Environmental Report summarizes the radiological analyses performed on food and farm samples collected during 1994. The food and farm sampling design addresses the potential influence of Hanford Site releases. Details of the sampling design and radionuclides analyzed are included in this section.

Food and farm products surveillance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poston, T.M.

1995-01-01

This section of the 1994 Hanford Site Environmental Report summarizes the radiological analyses performed on food and farm samples collected during 1994. The food and farm sampling design addresses the potential influence of Hanford Site releases. Details of the sampling design and radionuclides analyzed are included in this section

The Teacher as Co-Creator of Drama: A Phenomenological Study of the Experiences and Reflections of Irish Primary School Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

McDonagh, Fiona; Finneran, Michael

2017-01-01

Classroom drama in the Irish primary school context remains a relatively new endeavour and is largely under-researched. The knowledge base for all aspects of teacher education should be informed by rigorous reflection on teachers' experiences in the classroom. This paper reports on a phenomenological study conducted with seven Irish primary school…

76 FR 18001 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Washington; Decreased Assessment Rate

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-01

... IR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Washington; Decreased Assessment Rate AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing... rate established for the State of Washington Potato Committee (Committee) for the 2011-2012 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.0035 to $0.003 per hundredweight of potatoes handled. The Committee locally...

76 FR 41589 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Washington; Decreased Assessment Rate

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-15

... FIR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Washington; Decreased Assessment Rate AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing... established for the State of Washington Potato Committee (Committee) for the 2011-2012 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.0035 to $0.003 per hundredweight of potatoes handled. The Committee locally administers...

John Punch, Scotist Holy War, and the Irish Catholic Revolutionary Tradition in the Seventeenth Century.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Ian W

2016-07-01

During the 1640s, the Irish Franciscan theologian John Punch taught his theology students in Rome that war against Protestants was made just by their religion alone. Jesuits like Luis de Molina identified the holy war tradition in which Punch stood as a Scotist one, and insisted that the Scotists had confused the natural and supernatural spheres. Among Irishmen, Punch was unusual. The main Irish Catholic revolutionary tradition employed Jesuit and Thomist theory. They argued that the Stuarts had lost the right to rule Ireland for natural reasons, not supernatural ones; because the Stuarts were tyrants, not because they were Protestants.

Differences between Irish and Australian psychiatric nurses' family-focused practice in adult mental health services

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Grant, Anne

2016-04-01

Psychiatric nurses\\' practice with parents who have mental illness, their children and families is an important issue internationally. This study provides a comparison of Irish and Australian psychiatric nurses\\' family-focused practices in adult mental health services. Three hundred and forty three nurses across Ireland and 155 from Australia completed the Family Focused Mental Health Practice Questionnaire. Cross-country comparisons revealed significant differences, in terms of family-focused skill, knowledge, confidence and practice. Australian psychiatric nurses engaged in higher family-focused practice compared to Irish nurses. The comparative differences between countries may be attributable to differences in training, workplace support and policy.

Cowboys and kings: The coming of age film in 1990s Irish cinema

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Menendez-Otero

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The article explores why in the 1990s many Irish filmmakers chose precisely a coming of age narrative to attempt to take the international box office by storm, and assesses some of the films that resulted from the attempt. First, it discusses the cultural roots and generic conventions of the Hollywood teen film, especially the rites of passage it has reified and its idealization of small-town, mid-century America. Second, it studies the economic and cultural reasons behind the (overproduction of coming of age films in Ireland over the 1990s. Finally, we tackle how these films alternatively deviate from and rely on the conventions of the Hollywood coming of age film to meet investor demands and engage global audiences with Irish concerns.

A multi-disciplinary investigation of Irish warm springs and their potential for geothermal energy provision.

Science.gov (United States)

Blake, Sarah; Jones, Alan G.; Henry, Tiernan

2015-04-01

Irish warm springs are one of a set of several target types that are being evaluated for their geothermal energy potential during the course of the island-wide assessment of the geothermal energy potential of Ireland under the IRETHERM project (www.iretherm.ie). Forty-two warm springs and warm shallow groundwater occurrences have been recorded in Ireland; water temperatures in the springs (approx. 12-25 °C) are elevated with respect to average Irish groundwater temperatures (10-11 °C). This study focuses on warm springs in east-central Ireland found in the Carboniferous limestone of the Dublin Basin. A combination of geophysical methods (controlled source electromagnetics (CSEM) and audio-magnetotellurics (AMT)) and hydrochemical analyses (including time-lapse temperature and electrical conductivity measurements) have been utilised at several of the springs to determine the source of the heated waters at depth and the nature of the geological structures that deliver the warm waters to the surface. Using the example of St. Gorman's Well, Co. Meath, we show how the combination of these different methods of investigation and the interpretation of these various data sets enables us to better understand the physical and chemical variability of the spring through time. This will provide the basis for an assessment of the source of these thermal waters as a potential geothermal energy reservoir and will allow for more precise characterisation of the groundwater resource. We present subsurface models derived from new geophysical data collected at St. Gorman's Well in 2013. This high-resolution AMT survey consisted of a grid of 40 soundings recorded at approximately 200 m intervals centred on the spring. The aim of the survey was to image directly any (electrically conductive) fluid conduit systems that may be associated with the springs and to provide an understanding of the observed association of the Irish warm springs with major structural lineaments, such as the NE

All hands on deck : an interactive perspective on complex common-pool resource management based on case studies in the coastal waters of the Isle of Wight (UK), Connemara (Ireland) and the Dutch Wadden Sea

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steins, N.A.

1999-01-01

In 1996, the new fish cages of an Irish salmon farm were sabotaged and juvenile salmon with a value of IR£ 250,000 were released, nearly putting the farm out of business. This deed was an act of protest against the growth of the salmon farming industry. The loss of fishing grounds,

Analysis of Goat Farming on Integrated Farming System in Banyumas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

NN Hidayat

2007-05-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research were : 1 to find out the income generated from goat farming and its contribution to farmer income in several farming combination, 2 to find out the economic efficiency in goat farming with paddy and fish production, 3 to determine factors affecting level of production and income in different farming system, partially and aggregately, and 4 to determine the best combination of farming which generated maximum income. Household farmer survey method was performed to conduct this research. Farming model chosen in this research was partial and average aggregate. Cobb-Douglas function were chosen to predict functional relationship. Result stated from this research were : 1 goat farming has a significant contribution in integrated farming system, 2 integrated farming (goat and paddy, goat and fish, and goat, fish and paddy in Banyumas district was economically efficient. 3 partially, factor affecting production level in goat farming was number of goat owned (P<0.01, factor affecting paddy production were urea application and number of land owned (P<0.01, TSP application (P<0.05 and man power (P<0.10. Furthermore, factor affecting fish farming were feed, breed and number of land owned (P<0.01; 4 aggregately, factor affecting integrated farming I were urea application and number of land owned (P<0.01, feed and number of land owned (P<0.01, number of goat owned (P<0.10 integrated farming II, where as in integrated farming III were number of paddy land area and breed (P<0.01 also number of goat owned (P<0.10; 5 integrated farming III (goat, paddy and fish farming gave the highest profit, which gave Rp 6.219.283,81 with relatively high efficiency. Therefore, goat farming could be an alternative solution to be developed in integrated farming and could be combined with other farming activities such as paddy and fish farming. (Animal Production 9(2: 105-110 (2007 Key Words : Goat, income, economic efficiency, survey, contribution

Organic farming at the farm level

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Brian H.; Madsen, Niels; Ørum, Jens Erik

as part of a larger project entitled “Economic analyses of the future development of organic farming – effects at the field, farm, sector and macroeconomic level”. The project links effects at the field-level with analyses at the farm level. These effects are then used in sector and macroeconomic analyses......, which are described in other reports from Food and Resource Economic Institute (Jacobsen, 2005 and Andersen et al., 2005). This gives coherent results from the field to the macroeconomic level regarding changes in technology and legislation.......The purpose of this report is to present possible impacts of new technology and changes in legislation on the profitability of different types of organic farms. The aim is also to look at both the current and future trends in the organic area in Denmark. The farm level analyses are carried out...

A cross-sectional study of elite adult Irish dancers: biopsychosocial traits, pain, and injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Cahalan, Roisin; Purtill, Helen; O'Sullivan, Peter; O'Sullivan, Kieran

2015-03-01

Despite its growing popularity, scant research exists concerning musculoskeletal pain and injury in Irish dancing (ID). This study aimed to record the biopsychosocial characteristics of elite adult Irish dancers and to investigate potential relationships between these characteristics and musculoskeletal pain and injury. One hundred and four professional Irish dancers, elite competitive Irish dancers, and dancers in full time education studying ID completed a questionnaire providing data on dance and activity levels, physical and psychological health, and pain and injury history. Of these subjects, 84 underwent 1. a physical screening of lower limb flexibility, which involved balance and endurance; 2. a number of functional tests; and 3. anthropometric, biomechanical, and anatomical assessments. Subjects were divided into "significantly injured (SI)" and "not significantly injured (NSI)" categories based on the severity and impact of self-reported pain and injury. Thirty-three (31.7%) subjects were classified as SI and 71 (68.3%) as NSI. The factors significantly associated with being SI were female sex (p = 0.036), higher number of subjective general health (p = 0.001) and psychological (p = 0.036) complaints, low mood (p = 0.01), heightened catastrophizing (p = 0.047), and failure always to complete a warm-up (p = 0.006). A self-reported injury rate of 76.9% over the previous 5 years was reported. The mean number of injuries sustained to all body parts over the previous 5 years was 1.49, with a mean of 126.1 days lost annually to injury. Foot and ankle injuries were most prevalent. It was concluded that there is a significant level of musculoskeletal pain and injury in elite adult ID. A complex combination of biopsychosocial factors appears to be associated with pain and injury.

Farm work-related asthma among US primary farm operators.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazurek, Jacek M; White, Gretchen E; Rodman, Chad; Schleiff, Patricia L

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of current asthma and the proportion of current asthma that is related to work on the farm among primary farm operators. The 2011 Farm and Ranch Safety Survey data were used to produce estimates and prevalence odds ratios. An estimated 5.1% of farm operators had asthma. Of these, 15.4% had farm work-related asthma. Among operators with farm work-related asthma, 54.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 41.8%-68.2%) had an asthma attack in the prior 12 months and 33.3% (95% CI: 21.2%-45.4%) had an asthma attack that occurred while doing farm work. Of those who had an asthma attack that occurred while doing farm work, 65.0% associated their asthma attack with plant/tree materials. This study provides updated information on asthma and the proportion of current asthma that is related to work on the farm and identifies certain groups of farm operators that might benefit from workplace asthma prevention intervention.

The great Irish famine: a further understanding of its complexities through the use of human communication theory

OpenAIRE

Derby, Lisa Kelly

2000-01-01

The Great Irish Famine cleared a minimum of two million Irish individuals from the land by either death or emigration. These individuals, both those that died and those that left, did not have their needs met for many deep-seated political and economic reasons, but also because of failed communication practices. It is this latter, neglected aspect of famine studies that is the focus of this thesis By using the lexicon of communication studies, many controversial aspects of famine historv will...

Assessing the impact of changes in the electricity price structure on dairy farm energy costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Upton, J.; Murphy, M.; Shalloo, L.; Groot Koerkamp, P.W.G.; De Boer, I.J.M.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Choosing electricity tariffs with a low off-peak rate results in financial savings. • Cost saving potential within an electricity tariff is the greatest on large farms. • Earlier AM milking with later PM milking helps reduce electricity consumption. - Abstract: This study aims to provide information on the changes in electricity consumption and costs on dairy farms, through the simulation of various electricity tariffs that may exist in the future and how these tariffs interact with changes in farm management (i.e. shifting the milking operation to an earlier or later time of the day). A previously developed model capable of simulating electricity consumption and costs on dairy farms (MECD) was used to simulate five different electricity tariffs (Flat, Day and Night, Time of Use Tariff 1 (TOU1), TOU2 and Real Time Pricing (RTP)) on three representative Irish dairy farms: a small farm (SF), a medium farm (MF) and a large farm (LF). The Flat tariff consisted of one electricity price for all time periods, the Day and Night tariff consisted of two electricity prices, a high rate from 09:00 to 00:00 h and a low rate thereafter. The TOU tariff structure was similar to that of the Day and Night tariff except that a peak price band was introduced between 17:00 and 19:00 h. The RTP tariff varied dynamically according to the electricity demand on the national grid. The model used in these simulations was a mechanistic mathematical representation of the electricity consumption that simulated farm equipment under the following headings; milk cooling system, water heating system, milking machine system, lighting systems, water pump systems and the winter housing facilities. The effect of milking start time was simulated to determine the effect on electricity consumption and costs at farm level. The earliest AM milking start time and the latest PM milking start time resulted in the lowest energy consumption. The difference between the lowest and highest

Seasonal variation of serum vitamin D and the effect of vitamin D supplementation in Irish community-dwelling older people.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Romero-Ortuno, Roman

2011-03-01

Ireland is at 53°N, and its population risk of vitamin D deficiency is high. Previous Irish studies suggested a significant seasonality of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and a beneficial effect of supplementation in raising 25(OH)D levels. However, in Irish older people, little is known about the magnitude of the supplementation effect and whether supplementation affects 25(OH)D seasonality.

Role of women in Indian shrimp farming

OpenAIRE

Gopalakrishnan, A.

1996-01-01

Women in India are involved in various facets of shrimp (Penaeus monodon; Penaeus indicus) farming, including pond construction, seed collection, collection of feed materials and preparation of feeds, pond maintenance and post-harvest handling. This study indicates that 40% of laborers involved in shrimp farm construction are women. The various roles of women in shrimp farming are also described.

Coping styles in farmed fish: consequences for aquaculture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Castanheira, Maria Filipa; Conceição, Luís E.C.; Millot, Sandie

2017-01-01

Individual differences in physiological and behavioural responses to stressors are increasingly recognised as adaptive variation and thus raw material for evolution and fish farming improvements including selective breeding. Such individual variation has been evolutionarily conserved and is present...... in all vertebrate taxa including fish. In farmed animals, the interest in consistent trait associations, that is coping styles, has increased dramatically over the last years because many studies have demonstrated links to performance traits, health and disease susceptibility and welfare. This study...... will review (i) the main behavioural, neuroendocrine, cognitive and emotional differences between reactive and proactive coping styles in farmed fish; (ii) the methodological approaches used to identify coping styles in farmed fish, including individual (group) mass-screening tests; and (iii) how knowledge...

A “New Irish Woman” Emerges: Subverting Femininity in Maeve Kelly’s A Life of Her Own

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ángela Rivera Izquierdo

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Women in Irish fiction have been largely the creation of male writers, and the embodiment of religious virtues such as purity and passivity, conventionally regarded as “feminine.” Not only the Roman Catholic Church but also the State progressively contributed to the social construct of Irish womanhood as inferior and, above all, domestic. From the 1960s onwards many women writers have tried relentlessly to reimage women in their fiction. Feminist activist Maeve Kelly is an outstanding example of such writers whose work remains virtually unexplored. Very often Kelly’s protagonists are women in their conventional roles as wives and mothers who struggle for happiness and independence. This essay focuses on her collected stories A Life of Her Own (1976, and particularly on her short story “The vain woman,” in which Kelly presents us with a “new Irish woman” who is no longer the personification of the Virgin Mary, and who actively rebels against her environment.

78 FR 48285 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Washington; Decreased Assessment Rate

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-08

...; FV13-946-1 FIR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Washington; Decreased Assessment Rate AGENCY: Agricultural... established for the State of Washington Potato Committee (Committee) for the 2013-2014 fiscal year and all subsequent fiscal periods from $0.003 to $0.0025 per hundredweight of potatoes handled. The Committee locally...

The Era of Tadeusz Pawlikowski and Irish Theatre

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barry Keane

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Tadeusz Pawlikowski was arguably Poland’s greatest theatre director of the fin de siècle. With stints as Theatre Manager in both Kraków and Lwów municipal theatres, Pawlikowski excelled in developing ensemble casts and cultivating audiences without kowtowing to popular tastes. He was also responsible for bringing many western plays to partitioned Poland, and indeed he oversaw theatrical premieres of Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw and John Millington Synge. This paper will look at the production and reception of these plays and will record how there was a growing conviction amongst Polish critics that Irish dramatists would soon make a towering impact on the age. That said, not all the productions were as successful as perhaps they should have been. When in Lwów, Pawlikowski attempted to flood the city with drama and this ambition entailed brief run-throughs and the shortening of texts in order to facilitate the learning of lines. Needless to say, there was little time for work on characterization. Consequently, it was often pointed out that performances had failed to bridge the cultural gap where a foreign piece was concerned. To this end, this paper will assess both the contribution of Tadeusz Pawlikowski to Irish theatre, and the reception and legacy of the productions which took place under his directorial guidance.

Environmental Implications of Eco-Labeling for Rice Farming Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Solhee Kim

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Concerns about climate change have forced countries to strengthen regulations, standards, and certifications related to greenhouse gas emissions. Various policies targeting farm products, such as carbon labeling and the Environmentally-Friendly Agricultural Product Certification (EFAPC for agricultural products, have been implemented in South Korea to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implications of the various certification systems for rice farming, including organic farming, non-pesticide farming, and low-pesticide farming. For this study, we constructed a life cycle inventory (LCI of rice farming systems including conventional, low-pesticide, non-pesticide, and organic farming systems in South Korea. Finally, we compared international farming systems in South Korea, the U.S., and the EU. The rice farming systems with eco-labeling certifications have reduced the environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of rice farming by country were highest in the U.S. (100.0, followed by the EU (53.7, and Korea’s conventional (48.6, low-pesticide (35.8, non-pesticide (28.9, and organic (16.7 farming practices. These results may be useful in proliferating and improving the methodology to evaluate eco-labeling and carbon labeling systems.

Nutrient surpluses on integrated arable farms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schröder, J.J.; Asperen, van P.; Dongen, van G.J.M.; Wijnands, F.G.

1996-01-01

From 1990 to 1993 nutrient fluxes were monitored on 38 private arable farms that had adopted farming strategies aiming at reduced nutrient inputs and substitution of mineral fertilizers by organic fertilizers. The nutrient surplus was defined as the difference between inputs (including inputs

Whole grain intakes in the diets of Irish children and teenagers.

Science.gov (United States)

Devlin, Niamh F C; McNulty, Breige A; Gibney, Michael J; Thielecke, Frank; Smith, Hayley; Nugent, Anne P

2013-07-28

A growing body of evidence supports the inclusion of whole grain foods in the diet to help prevent certain chronic diseases. Although much of the research has been conducted in adult cohorts, it is thought that younger populations may also benefit from whole-grain-rich diets. The aim of the present study was to quantify the intake of whole grain in Irish children and teenagers, and assess the major sources of intake. Data used in the present study were from the National Children's Food Survey and the National Teens' Food Survey, which used 7 d food diaries to collect data on habitual food and beverage consumption in representative samples of Irish children and teenagers. Results showed that over 90 % of children (5-12 years) and over 86 % of teenagers (13-17 years) are consumers of whole grain, with mean daily intakes of 18·5 and 23·2 g/d, respectively. Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals made the greatest contribution to whole grain intakes for both children and teenagers (59·3 and 44·3 %), followed by bread (14·4 and 26·5 %), with wheat being the major source of intake, accounting for over 65 % of all whole grains consumed. Whole grain consumers had significantly higher intakes of fibre, P and Mg in comparison with non-consumers of whole grain, even though whole grain intakes in this sample were well below the recommendation of three servings or 48 g/d. The present study characterises, for the first time, the patterns of whole grain consumption in Irish children and teenagers and shows whole grain intake to be low.

Perceptions of Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (PRMDs) in Irish traditional musicians: a focus group study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Iseult M; Doherty, Liz; McKeown, Laura

2014-01-01

Playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) are common in musicians and interfere with the ability to play an instrument at the accustomed level. There is limited research into injuries affecting folk musicians. To explore the Irish traditional musicians' experience of PRMDs. Focus group interviews were conducted in 2011 and 2012, in two venues in Ireland. Data were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data collection ended when no new findings emerged from the analysis of interviews. The inclusion criteria were: males or females aged 18 and above, and who taught or played Irish traditional music on any instrument. The data were analysed using the interpretative phenomenological method. All participants (n=22) believed there was a link between playing music and musculoskeletal problems. The main body areas affected were the back, shoulders, arms and hands. The main theme that emerged was: 'PRMDs are an integral part of being a traditional musician', and that the musical experience was generally prioritised over the health of the musician. There were sub-themes of 'fear' and 'stresses that contributed to PRMDs'. PRMDs are an occupational hazard for Irish musicians. There is an awareness of PRMDs, but changes (technique, environment) may threaten identity.

Task-based agricultural mobile robots in arable farming: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aravind, K.R.; Raja, P.; Pérez-Ruiz, M.

2017-01-01

In agriculture (in the context of this paper, the terms “agriculture” and “farming” refer to only the farming of crops and exclude the farming of animals), smart farming and automated agricultural technology have emerged as promising methodologies for increasing the crop productivity without sacrificing produce quality. The emergence of various robotics technologies has facilitated the application of these techniques in agricultural processes. However, incorporating this technology in farms has proven to be challenging because of the large variations in shape, size, rate and type of growth, type of produce, and environmental requirements for different types of crops. Agricultural processes are chains of systematic, repetitive, and time-dependent tasks. However, some agricultural processes differ based on the type of farming, namely permanent crop farming and arable farming. Permanent crop farming includes permanent crops or woody plants such as orchards and vineyards whereas arable farming includes temporary crops such as wheat and rice. Major operations in open arable farming include tilling, soil analysis, seeding, transplanting, crop scouting, pest control, weed removal and harvesting and robots can assist in performing all of these tasks. Each specific operation requires axillary devices and sensors with specific functions. This article reviews the latest advances in the application of mobile robots in these agricultural operations for open arable farming and provide an overview of the systems and techniques that are used. This article also discusses various challenges for future improvements in using reliable mobile robots for arable farming.

Task-based agricultural mobile robots in arable farming: A review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aravind, K.R.; Raja, P.; Pérez-Ruiz, M.

2017-09-01

In agriculture (in the context of this paper, the terms “agriculture” and “farming” refer to only the farming of crops and exclude the farming of animals), smart farming and automated agricultural technology have emerged as promising methodologies for increasing the crop productivity without sacrificing produce quality. The emergence of various robotics technologies has facilitated the application of these techniques in agricultural processes. However, incorporating this technology in farms has proven to be challenging because of the large variations in shape, size, rate and type of growth, type of produce, and environmental requirements for different types of crops. Agricultural processes are chains of systematic, repetitive, and time-dependent tasks. However, some agricultural processes differ based on the type of farming, namely permanent crop farming and arable farming. Permanent crop farming includes permanent crops or woody plants such as orchards and vineyards whereas arable farming includes temporary crops such as wheat and rice. Major operations in open arable farming include tilling, soil analysis, seeding, transplanting, crop scouting, pest control, weed removal and harvesting and robots can assist in performing all of these tasks. Each specific operation requires axillary devices and sensors with specific functions. This article reviews the latest advances in the application of mobile robots in these agricultural operations for open arable farming and provide an overview of the systems and techniques that are used. This article also discusses various challenges for future improvements in using reliable mobile robots for arable farming.

Was the C282Y mutation an Irish Gaelic mutation that the Vikings helped disseminate?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsson, Karl Sigvard; Konar, Jan; Dufva, Inge Hoegh

2011-01-01

The HLA-related hemochromatosis mutation C282Y is thought to have originated in Ireland in a person with HLA-A3-B14 and was spread by Vikings. Irish people with two HLA-A3 alleles had a high risk of hemochromatosis. In this study, from west Sweden, we wanted to test these hypotheses.......The HLA-related hemochromatosis mutation C282Y is thought to have originated in Ireland in a person with HLA-A3-B14 and was spread by Vikings. Irish people with two HLA-A3 alleles had a high risk of hemochromatosis. In this study, from west Sweden, we wanted to test these hypotheses....

Initial experience with transperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy in an Irish hospital setting.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Forde, J C

2009-08-01

Laparoscopic nephrectomy has gained widespread acceptance as a treatment for both benign and malignant conditions and is becoming increasingly popular in Irish hospitals. We report a single surgeon, single centre experience with 20 consecutive laparoscopic nephrectomies comparing them to 20 open cases performed prior to the establishment of a laparoscopic service.

The Quiet Man and Angela’s Ashes: Hollywood Representations of Irish Emigration as Male Quest Narrative

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cornelis Martin Renes

2007-03-01

Full Text Available This paper analyses Alan Parker’s Angela’s Ashes (1999 against John Ford’s seminalThe Quiet Man (1952. Both Hollywood productions reflect on the Irish return myth, adapting the homonymous memoir by Frank McCourt (1996 and short story by Maurice Walsh (1933 respectively. Although Angela’s Ashes reverses The Quiet Man’s mythical depiction of early 20thc. west of Ireland as rural paradise, the urban ‘inferno’ the former paints can be equally understood as the product of a romantic mindset which combines Irish émigré nostalgia with male quest narrative. Both views are the result of the objective each male protagonist pursues –a return to Ireland in The Quiet Man and to the USA in Angela’s Ashes– and, thus, the divergence in their perception of Ireland may be explained as instances of romance in which Ireland and its culture is reduced to opposing caricatures in the service of wish-fulfilment. Not surprisingly, the criticism of capitalist, industrial America embedded in Walsh’s story, masked as psychological conflict in Ford’s screenplay, and the rags-to-riches American immigrant success story of McCourt’s memoir were adapted to the screen with different degrees of independence from mainstream US film production. This gives additional clues on each film’s use of traditional Irish imagery to the point that Ford’s The Quiet Man may be understood to deliver a more emancipatory perspective on Irish identity than Parker’s Angela’s Ashes.

Bilingual Language Acquisition in a Minority Context: Using the Irish-English Communicative Development Inventory to Track Acquisition of an Endangered Language

Science.gov (United States)

O'Toole, Ciara; Hickey, Tina M.

2017-01-01

This study investigated the role of language exposure in vocabulary acquisition in Irish, a threatened minority language in Ireland which is usually acquired with English in a bilingual context. Using a bilingual Irish-English adaptation of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories) [Fenson, L., V. A. Marchman, D. J. Thal, P. S.…

Havsnaes wind farm - The project financing of a Swedish wind farm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-07-01

In March 2008 the ground breaking project financing of the 95 MW Havsnaes wind farm was completed. Havsnaes represents one of the cornerstones in portfolio of Venus Vind, controlled by HgCapital, where sustainable Scandinavian strength is build through industrial scale wind farms with local presence. At the time, Havsnaes represented the largest energy project financing in the market, it is also the first true project financing of a major Swedish wind farm. The aim of this study is to highlight the process of project financing and additional lessons learnt from the Havsnaes transaction. Investment in renewable energy projects often includes international investors. We welcome the growing Swedish wind market, banks and other financial institutions, politicians and other relevant decision makers to take part of our findings. Sponsorship provided by the Swedish Energy Agency has enabled the completion of this study.

A Life of Their Own: Women’s Mid-life Quest in Contemporary Irish Women’s Short Stories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ann Wan-lih Chang

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This essay focuses on the motif of quest, as initiated by older or middle-aged women and depicted in stories by Clare Boylan, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, Stella Mahon, Mary Dorcey and Marilyn McLaughlin in the 1980s and 90s. Throughout the western literary canon the quest motif recurs in myths, legends or genres such as rite-of-passage novels, in which a hero (seldom a heroine is encouraged to prove his own value through a series of tests. Within this tradition, a woman’s quest is usually one involving a process which shapes her into the contemporary norms of social conformity – essentially losing or sublimating the self rather than developing or expressing the potential of the self. Notwithstanding the traditional depictions of a female quest in which loss and self-sacrifice are characteristic, representations of Irish women in the stories explored in this essay demonstrate heroines whose quest leads them to a kind of awakening and enlightenment. The heroine in Irish women’s stories engages in subversion of the social norm as part of an attempt to reconcile with residual trauma from the past, or with inner conflicts which have left her feeling alienated from accepted social conventions and expectations in respect of women. Irish female writers illustrate through their narrative a latent power to challenge and to subvert the traditionally accepted and dominant patriarchal ideology of Irish society.

The Significance Of Space In Iris Murdoch’s The Unicorn As A Twentieth-Century Irish Gothic Novel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jarząb Joanna

2014-12-01

Full Text Available During the twentieth century almost all literary genres came back to prominence in different and alternative forms. The Gothic is no exception to this phenomenon as many a writer made an attempt at using this eighteenth-century genre once again, but adding to it some contemporary elements. Consequently, an abundance of new techniques have been introduced to Gothic fiction to evoke the feeling of horror and terror among the more and more demanding readers of modern times. Still, some writers prefer to return to the traditional concept of the Gothic – as does Iris Murdoch in her novel The Unicorn. The purpose of this article is to analyse the text from the perspective of the Irish Gothic. Those features of the genre which are traditional as well as local are going to be discussed in the context of space as the dominating aspect of the novel. The typical Irish landscape abounding in marshes, bogs and the sea will be contrasted with the inner space of the house, and its resemblance to the old Victorian mansions popular among the Anglo-Irish ascendancy of nineteenth-century Ireland. In what follows, the paper aims at showing how Murdoch’s skilful play with the spatial differentiation between the inside and the outside dislodges other more universal issues, such as the question of freedom, of social taboos and of the different anxieties still present in Irish society today.

Premium inflation in the Irish private health insurance market: drivers and consequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, B

2013-12-01

Nearly half of the Irish population is covered by private health insurance. In recent years, premium inflation has been significantly ahead of overall inflation and has been accelerating. This has contributing to a drop in the numbers insured since the peak in 2008. The fall in the numbers with private health insurance also has implications for the public health system. Factors behind this premium inflation include rising charges for beds in public hospitals, increasing volume of treatments and increasing quality of service and cover. While some progress has been made by insurers on reducing fees paid to consultants and private hospitals, unless the quantity or quality of care are addressed then premium inflation is unlikely to abate.

Prevalence of left-sided melanomas in an Irish population.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

de Blacam, C

2012-02-01

BACKGROUND: A predominance of melanomas on the left side of the body has recently been described. No associations between tumour laterality and gender, age or anatomical site have been identified. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of left-sided melanomas in an Irish population and to examine potential associations with various patient and tumour characteristics. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of patients with cutaneous melanoma who were treated over a 10-year period was carried out. Lateral distribution of melanoma on either side of the body was compared using chi(2) analysis and evaluated by gender, age group, anatomic location, histologic subtype and Breslow depth. RESULTS: More melanomas occurred on the left side (57%, P = 0.015), and this finding was particularly significant in females. For both genders combined, there were no statistically significant differences in laterality by age group, anatomic location, type of melanoma and Breslow depth. There were significantly more superficial spreading melanomas on the left side in both men and women. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a predominance of left-sided melanomas in Irish patients. While a number of demographic and molecular associations have been proposed, further research is required to fully explain this phenomenon.

Prevalence of left-sided melanomas in an Irish population.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

de Blacam, C

2011-04-17

BACKGROUND: A predominance of melanomas on the left side of the body has recently been described. No associations between tumour laterality and gender, age or anatomical site have been identified. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of left-sided melanomas in an Irish population and to examine potential associations with various patient and tumour characteristics. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of patients with cutaneous melanoma who were treated over a 10-year period was carried out. Lateral distribution of melanoma on either side of the body was compared using χ(2) analysis and evaluated by gender, age group, anatomic location, histologic subtype and Breslow depth. RESULTS: More melanomas occurred on the left side (57%, P = 0.015), and this finding was particularly significant in females. For both genders combined, there were no statistically significant differences in laterality by age group, anatomic location, type of melanoma and Breslow depth. There were significantly more superficial spreading melanomas on the left side in both men and women. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a predominance of left-sided melanomas in Irish patients. While a number of demographic and molecular associations have been proposed, further research is required to fully explain this phenomenon.

Teleworking: An Examination of the Irish Dichotomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deirdre Donovan

2013-07-01

Given the attitudinal challenges to telework within Irish organisations, the research findings suggest that there would be clear merit in piloting telework initiatives with carefully selected candidates. Multinationals and young dynamic businesses which remain open to innovative work practices, particularly in the services and technology sectors, are ideally positioned for such an initiative. Coupled with the extension of broadband, a successful outcome, with government sponsored PR, could pave the way for expanding the practice of teleworking in Ireland. This research would be of particular benefit to organisations and individuals considering the option of telework in the future.

An LP-model to analyse economic and ecological sustainability on Dutch dairy farms: model presentation and application for experimental farm "de Marke"

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Calker, van K.J.; Berentsen, P.B.M.; Boer, de I.J.M.; Giesen, G.W.J.; Huirne, R.B.M.

2004-01-01

Farm level modelling can be used to determine how farm management adjustments and environmental policy affect different sustainability indicators. In this paper indicators were included in a dairy farm LP (linear programming)-model to analyse the effects of environmental policy and management

Feminist Education and Feminist Community Psychology: Experiences from an Irish Context

Science.gov (United States)

Moane, Geraldine; Quilty, Aideen

2012-01-01

This article describes experiences in an Irish context of education programs delivered in 2 communities, 1 based on class (a working class urban community) and 1 based on sexual orientation (an urban lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community). It aims to illustrate how feminist education can play an important role in feminist community…

Speckle tracking echocardiography in mature Irish Wolfhound dogs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Westrup, Ulrik; McEvoy, Fintan

2013-01-01

Two-dimensional strain measurements obtained by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) have been reported in both humans and dogs. Incorporation of this technique into canine clinical practice requires the availability of measurements from clinically normal dogs, ideally of the same breed, taken...... under normal clinical conditions.The aims of this prospective study were to assess if it is possible to obtain STE data during a routine echocardiographic examination in Irish Wolfhound dogs and that these data will provide reference values and an estimation of measurement error....

Nutritional Status of Irish Older People in Receipt of Meals-on-Wheels and the Nutritional Content of Meals Provided

OpenAIRE

O'DWYER, CIARA MARY; TIMONEN, VIRPI

2009-01-01

PUBLISHED BACKGROUND: Research has suggested that meals-on-wheels recipients can be at risk for poor nutritional status. Despite this, few countries have statutory minimum requirements for the nutrient content of meals-on-wheels. This study examined both the nutritional status of a sample of Irish recipients and the nutrient content of a sample of meals provided to determine whether Irish recipients would benefit from statutory minimum nutritional standards. METHODS: The study had two phas...

The effect of Lameness before and during the breeding season on fertility in 10 pasture-based Irish dairy herds.

Science.gov (United States)

Somers, Joris R; Huxley, Jon; Lorenz, Ingrid; Doherty, Michael L; O'Grady, Luke

2015-01-01

The effects of lameness on fertility have been documented frequently but few data are available from seasonally breeding, pasture-based herds (such as those used in Ireland) where cows are housed during the winter months but managed at pasture for the remainder of the year. This study determined the prevalence of lameness in a group of 786 cows in 10 pasture-based Irish dairy herds before, during and after the breeding season and assessed the relationship between lameness and the reproductive performance in these herds through serial locomotion scoring during the grazing period. Lameness prevalences of 11.6 % before, 14.6 % during and 11.6 % after the breeding season were found and these compared favourably to results from housed cattle and are similar to other studies carried out in grazing herds. A Cox proportional hazards model with locomotion score as time varying covariate was used. After controlling for the effect of farm, month of calving, body condition score at calving, body condition score loss after calving and economic breeding index, cows identified as lame during the study were less likely to become pregnant. Cows lame before the earliest serve date but no longer lame during the breeding season, cows becoming lame after the earliest serve date and cows identified lame both before and after this date were respectively 12 %, 35 % and 38 % less likely to become pregnant compared to cows never observed lame during the study. However, these findings were only significant for cows becoming lame after the earliest serve date and cows lame both before and after the start of breeding. This study found that the reproductive efficiency was significantly (p  0.05) lower in these animals compared to cows never diagnosed as lame. In addition to lameness status, nutritional status and genetics were found to influence the reproductive performance in pasture-based Irish dairy herds.

Unique mitochondrial DNA lineages in Irish stickleback populations: cryptic refugium or rapid recolonization?

Science.gov (United States)

Ravinet, Mark; Harrod, Chris; Eizaguirre, Christophe; Prodöhl, Paulo A

2014-06-01

Repeated recolonization of freshwater environments following Pleistocene glaciations has played a major role in the evolution and adaptation of anadromous taxa. Located at the western fringe of Europe, Ireland and Britain were likely recolonized rapidly by anadromous fishes from the North Atlantic following the last glacial maximum (LGM). While the presence of unique mitochondrial haplotypes in Ireland suggests that a cryptic northern refugium may have played a role in recolonization, no explicit test of this hypothesis has been conducted. The three-spined stickleback is native and ubiquitous to aquatic ecosystems throughout Ireland, making it an excellent model species with which to examine the biogeographical history of anadromous fishes in the region. We used mitochondrial and microsatellite markers to examine the presence of divergent evolutionary lineages and to assess broad-scale patterns of geographical clustering among postglacially isolated populations. Our results confirm that Ireland is a region of secondary contact for divergent mitochondrial lineages and that endemic haplotypes occur in populations in Central and Southern Ireland. To test whether a putative Irish lineage arose from a cryptic Irish refugium, we used approximate Bayesian computation (ABC). However, we found no support for this hypothesis. Instead, the Irish lineage likely diverged from the European lineage as a result of postglacial isolation of freshwater populations by rising sea levels. These findings emphasize the need to rigorously test biogeographical hypothesis and contribute further evidence that postglacial processes may have shaped genetic diversity in temperate fauna.

The availability of plutonium and americium in Irish Sea sediments for re-dissolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, P.; Vives i Batlle, J.; Bousher, A.; Whittall, A.; Chambers, N.

2001-01-01

The availability of plutonium and americium, for re-dissolution from offshore sediments into Irish Sea water, has been examined. Sediments collected from the mud-patch near the Cumbrian coast were characterized in terms of spatial location, particle size, partitioning of radionuclides with respect to physico-chemical bonds and availability of actinides for release into seawater. Sequential extraction investigations revealed that plutonium was predominantly associated with strongly bound sesquioxide and organic complex fractions. Americium was associated mainly with the organic complex fraction, but a significant fraction was in carbonate form. Sediment/water re-dissolution experiments with and without stirring were compared to simulate the effect of disturbing bed sediment. After 1 week, neither set of re-dissolution data provided significant trends between dissolved activity and time. Stirred systems appeared to release 2.5 times more plutonium and americium into seawater than unstirred systems. Measured 239,240Pu and 241Am distribution coefficients (K d values) were both typically approximately 10 5 l kg -1 . 241Am K d values are an order of magnitude lower than previously reported for the north-eastern Irish Sea, but similar to western Irish Sea values. Overall, the fractions of plutonium and americium available for re-dissolution from bed sediment are very low at <0.1%, with proportionally more plutonium being released than americium. These findings lend further support for the extrapolation of laboratory-derived information to environmental conditions

The demographic and academic profile of Irish dental school faculty members.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Sullivan, Eleanor M

2010-04-23

AIM: This paper reviews the demographic, academic and professional profile of Irish dental school faculty members. Faculty duties are explored. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Custom-designed questionnaires were distributed to faculty members for self-completion, adopting a \\'mixed-method\\' approach with quantitative and qualitative components. Response rate was 64.60%. RESULTS: Demographic profile reveals a male-dominated regime (64%). Males also occupy a disproportionate number of senior academic positions. The age profile mirrors international trends with 75% of staff over 40 and c.33% over 50, including 78% of professorial staff (p < 0.001). Dental school faculties are comprised of highly educated professionals with the following qualifications: 89% BDS, 43% FDS, 39% Masters, 16% Doctorates. Most (77%) have 10+ years of clinical experience, while 47% have over 20 years\\' experience. Clinical experience varied by age, rank (p < 0.001) and gender (p < 0.05). A review of contractual agreements and duties confirms the major role of part-time clinical staff in dental education, comprising the largest single group (48%) delivering the bulk of the clinical teaching. However, 54% of part-time clinical staff have less than five years teaching experience. This study also explores staff views of various faculty roles. CONCLUSIONS: This report provides a benchmark profile of Irish dental school faculty members. It reflects on the heavily skewed age groups of our current dental educators and the impending retirement of many senior academics. Educational organisations need to explore ways to make a career in dental education financially and sociologically attractive and provide adequate support for existing faculty to ensure their development during these challenging times.

The Provisional Irish Republican Army and the Development of Mortars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gary Ackerman

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA repeatedly showed itself to be one of the most inventive and adaptive of all the violent non-state actors who operated in the latter part of the twentieth century. Among its most innovative exploits was the PIRA’s successful development and fielding – spanning almost its entire operational lifetime – of improvised mortar systems. This chapter will trace the sustained development of mortars, including the underlying motivations for pursuing mortars as a complex engineering effort, the process by which the development took place and the underpinnings of its success. The discussion will show that the PIRA’s mortar development program was born out of tactical necessity but enabled by good organizational practices and the organization’s access to materials, expertise and places in which to leverage these.

Alignment of the Irish legal system and Article 13.1 of the CRPD for witnesses with communication difficulties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine O'Leary

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Irish and international legal reform resulting from the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [CRPD] has primarily focussed on Article 12, the right to exercise legal capacity. Article 13, which declares the right to access justice and the right to access procedural accommodations for all with disabilities, is often neglected. Specifically, research has not sufficiently explored the accommodations needed by witnesses with communication difficulties to testify in the courtroom. This study brings this aspect of Article 13 into focus by exploring the views of Irish legal professionals and disability advocates regarding existing and potential further accommodations for witnesses with communication diffiuclties in Irish criminal proceedings. By comparing and contrasting contributions, a series of conflicting perspectives between the legal profession and disability community are revealed. As successful implementation of Article 13 requires collaboration between both groups, this study concludes that these conflicts will need to be acknowledged and addressed in order for reform of courtroom accommodations to succeed.

Analysis of Canadian and Irish forage, oats and commercially available equine concentrate feed for pathogenic fungi and mycotoxins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Buckley Thomas

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Respiratory infections, recurrent airway obstruction (RAO and exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH are major causes of poor performance in horses. Fungi and mycotoxins are now recognised as a major cause of these conditions. The most notable fungi are Aspergillus and Fusarium. Fungal spores can originate from forage, bedding and feed and, in turn, these fungal spores can produce a series of mycotoxins as secondary metabolites. This study set out to ascertain the degree of fungal and mycotoxin contamination in feed and fodder used in Irish racing yards over a one-year period. Weather conditions in forage producing areas were sampled by Met Eireann and the Canadian Meteorological Service. Fifty per cent of Irish hay, 37% of haylage and 13% of Canadian hay contained pathogenic fungi. Of the mycotoxins, T2 and zearalenone were most prominent. Twenty-one per cent of Irish hay and 16% of pelleted feed contained zearalenone. Forty per cent of oats and 54% of pelleted feed contained T2 toxins.

Analysis of Canadian and Irish forage, oats and commercially available equine concentrate feed for pathogenic fungi and mycotoxins.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckley, Thomas; Creighton, Alan; Fogarty, Ursula

2007-04-01

Respiratory infections, recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) and exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) are major causes of poor performance in horses. Fungi and mycotoxins are now recognised as a major cause of these conditions. The most notable fungi are Aspergillus and Fusarium. Fungal spores can originate from forage, bedding and feed and, in turn, these fungal spores can produce a series of mycotoxins as secondary metabolites.This study set out to ascertain the degree of fungal and mycotoxin contamination in feed and fodder used in Irish racing yards over a one-year period. Weather conditions in forage producing areas were sampled by Met Eireann and the Canadian Meteorological Service.Fifty per cent of Irish hay, 37% of haylage and 13% of Canadian hay contained pathogenic fungi. Of the mycotoxins, T2 and zearalenone were most prominent. Twenty-one per cent of Irish hay and 16% of pelleted feed contained zearalenone. Forty per cent of oats and 54% of pelleted feed contained T2 toxins.

Diagnosing the doctors' departure: survey on sources of dissatisfaction among Irish junior doctors.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Bruce-Brand, R

2012-01-01

There has been a significant decline in the number of applications for non-consultant hospital doctor (NCHD) posts in Ireland over the last 18 months. We conducted an online, anonymous survey of Irish NCHDs to establish levels of satisfaction, sources of dissatisfaction and the major reasons for junior doctors seeking work abroad. 522 NCHDs took the survey, including 64 (12.3%) currently working outside of the Republic. 219 (45.8%) were slightly dissatisfied and 142 (29.7%) were extremely dissatisfied with practising medicine in Ireland. Major sources of dissatisfaction included the state of the health care system, staffing cover for leave and illness, the dearth of consultant posts and the need to move around Ireland. The most important reason for NCHDs wishing to leave was to seek better training and career opportunities abroad.

Plutonium transport to and deposition and immobility in Irish Sea intertidal sediments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aston, S R; Stanners, D A [Lancaster Univ. (UK)

1981-02-12

The results are presented of an investigation of plutonium in intertidal sediments of the Irish Sea, contaminated with radioactive wastes from the Windscale reprocessing facility. The deposition characteristics and lack of vertical migration of /sup 238/Pu and /sup 239/ and /sup 240/Pu are discussed.

Farm to Fork Quantitative Risk Assessment of Listeria monocytogenes Contamination in Raw and Pasteurized Milk Cheese in Ireland.

Science.gov (United States)

Tiwari, Uma; Cummins, Enda; Valero, Antonio; Walsh, Des; Dalmasso, Marion; Jordan, Kieran; Duffy, Geraldine

2015-06-01

The objective of this study was to model and quantify the level of Listeria monocytogenes in raw milk cheese (RMc) and pasteurized milk cheese (PMc) from farm to fork using a Bayesian inference approach combined with a quantitative risk assessment. The modeling approach included a prediction of contamination arising from the farm environment as well from cross-contamination within the cheese-processing facility through storage and subsequent human exposure. The model predicted a high concentration of L. monocytogenes in contaminated RMc (mean 2.19 log10 CFU/g) compared to PMc (mean -1.73 log10 CFU/g). The mean probability of illness (P1 for low-risk population, LR) and (P2 for high-risk population, HR, e.g., immunocompromised) adult Irish consumers following exposure to contaminated cheese was 7 × 10(-8) (P1 ) and 9 × 10(-4) (P2 ) for RMc and 7 × 10(-10) (P1 ) and 8 × 10(-6) (P2 ) for PMc, respectively. In addition, the model was used to evaluate performance objectives at various stages, namely, the cheese making and ripening stages, and to set a food safety objective at the time of consumption. A scenario analysis predicted various probabilities of L. monocytogenes contamination along the cheese-processing chain for both RMc and PMc. The sensitivity analysis showed the critical factors for both cheeses were the serving size of the cheese, storage time, and temperature at the distribution stage. The developed model will allow food processors and policymakers to identify the possible routes of contamination along the cheese-processing chain and to reduce the risk posed to human health. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

The Madoffization of Irish society: from Ponzi finance to sociological critique.

Science.gov (United States)

Monaghan, Lee F; O'Flynn, Micheal

2017-12-01

Financialization and neoliberal policy created the Celtic Tiger. This economic 'miracle' furthered creditors' and property developers' speculative interests, leading to an unstable financial pyramid that eventually imploded in 2008 with catastrophic consequences for Irish society. Using the sociological imagination as social critique, this paper offers a lens on fictitious capital and Ponzi finance in the context of Ireland's boom and bust. Critique is advanced using the Madoffization of society thesis, a sociological heuristic that draws formal comparisons between Bernie Madoff's US$65 billion Ponzi scheme, which collapsed in 2008, and financialized capitalism. The Madoff case exhibits five main elements or forms which, it has been argued, underlie the varying content of life on a much broader scale: accumulation by debt expansion, mass deception, efforts to maintain secrecy and silence, obfuscation, and scapegoating. In conclusion, a crucial difference between the Madoff case and the Madoffization of Irish society is underscored. Discussion also moves from critique to hope amidst calls to renew sociology and transform financialized capitalism. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

Farm Typology in the Berambadi Watershed (India: Farming Systems Are Determined by Farm Size and Access to Groundwater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marion Robert

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Farmers’ production decisions and agricultural practices directly and indirectly influence the quantity and quality of natural resources, some being depleted common resources such as groundwater. Representing farming systems while accounting for their flexibility is needed to evaluate targeted, regional water management policies. Farmers’ decisions regarding investing in irrigation and adopting cropping systems are inherently dynamic and must adapt to changes in climate and agronomic, economic and social, and institutional, conditions. To represent this diversity, we developed a typology of Indian farmers from a survey of 684 farms in Berambadi, an agricultural watershed in southern India (state of Karnataka. The survey provided information on farm structure, the cropping system and farm practices, water management for irrigation, and economic performances of the farm. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis (Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering were used to analyze relationships between observed factors and establish the farm typology. We identified three main types of farms: (1 large diversified and productivist farms; (2 small and marginal rainfed farms, and (3 small irrigated marketing farms. This typology represents the heterogeneity of farms in the Berambadi watershed.

CleverFarm final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-09-15

Wind turbine technology has ventured in recent years from prototypes and first deployments towards large power plant scale projects. With this, also the ownership structure of wind farms changed: from single farmers to cooperatives, and to large multi-national developers specialised in building and running wind power projects. At the same time, the best sites for wind energy were already taken, leading to more remote sites and offshore sites being developed. Both these developments lead to an increased wish for remote monitoring of turbines. Ideally, the turbine would know on its own accord when it would need maintenance, and call the maintenance crew autonomously. The crew then would have all the information they need to have before they go out to the turbine and do the necessary tasks. Having knowledge of the type of fault that has happened would help the maintenance crew to deal with it efficiently. This also could mean to wait until the next scheduled maintenance is due. The potential savings for this alone are considerable, if you think of the plans for offshore wind farms tens of kilometres from the coast, where access would probably be by helicopter. The idea behind this project was to take the existing techniques developed for optimising and enhancing the performance of wind farms, integrate them into one system and implement the system at a number of wind farms. The techniques include remote measuring of the status and production of the wind farm, short-term prediction of the expected wind speeds at and power output from the wind farm, models for wake calculations, remote control of wind farm production and so on. (au)

Survey of Selected Multi-National Employers’ Perceptions of Certain Graduates from Irish Higher Education

OpenAIRE

2007-01-01

This report provides feedback on the suitability of employment of Irish graduates, looking specifically at the disciplinary groups of Science, Engineering, Business and Finance and Humanities, and comparing them to their international counterparts.

Design tool for offshore wind farm cluster planning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasager, Charlotte Bay; Madsen, Peter Hauge; Giebel, Gregor

2015-01-01

In the framework of the FP7 project EERA DTOC: Design Tool for Offshore wind farm Cluster, a new software supporting the planning of offshore wind farms was developed, based on state-of-the-art approaches from large scale wind potential to economic benchmarking. The model portfolio includes WAs......P, FUGA, WRF, Net-Op, LCoE model, CorWind, FarmFlow, EeFarm and grid code compliance calculations. The development is done by members from European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) and guided by several industrial partners. A commercial spin-off from the project is the tool ‘Wind & Economy’. The software...... by the software and several tests were performed. The calculations include the smoothing effect on produced energy between wind farms located in different regional wind zones and the short time scales relevant for assessing balancing power. The grid code compliance was tested for several cases and the results...

Income Analysis in South American Domestic Camelid Farms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Ansaloni

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This paper analyses the production costs and income of eight groups of farms: five private farms and three belonging to the Andean rural community. These farms are located in Peru and Bolivia and breed alpacas and llama for both meat and fibre. The research is based on case studies. Each case study includes several farms, grouped according to similar characteristics: available resources; breeding techniques and geographical location. A farm economic data analysis was undertaken by determining economic budget income. Statistics and data from 2003 were analysed to determine farm resources and farm production costs, per animal head and net farm income per labour unit and livestock head. This paper is relevant as regards economic data for production systems which are more often analysed for sociological and cultural aspects and less often for economic data and identification of real productive economic data which are not generally market driven.

Sedimentation Studies relevant to low-level radioactive effluent dispersal in the Irish Sea. Part 1. Radionuclides in marine sediments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, T J; Parker, W R; Kirby, R

1980-01-01

This report examines the discharge of various radionuclides into the Irish Sea with particular reference to the interaction between the radionuclides and the sediments. A review of the relevant literature has revealed a variety of possible interaction mechanisms which are sensitive to many environmental parameters. It is concluded that the particular mechanism and any potential for remobilisation are dependent on the unique conditions existing at a particular site. The precise nature of the interaction in the Irish Sea and the remobilisation potential of the various radionuclides are poorly known. Measurements of radionuclide distributions have previously been used to infer rates of sedimentary processes. The assumptions underlying these interpretations are considered and it is shown that a large amount of information on the sedimentological regime of a given area is required before confident interpretations of radionuclide distributions can be made. This background material is only partially available for the Irish Sea.

Exercise portrayal in children’s television programs: analysis of the UK and Irish programming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scully P

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Paul Scully,1 Orlaith Reid,1 Alan P Macken,1–3 Mark Healy,4 Jean Saunders,4 Des Leddin,3,5 Walter Cullen,3 Colum P Dunne,3 Clodagh S O’Gorman1–3,5 1The Children’s Ark, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick, 2National Children’s Research Centre, Dublin, 3Centre for Interventions in Infection, Inflammation & Immunity (4i, Graduate Entry Medical School, 4C-Star, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland; 5Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada Background: Television watching is obesogenic due to its sedentary nature and programming content, which influences children. Few studies have examined exercise placement within children-specific programming. This study aimed to investigate the frequency and type of exercise placement in children-specific television broadcasts and to compare placements on the UK and Irish television channels.Methods: Content analysis for five weekdays’ worth of children-specific television broadcasting totaling 82.5 hours on both the UK (British Broadcasting Corporation and Irish (Radió Teilifís Éireann television channels was performed. For the purposes of comparing the UK and Irish placements, analysis was restricted to programming broadcast between 6 am and 11.30 am. Exercise placements were coded based on type of activity, activity context, activity motivating factors and outcome, and characters involved.Results: A total of 780 cues were recorded during the total recording period. A wide variety of sports were depicted, but dancing-related cues were most commonly seen (n=163, 23.3%, with the majority of cues being of mild (n=365, 65.9% or moderate (n=172, 31.0% intensity. The majority of cues were associated with a positive outcome (n=404, 61.4%, and social motivations were most commonly seen (n=289, 30.3%. The Irish and the UK portrayals were broadly similar.Conclusion: This study highlights the wide variety of sports portrayed and the active effort undertaken by television

Chasing the Intangible: a Conversation on Theatre, Language, and Artistic Migrations with Irish Playwright Marina Carr

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentina Rapetti

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Offally born Marina Carr is amongst the most prolific, influential and internationally renowned Irish playwrights of our times. Since her debut on the avant-garde side of the Dublin theatre scene in the late Eighties, she has had  seventeen plays professionally produced, both in and outside Ireland. Her earlier work is influenced by Samuel Beckett’s Absurdist drama, while in her most mature and recent plays she draws on both classical and Irish mythology, Greek tragedies and Shakespeare’s poetics. In this interview, Marina Carr recalls and discusses some pivotal moments of her upbringing and career; she also speaks about language, landscape, dream

Application of CAFE-I to the Irish Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, F.L.; Onishi, Y.

1983-08-01

The two-dimensional (vertically-averaged) hydrodynamic model, CAFE, has been applied to the Irish Sea as part of a study to simulate radionuclide transport with sediment-radionuclide interactions for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The flow circulation pattern simulated by CAFE shows good agreement with flow patterns described in the literature. The model results were evaluated by comparing simulated current ellipses at 5 points in the grid with measured current ellipses generated from velocity data collected during April 1968. The computed and measured phases of the maximum flood and ebb currents were also compared

Wave Energy and Actor-Network Theory: The Irish Case

OpenAIRE

Cunningham, William

2013-01-01

This paper examines the role of the wave energy sector in Ireland using theories from the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS). Theoretical divisions within the field of STS are examined, particularly the Sociology of Scientific Knowledge (SSK) and Actor-Network Theory (ANT). Any conflicts which these two theories present to each other are examined through the empirical findings of the Irish wave energy sector. In particular, ANT s rejection of macro and micro distinctions when analy...

Irish Sea Marine Aggregate Initiative (IMAGIN) Technical Synthesis Report

OpenAIRE

Sutton, G.

2008-01-01

The Irish Sea Marine Aggregates Initiative (IMAGIN) is a collaborative project between Ireland and Wales focused on the sustainable management of marine aggregate resources. IMAGIN was a 2-year project with a total budget of €1.1 million. IMAGIN was part funded (66%) under the Ireland/Wales Inter Regional (INTERREG) IIIA Community Initiative Programme 2000-2006. The remaining project budget was met by contributions from partner organisations (19%) and aggregate companies – CEMEX, Lagan Ltd., ...

Manure management practices on biogas and non-biogas pig farms in developing countries - using livestock farms in Vietnam as an example

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cu, T. T. T.; Cuong, P. H.; Hang, L. T.

2012-01-01

This survey was carried out to study animal manure management on livestock farms with biogas technology (biogas farms) and without (non-biogas farms) in the areas surrounding the Vietnamese cities Hanoi and Hue. The objective of the study was to assess the contribution of biogas production...... to a better environment as well as to recognize the problems with livestock manure management on small-scale farms. On all the farms included in the study more than one manure management technology was used, i.e. composting, separation of manure, biogas production and discharge of liquid manure to recipients...... such as public sewers or ponds. On biogas farms, most of the manure collected was used for bio-digestion. The farmers used the fermented manure (digestate) as a source of nutrients for crops, but on more than 50% of the interviewed biogas farms digestate was discharged to the environment. On non-biogas farms...

A national study on the attitudes of Irish dental faculty members to faculty development.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Sullivan, E M

2010-02-01

International studies suggest that dental faculty are resistant to the concept and practice of faculty development. This paper analyses the demographic and educational profile of Irish Dental Faculty, exploring their attitudes to educational initiatives.

Reconstructing the last Irish Ice Sheet 2: a geomorphologically-driven model of ice sheet growth, retreat and dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Greenwood, Sarah L.; Clark, Chris D.

2009-12-01

The ice sheet that once covered Ireland has a long history of investigation. Much prior work focussed on localised evidence-based reconstructions and ice-marginal dynamics and chronologies, with less attention paid to an ice sheet wide view of the first order properties of the ice sheet: centres of mass, ice divide structure, ice flow geometry and behaviour and changes thereof. In this paper we focus on the latter aspect and use our new, countrywide glacial geomorphological mapping of the Irish landscape (>39 000 landforms), and our analysis of the palaeo-glaciological significance of observed landform assemblages (article Part 1), to build an ice sheet reconstruction yielding these fundamental ice sheet properties. We present a seven stage model of ice sheet evolution, from initiation to demise, in the form of palaeo-geographic maps. An early incursion of ice from Scotland likely coalesced with local ice caps and spread in a south-westerly direction 200 km across Ireland. A semi-independent Irish Ice Sheet was then established during ice sheet growth, with a branching ice divide structure whose main axis migrated up to 140 km from the west coast towards the east. Ice stream systems converging on Donegal Bay in the west and funnelling through the North Channel and Irish Sea Basin in the east emerge as major flow components of the maximum stages of glaciation. Ice cover is reconstructed as extending to the continental shelf break. The Irish Ice Sheet became autonomous (i.e. separate from the British Ice Sheet) during deglaciation and fragmented into multiple ice masses, each decaying towards the west. Final sites of demise were likely over the mountains of Donegal, Leitrim and Connemara. Patterns of growth and decay of the ice sheet are shown to be radically different: asynchronous and asymmetric in both spatial and temporal domains. We implicate collapse of the ice stream system in the North Channel - Irish Sea Basin in driving such asymmetry, since rapid

Modeling greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farms.

Science.gov (United States)

Rotz, C Alan

2017-11-15

Dairy farms have been identified as an important source of greenhouse gas emissions. Within the farm, important emissions include enteric CH 4 from the animals, CH 4 and N 2 O from manure in housing facilities during long-term storage and during field application, and N 2 O from nitrification and denitrification processes in the soil used to produce feed crops and pasture. Models using a wide range in level of detail have been developed to represent or predict these emissions. They include constant emission factors, variable process-related emission factors, empirical or statistical models, mechanistic process simulations, and life cycle assessment. To fully represent farm emissions, models representing the various emission sources must be integrated to capture the combined effects and interactions of all important components. Farm models have been developed using relationships across the full scale of detail, from constant emission factors to detailed mechanistic simulations. Simpler models, based upon emission factors and empirical relationships, tend to provide better tools for decision support, whereas more complex farm simulations provide better tools for research and education. To look beyond the farm boundaries, life cycle assessment provides an environmental accounting tool for quantifying and evaluating emissions over the full cycle, from producing the resources used on the farm through processing, distribution, consumption, and waste handling of the milk and dairy products produced. Models are useful for improving our understanding of farm processes and their interacting effects on greenhouse gas emissions. Through better understanding, they assist in the development and evaluation of mitigation strategies for reducing emissions and improving overall sustainability of dairy farms. The Authors. Published by the Federation of Animal Science Societies and Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article

Irish and Scandinavian objection to Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haaland, Leif

2001-01-01

The article deals with the objection of Ireland and the Scandinavian countries to the radioactive emissions from the Sellafield reprocessing plant. This contamination follows the sea currents northward and radioactive material from this plant has been found in seaweed and crustaceans along the coast of Norway. The concentration in lobster from the Irish Sea is much higher than in Norwegian crustaceans and above the action limit set by the EU for the radioactive isotope Technetium 99 in the event of a new atomic accident. British authorities have refused to stop the pollution and even plan to start production of MOX fuel at Sellafield. They say new purification techniques will be developed within three or five years. For Norway, the opposition against Sellafield is a priority

Radiocarbon dating of Irish Sea sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Kershaw, P. J.

1986-09-01

Radiocarbon dating has been carried out on three cores from areas of muddy sediments in the N. Irish Sea to estimate rates of sediment accumulation. 14C age profiles of the two eastern basin cores revealed a near-constant age from the sediment surface to the base of the core (12 500±1000 years bp). The 14C age profile of the western basin core revealed a zone of apparent mixing to a depth of 55 cm, underlain by a zone of constant sedimentation rate (0·018 cm y -1) to 160 cm. These data are discussed in relation both to previously reported sedimentological studies of the area and to the authorised discharges of low-level radioactive waste from the Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing plant.

“The Terrible Visitation”: Famine in Finland and Ireland 1845-68 - Towards An Agenda for Comparative Irish-Finnish Famine Studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Newby, Andrew; Myllyntaus, Timo

2015-01-01

national history, and has had a considerable impact on Irish identity. Since the 150th anniversary of the Great Famine in the late 1990s, prodigious amounts of academic and popular literature have been published on the subject. From an Irish perspective, the historiography of the Great Finnish Famine......, which culminated in 1868, seems somewhat limited. Cormac Ó Gráda, one of the most renowned Irish economic historians, has described the Finnish catastrophe as the “last great subsistence crisis of the western world,” but has also complained that it remains “unduly neglected,” and stressed the potential...... for comparative studies with Ireland. This period of Finnish history tends to be presented as a period of general economic malaise, associated with national “growing pains” as Finland sought to establish itself as an autonomous country....

The Degree to Which Students and Teachers Are Involved in Second-Level School Processes and Participation in Decision-Making: An Irish Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Kathy; Taysum, Alison; McNamara, Gerry; O'Hara, Joe

2016-01-01

The Education Act (1998) is a key policy document in Irish education, emphasising the rights, roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, including parents, teachers and pupils in schools. Since 1998 the Department of Education and Skills (DES) has stressed the need to introduce an increased role for teachers and pupils in decision-making. It…

Factors Affecting Non-Attendance in Irish Primary Schools and Reasons for Differences between Urban and Rural levels of Non-attendance

OpenAIRE

Gurhy, Anne Marie; Perry, Glen; Farrell, Mark

2018-01-01

This study will investigative the factors that influence school non-attendance, in designated disadvantaged Irish primary schools (DEIS1). Currently, no comprehensive data exists on the factors contributing to the levels and types of non-attendance within the Irish context. Since 2003/2004, the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB, Appendix A) the agency with responsibility for school attendance, has collected specific data on attendance levels and the frequency of non-attendance across a...

A Wind Farm Electrical Systems Evaluation with EeFarm-II

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Pierik

2010-03-01

Full Text Available EeFarm-II is used to evaluate 13 different electrical systems for a 200 MW wind farm with a 100 km connection to shore. The evaluation is based on component manufacturer data of 2009. AC systems are compared to systems with DC connections inside the wind farm and DC connection to shore. Two options have the best performance for this wind farm size and distance: the AC system and the system with a DC connection to shore. EeFarm-II is a user friendly computer program for wind farm electrical and economic evaluation. It has been built as a Simulink Library in the graphical interface of Matlab-Simulink. EeFarm-II contains models of wind turbines, generators, transformers, AC cables, inductors, nodes, splitters, PWM converters, thyristor converters, DC cables, choppers and statcoms.

Base, Superstructure and the Irish Property Crash—Towards a Crisis Theory of Communications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henry Silke

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Since the onset of the “great recession” there have been key debates around various aspects of crisis theory, most notably around the areas of the rate of profit (Brenner 2009; Kliman 2012, under-consumption/overproduction (Clarke 1990a, 442–467 and fiancialisation (Duménil and Lévy 2004. This paper maintains that communications and the media are key though non-deterministic elements of the contemporary market system, and proposes a move towards a crisis theory of communications. This research reflects the Marxist concept of base and superstructure, beyond a perceived notion of economic determinism, but rather as a dialectical relationship between various superstructures, in this case the state and the media, and the economic base including the various aspects of class power inherent within. The mass media, advertising, and ICT play an increasingly important role in both market systems and capitalist crises. This role directly impinges on the dissemination of information to market actors as well as the reflexive and dialectical nature of the processes by which actors respond to market information. Further, the media serve as an ideological apparatus, resource or arena, which acts to naturalise the market through what this research describes as a market orientated framing mechanism (Preston and Silke 2011b. Peter Thompson (2003; 2013, 208–227 contends that communication is an integral and reflexive part of the contemporary market system. As he puts it, there is a complex relationship between the producers and distributors of economic information, and those who use that information to make decisions about investment and trade. Many studies point to the convergence of flows of information such as those on 24-hour news channels, business channels and Internet blogs and sites with market activity itself. For Wayne Hope, (2010, 649–669 information broadcast on such media by bankers, stockbrokers and traders themselves tends to be self

Lifestyles and Gendered Patterns of Leisure and Sporting Interests among Irish Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

MacPhail, Ann; Collier, Connie; O'Sullivan, Mary

2009-01-01

This paper strives to provide an insight into the multifaceted relationships that young people have, examining the social, cultural and institutional discourses, which shape their lives. We set out to discuss, from an empirical poststructuralist perspective, the way in which Irish adolescents write about the reality of their lives and privilege…

Genetic parameters for production and fertility in spring-calving Irish dairy cattle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Evans, R.; Buckley, F.; Dillon, P.; Veerkamp, R.F.

2001-01-01

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for milk production and selected fertility traits in Irish dairy cattle. Data were derived from 74 seasonal spring-calving dairy herds with a potential cow population of 6,783 in the 1999 calving season. The average 305-day yields (kg)

The Irish 'no' to the Lisbon Treaty: Ireland's voice and Europe's exit?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Curtin, D.

2009-01-01

The "no" of the Irish electorate against the Treaty of Lisbon has hit the European elite hard. However, it was not directed against support for the EU as such but rather against a deliberately unintelligible Treaty. Lack of knowledge seems to have played a pivotal role in the voting behaviour, as

Labour supply and commodity demands : an application to Irish data

OpenAIRE

Anthony Murphy; Rodney Thom

1986-01-01

Annual Irish data are used to estimate a model which allows for the joint determination of commodity demands and labour supply. Consumer preferences are modelled by a cost function of the Gorman polar form which permits exact linear aggregation over individuals with different money wage rates. Separability between goods and leisure is rejected by the data. Labour supply is found to be a positive function of the wage rate.

To what extent does organic farming rely on nutrient inflows from conventional farming?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nowak, Benjamin; Nesme, Thomas; Pellerin, Sylvain; David, Christophe

2013-01-01

Organic farming is increasingly recognized as a prototype for sustainable agriculture. Its guidelines ban the use of artificial fertilizers. However, organic farms may import nutrients from conventional farming through material exchanges. In this study, we aimed at estimating the magnitude of these flows through the quantification of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium inflows from conventional farming to organic farming. Material inflows and outflows were collected for two cropping years on 63 farms. The farms were located in three French agricultural districts distributed over a gradient of farming activity defined by both the stocking rate and the ratio of the farm area under arable crops. Our results showed that on average, inflows from conventional farming were 23%, 73% and 53% for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, respectively. These inflows were strongly determined by the farm production systems. However, for farms similar in terms of production systems, the inflows also depended on the local context, such as the proximity of organic livestock farms: the reliance of organic farming on conventional farming was lower in mixed than in specialized districts. These results highlight the necessity to quantify the contribution of nutrient inflows from conventional farming when assessing organic farming and development scenarios. (letter)

Analysis of Goat Farming on Integrated Farming System in Banyumas

OpenAIRE

Hidayat, NN

2007-01-01

The objective of this research were : 1) to find out the income generated from goat farming and its contribution to farmer income in several farming combination, 2) to find out the economic efficiency in goat farming with paddy and fish production, 3) to determine factors affecting level of production and income in different farming system, partially and aggregately, and 4) to determine the best combination of farming which generated maximum income. Household farmer survey method was performe...

Sam Thompson, Stewart Parker, and the lineage of northern Irish dramaDOI:10.5007/2175-8026.2010n58p179

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marilynn Richtarik

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Northern Irish dramatist Stewart Parker (1941-1988 wrote plays typically valued for their wit, intellectual content, and formal experimentation. Nonetheless, he was profoundly influenced as a young man by a very different sort of playwright. Sam Thompson (1916-1965, who began his working life in the Belfast shipyards, squarely confronted Northern Irish sectarianism in his plays. His sense of the political potential of drama left an enduring mark on Parker, who organized and edited Thompson's manuscripts several years after his untimely death. Although their dramatic writings bear little resemblance to each other, the two writers should be regarded as united in a common Northern Irish dramatic tradition by virtue of their shared socialist outlook, belief in the importance of individual stands against conformity, and sense of theatre's social mission.

Gradient-Based Optimization of Wind Farms with Different Turbine Heights

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stanley, Andrew P. J.; Thomas, Jared; Ning, Andrew; Annoni, Jennifer; Dykes, Katherine; Fleming, Paul

2017-01-09

Turbine wakes reduce power production in a wind farm. Current wind farms are generally built with turbines that are all the same height, but if wind farms included turbines with different tower heights, the cost of energy (COE) may be reduced. We used gradient-based optimization to demonstrate a method to optimize wind farms with varied hub heights. Our study includes a modified version of the FLORIS wake model that accommodates three-dimensional wakes integrated with a tower structural model. Our purpose was to design a process to minimize the COE of a wind farm through layout optimization and varying turbine hub heights. Results indicate that when a farm is optimized for layout and height with two separate height groups, COE can be lowered by as much as 5%-9%, compared to a similar layout and height optimization where all the towers are the same. The COE has the best improvement in farms with high turbine density and a low wind shear exponent.

Effects of complex hydrodynamic processes on the horizontal and vertical distribution of Tc-99 in the Irish Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olbert, Agnieszka I.; Hartnett, Michael; Dabrowski, Tomasz; Kelleher, Kevin

2010-01-01

The increased discharge of Tc-99 from the Sellafield plant following the commissioning of the Enhance Actinide Removal Plant in 1994 was reflected in higher Tc-99 activity concentrations over much of the Irish Sea. The presence of this radionuclide in the marine environment is of concern not only because of its long half life but also high bio-concentration factor in commercially valuable species, such Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) and common lobster (Homarus gammarus). Accurate predictions of the transport, and spatial and temporal distributions of Tc-99 in the Irish Sea have important environmental and commercial implications. In this study, transport of the Tc-99 material was simulated in order to develop an increased understanding of long-term horizontal and vertical distributions. In particular, impact of seasonal hydrodynamic features such as the summer stratification on the surface-to-bottom Tc-99 ratio was of interest. Also, material retention mechanisms within the western Irish Sea were explored and flushing rates under various release conditions and meteorological forcing were estimated. The results show that highest vertical gradients are observed between June and July in the deepest regions of the North Channel and the western Irish Sea where radionuclide-rich saline-poor water overlays radionuclide-poor saline-rich Atlantic water masses. Strong correlation between top-to-bottom ratio of Tc-99 and strength of stratification was found. Flushing studies demonstrate that as the stratification intensifies, residence times within the western Irish Sea increase. In stratified waters of the gyre Tc-99 material is flushed out from the upper layer much quicker than from the bottom zone. The research also shows that in the gyre the biologically active upper layers above the thermocline are likely to contain higher concentrations than the near-bed region. Long-term horizontal and vertical distributions as determined in this study provide a basis for

Effects of complex hydrodynamic processes on the horizontal and vertical distribution of Tc-99 in the Irish Sea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olbert, Agnieszka I., E-mail: indiana.olbert@nuigalway.ie [Civil Engineering Department, Environmental Change Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway (Ireland); Hartnett, Michael; Dabrowski, Tomasz [Civil Engineering Department, Environmental Change Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway (Ireland); Kelleher, Kevin [Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, 3 Clonskeagh Square, Clonskeagh Road, Dublin 14 (Ireland)

2010-12-01

The increased discharge of Tc-99 from the Sellafield plant following the commissioning of the Enhance Actinide Removal Plant in 1994 was reflected in higher Tc-99 activity concentrations over much of the Irish Sea. The presence of this radionuclide in the marine environment is of concern not only because of its long half life but also high bio-concentration factor in commercially valuable species, such Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) and common lobster (Homarus gammarus). Accurate predictions of the transport, and spatial and temporal distributions of Tc-99 in the Irish Sea have important environmental and commercial implications. In this study, transport of the Tc-99 material was simulated in order to develop an increased understanding of long-term horizontal and vertical distributions. In particular, impact of seasonal hydrodynamic features such as the summer stratification on the surface-to-bottom Tc-99 ratio was of interest. Also, material retention mechanisms within the western Irish Sea were explored and flushing rates under various release conditions and meteorological forcing were estimated. The results show that highest vertical gradients are observed between June and July in the deepest regions of the North Channel and the western Irish Sea where radionuclide-rich saline-poor water overlays radionuclide-poor saline-rich Atlantic water masses. Strong correlation between top-to-bottom ratio of Tc-99 and strength of stratification was found. Flushing studies demonstrate that as the stratification intensifies, residence times within the western Irish Sea increase. In stratified waters of the gyre Tc-99 material is flushed out from the upper layer much quicker than from the bottom zone. The research also shows that in the gyre the biologically active upper layers above the thermocline are likely to contain higher concentrations than the near-bed region. Long-term horizontal and vertical distributions as determined in this study provide a basis for

Surveillance Data Highlights Feed Form, Biosecurity, and Disease Control as Significant Factors Associated with Salmonella Infection on Farrow-to-Finish Pig Farms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hector Argüello

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Among the zoonotic pathogens affecting pigs, Salmonella stands out due to the high number of human cases linked to pork consumption. In the last two decades many countries have put considerable effort into the control of the infection by surveillance and control strategies on farm. Despite this effort, many herds still have a high Salmonella prevalence and they require guidance to address this problem. The present study, using the serological surveillance data of finishing pigs from the Irish National pig Salmonella Control Programme, aimed to highlight factors associated with increased risk or that might mitigate Salmonella occurrence on farm. A questionnaire with 33 questions regarding herd characteristics, management, feeding, biosecurity, and health was completed for 61 individual herds. After the multivariate analysis by linear regression, nine variables were retained in the final model and linked to herd seroprevalence. Home produced-feed linked to the use of meal showed an eight points reduction in Salmonella prevalence compared to purchased feed (p = 0.042. Different biosecurity measures were associated to lower seroprevalence. Changing of footwear from outside to inside the farm decreased seroprevalence nearly 20 units (p = 0.014 and policies not permitting access to the farmyard to feed trucks (p = 0.048 or avoiding the presence of cats on the farm (p = 0.05 were estimated in 10 units less of seroprevalence. In contrast, the lack of perimeter fence increased the chance to have higher seroprevalence in five units (p = 0.05. Finally, intestinal diseases such as swine dysentery (p = 0.044 and E. coli diarrhea (p = 0.1 were estimated to increase Salmonella prevalence in ~20 and 10 units, respectively, demonstrating the importance of controlling other enteric pathogens in an on-farm Salmonella control programme. These results show the usefulness of surveillance data to improve on-farm control and confirm that Salmonella infection in pigs is

Successful Learners of Irish as an L2: Motivation, Identity and Linguistic Mudes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petit Kevin

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This article presents the results of a small-scale research conducted for a master’s thesis on the motivation to learn Irish on the part of university students and members of the Gaelic society An Cumann Gaelach. In the light of questionnaires’ results and interviews, the emphasis is placed on the links between motivation, identity, and potential key moments in learners’ lives. Using an AMTB-type questionnaire (n=45, the author puts to the test Dörnyei’s Motivational Self System theory (2005 in the context of the learning of Irish by looking at the correlation between the motivational intensity of 45 students and six variables (Ideal L2 Self, Ought to Self, Ideal L2 Community, Instrumentality, Parental encouragement, and Role of teachers. The notion of Ideal L2 Self, or the capacity to picture oneself speaking an L2 in the future, clearly appears to be strongly correlated with the respondents’ motivational intensity (r=.75 p<.01, in accordance with Dörnyei’s model. However results concerning extrinsic factors differ from previous research, putting forward distinctive features of the learning of minority languages. The second phase of the research looks at the language learning narratives of three An Cumann Gaelach’s members through the qualitative analysis of three interview transcripts. The results clearly show that time spent in Irish summer colleges are linguistic mudes (Pujolar and Puigdevall 2015, or key-moments, which triggered the interest in the language for the three students interviewed.

Traumatic dental injuries and their association with malocclusion in the primary dentition of Irish children.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Norton, Eimear

2012-02-01

This study sought to establish the prevalence of traumatic dental injuries in the primary dentition of Irish children and to investigate the relationship between dental trauma and non-nutritive sucking habits.

Mentors, Not Models: Supporting Teachers to Be Empowered in an Irish Context

Science.gov (United States)

O'Dohery, Teresa; Deegan, James

2009-01-01

This article explores the values and perceptions of Irish mentor teachers who have been involved in mentoring novice teachers. While situating this research within the historical context of the teaching profession in the Republic of Ireland, the article chronicles the establishment of the National Pilot Project on Teacher Induction and reports on…

Attitudes to cadaveric organ donation in Irish preclinical medical students.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Cahill, Kevin C

2011-06-01

There is a worldwide shortage of organs for transplantation. It has been shown that the attitude of healthcare professionals can improve the rates of organ donation, and that educational programs aimed at improving both attitudes and knowledge base of professionals can have positive outcomes. Although there has been research carried out on this topic, there has been none in Ireland. Anatomy dissection can be a stressor to medical students-we investigate the attitudes of Irish students to organ donation and how they change with exposure to anatomy dissection. A questionnaire was administered to first year students in the School of Medicine in University College Dublin, Ireland, three times over a nine-week period at the commencement of classes in an academic year. The attitudes of the students were positive throughout regarding organ donation by a stranger, a family member, or themselves. There was, however, a significant decrease in support for the donation of a family member\\'s organs in a minority of students. Irish students\\' attitudes to postmortem organ donation are positive and are not changed by exposure to the dissecting room. There is support for the donation of organs, and willingness among students to donate their own organs and support donation by family members.

Dublin and Irish politics in the age of Charles Lucas.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, J

2015-09-01

In addition to his contributions to medicine, Charles Lucas had a long career in politics, starting in the 1740s as a guild representative on the lower house of Dublin corporation, and culminating in his election to the Irish House of Commons in 1761. By examining the background in Dublin and Irish politics, this paper explores Lucas' impact on the electorate, and how it was that he was able to win a parliamentary seat in Dublin and retain it for a decade while he campaigned in support of a range of important Patriot issues. Lucas had none of the qualifications that would normally be required for a successful politician. His father held some land, but as a younger son who had to make a living, Charles was apprenticed to a Dublin apothecary. Nor did he have the political connections that might have compensated for a lack of land, wealth, or status. But Lucas possessed other advantages, notably an education that enabled him to read the city's medieval charters, identifying areas where the Dublin freemen had lost 'ancient rights', and some experience of publishing, so that he could appeal to the electorate. Lucas' remarkable political success stemmed from both local circumstances and his own personal qualities.

The United States Civil War Causal Agent for Irish Assimilation and Acceptance in US Society

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Gillespie, William

2001-01-01

The American Civil War was a cornerstone event for the Irish in America. Their participation proved their duty to Union and Confederate causes, increased their acceptance in American society, and hastened assimilation...

AX Tank Farm ancillary equipment study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

SKELLY, W.A.

1999-01-01

This report examines the feasibility of remediating ancillary equipment associated with the 241-AX Tank Farm at the Hanford Site. Ancillary equipment includes surface structures and equipment, process waste piping, ventilation components, wells, and pits, boxes, sumps, and tanks used to make waste transfers to/from the AX tanks and adjoining tank farms. Two remedial alternatives are considered: (1) excavation and removal of all ancillary equipment items, and (2) in-situ stabilization by grout filling, the 241-AX Tank Farm is being employed as a strawman in engineering studies evaluating clean and landfill closure options for Hanford single-shell tanks. This is one of several reports being prepared for use by the Hanford Tanks Initiative Project to explore potential closure options and to develop retrieval performance evaluation criteria for tank farms

AX Tank Farm tank removal study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

SKELLY, W.A.

1999-02-24

This report examines the feasibility of remediating ancillary equipment associated with the 241-AX Tank Farm at the Hanford Site. Ancillary equipment includes surface structures and equipment, process waste piping, ventilation components, wells, and pits, boxes, sumps, and tanks used to make waste transfers to/from the AX tanks and adjoining tank farms. Two remedial alternatives are considered: (1) excavation and removal of all ancillary equipment items, and (2) in-situ stabilization by grout filling, the 241-AX Tank Farm is being employed as a strawman in engineering studies evaluating clean and landfill closure options for Hanford single-shell tanks. This is one of several reports being prepared for use by the Hanford Tanks Initiative Project to explore potential closure options and to develop retrieval performance evaluation criteria for tank farms.

Comments on 'Origin of British and Irish mammals: disparate post-glacial colonisation and species introductions' by W.I. Montgomery, J. Provan, A.M. McCabe, and D.W. Yalden

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Ceiridwen J.

2014-12-01

Montgomery et al.'s recent paper in QSR (2014; vol. 98: 144-165) is a most welcome addition to the ongoing research into the origins of Irish mammals. In their Table 1, the authors have used "calibrated carbon dating, comparable stratigraphy and historical records … to establish the earliest known time of arrival of a species in […] Ireland […] where relevant, the latest record of a mammal species [was] used to establish the earliest date after which it was extinct". It is assumed that the dates mentioned in this table are, therefore, calibrated. However, this is very unclear - when dates generated by the Irish Quaternary Fauna project (Woodman et al., 1997) are compared with those used by Montgomery et al. (2014), the earliest recorded dates of Mountain/Irish hare, Irish stoat, lynx and pine marten seem to be direct uncalibrated dates. It is also unclear whether the earliest and latest records of each species relate to all published data available at the time of writing. Even if only consulting those dates generated by Woodman et al. (1997), there are older earliest records for Arctic Fox, Collared lemming and grey wolf. In addition, Montgomery et al. (2014) do not seem to have included early radiocarbon dates for giant deer, reindeer and red deer (Woodman et al., 1997; Carden et al., 2012), or any of the recent radiocarbon dates for brown bear (Edwards et al., 2011), despite reference to these papers.

Potential for alcohol and drug interactions in older adults: evidence from the Irish longitudinal study on ageing

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Older adults are susceptible to adverse effects from the concomitant use of prescription medications and alcohol. This study estimates the prevalence of exposure to alcohol interactive (AI) medications and concomitant alcohol use by therapeutic class in a large, nationally representative sample of older adults. Methods Cross-sectional analysis of a population based sample of older Irish adults aged ≥60 years using data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) (N = 3,815). AI medications were identified using Stockley’s Drug Interactions, the British National Formulary and the Irish Medicines Formulary. An in-home inventory of medications was used to characterise AI drug exposure by therapeutic class. Self-reported alcohol use was classified as non-drinker, light/moderate and heavy drinking. Comorbidities known to be exacerbated by alcohol were also recorded (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, peptic ulcer disease, liver disease, depression, gout or breast cancer), as well as sociodemographic and health factors. Results Seventy-two per cent of participants were exposed to AI medications, with greatest exposure to cardiovascular and CNS agents. Overall, 60% of participants exposed to AI medications reported concomitant alcohol use, compared with 69.5% of non-AI exposed people (p alcohol consumption (both light/moderate and heavier) and AI medications. Current smokers and people with increasing co-morbidities were also at greatest risk for heavy drinking in combination with AI medications. Conclusions The concurrent use of alcohol with AI medications, or with conditions known to be exacerbated by alcohol, is common among older Irish adults. Prescribers should be aware of potential interactions, and screen patients for alcohol use and provide warnings to minimize patient risk. PMID:24766969

Accumulation of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon ("1"4C) in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal shells and sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tierney, Kieran M.; Muir, Graham K.P.; Cook, Gordon T.; MacKinnon, Gillian; Howe, John A.; Heymans, Johanna J.; Xu, Sheng

2016-01-01

The nuclear energy industry produces radioactive waste at various stages of the fuel cycle. In the United Kingdom, spent fuel is reprocessed at the Sellafield facility in Cumbria on the North West coast of England. Waste generated at the site comprises a wide range of radionuclides including radiocarbon ("1"4C) which is disposed of in various forms including highly soluble inorganic carbon within the low level liquid radioactive effluent, via pipelines into the Irish Sea. This "1"4C is rapidly incorporated into the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) reservoir and marine calcifying organisms, e.g. molluscs, readily utilise DIC for shell formation. This study investigated a number of sites located in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal zones. Results indicate "1"4C enrichment above ambient background levels in shell material at least as far as Port Appin, 265 km north of Sellafield. Of the commonly found species (blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) and common periwinkle (Littorina littorea)), mussels were found to be the most highly enriched in "1"4C due to the surface environment they inhabit and their feeding behaviour. Whole mussel shell activities appear to have been decreasing in response to reduced discharge activities since the early 2000s but in contrast, there is evidence of continuing enrichment of the carbonate sediment component due to in-situ shell erosion, as well as indications of particle transport of fine "1"4C-enriched material close to Sellafield. - Highlights: • We measure "1"4C activity in shells and sediment at sites on the UK west coast. • Mussel shell activity varies in response to average "1"4C discharges from Sellafield. • Shell activities reflect species feeding habits and ecological niche. • NE Irish Sea inorganic sediment activity will gradually increase. • Increases in sediment activity will occur at remote sites on the Scottish west coast.

Deconstructing national leadership: politicians' accounts of electoral success and failure in the Irish Lisbon Treaty referenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Michele; Stevenson, Clifford

2013-03-01

The Self Categorization approach to national leadership proposes that leaders rhetorically construct national identity as essentialized and inevitable in order to consensualize and mobilize the population. In contrast, discursive studies have demonstrated how national politicians flexibly construct the nation to manage their own accountability in local interactions, though this in turn has neglected broader leadership processes. The present paper brings both approaches together to examine how and when national politicians construct versions of national identity in order to account for their failure as well as success in mobilizing the electorate. Eight semi-structured conversational style interviews were conducted with a strategic sample of eight leading Irish politicians on the subject of the 2008/2009 Irish Lisbon Treaty referenda. Using a Critical Discourse Psychology approach, the hegemonic repertoire of the 'settled will' of the informed and consensualized Irish nation was identified across all interviews. Politicians either endorsed the 'settled will' repertoire as evidence of their successful leadership, or rejected the repertoire by denying the rationality or unity of the populace to account for their failure. Our results suggest national identity is only constructed as essentialized and inevitable to the extent that it serves a strategic political purpose. © 2011 The British Psychological Society.

Independence and the Irish Environmental Protection Agency: A Comparative Assessment

OpenAIRE

Shipan, Charles

2006-01-01

The Environmental Protection Agency is one of the most prominent regulatory agencies in Ireland. Created in 1992, one of the hallmarks of this agency is its independence from other parts of government. Yet little is known about the actual extent of its independence. Independence and the Irish Environmental Protection Agency: A Comparative Assessment addresses several key questions about the agency's independence. Why was independence such a primary justification for the creation of this a...

Justification of x-ray examinations: General principles and an Irish perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matthews, Kate; Brennan, Patrick C.

2008-01-01

The principles of justification and optimisation, and the establishment and use of Diagnostic Reference Levels are core tenets of the European Medical Exposures Directive [Council Directive 97/43], and ensuing legislation across Europe. In Ireland, the European Medical Exposures Directive [Council Directive 97/43] was enacted into national law in Statutory Instrument 478 of 2002. This series of three review articles discusses the status of justification and optimisation of X-ray examinations nationally, and progress with the establishment of Irish Diagnostic Reference Levels. The current article will outline the ICRP recommendations which preceded the European Medical Exposures Directive, describe how the Directive was transposed into Irish Statute, and review the literature associated with some of the justification concepts arising from the Statute in order to elucidate the prevailing practice regarding justification in Ireland. Three levels of justification are identified: general, generic and individual. The relationship between referral guidelines and generic justification is explored, and practical issues in the implementation of individual justification are considered with reference to the role of the radiographer. Two further articles in the series will adopt a similar approach in discussing optimisation, and the establishment and use of Diagnostic Reference Levels

How changes to Irish healthcare financing are affecting universal health coverage.

Science.gov (United States)

Briggs, Adam D M

2013-11-01

In 2010, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published the World Health Report - Health systems financing: the path to universal coverage. The Director-General of the WHO, Dr Margaret Chan, commissioned the report "in response to a need, expressed by rich and poor countries alike, for practical guidance on ways to finance health care". Given the current context of global economic hardship and difficult budgetary decisions, the report offered timely recommendations for achieving universal health coverage (UHC). This article analyses the current methods of healthcare financing in Ireland and their implications for UHC. Three questions are asked of the Irish healthcare system: firstly, how is the health system financed; secondly, how can the health system protect people from the financial consequences of ill-health and paying for health services; and finally, how can the health system encourage the optimum use of available resources? By answering these three questions, this article argues that the Irish healthcare system is not achieving UHC, and that it is unclear whether recent changes to financing are moving Ireland closer or further away from the WHO's ambition for healthcare for all. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

CleverFarm - A superSCADA system for wind farms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juhl, A.; Hansen, K.G.; Giebhardt, J.

2004-01-01

The CleverFarm project started out to build an integrated monitoring system for wind farms, where all information would be available and could be used across the wind farm for maintenance and component health assessments. This would enable wind farmoperators to prioritise their efforts, since the...

Offshore Wind Farm Clusters - Towards new integrated Design Tool

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasager, Charlotte Bay; Réthoré, Pierre-Elouan; Peña, Alfredo

In EERA DTOC testing of existing wind farm wake models against four validation data test sets from large offshore wind farms is carried out. This includes Horns Rev-1 in the North Sea, Lillgrund in the Baltic Sea, Roedsand-2 in the Baltic Sea and from 10 large offshore wind farms in Northern Euro...

The Technical Efficiency of Specialised Milk Farms: A Regional View

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jindřich Špička

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the article is to evaluate production efficiency and its determinants of specialised dairy farming among the EU regions. In the most of European regions, there is a relatively high significance of small specialised farms including dairy farms. The DEAVRS method (data envelopment analysis with variable returns to scale reveals efficient and inefficient regions including the scale efficiency. In the next step, the two-sample t-test determines differences of economic and structural indicators between efficient and inefficient regions. The research reveals that substitution of labour by capital/contract work explains the variability of the farm net value added per AWU (annual work unit income indicator by more than 30%. The significant economic determinants of production efficiency in specialised dairy farming are farm size, herd size, crop output per hectare, productivity of energy, and capital (at α=0.01. Specialised dairy farms in efficient regions have significantly higher farm net value added per AWU than inefficient regions. Agricultural enterprises in inefficient regions have a more extensive structure and produce more noncommodity output (public goods. Specialised dairy farms in efficient regions have a slightly higher milk yield, specific livestock costs of feed, bedding, and veterinary services per livestock unit.

The Prevalence of Grass Pollen-Related Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis in Elite Amateur Irish Athletes

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Grace, M

2016-09-01

Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (AR\\/C), has been shown to impact upon athletic performance. The championships of the unique, amateur Irish sports of hurling and Gaelic football (collectively known as GAA) take place during the prime pollen months of summer. Elite GAA players must perform optimally when most exposed to pollen. Elite GAA subjects (n=254) underwent skin prick testing to 6 aeroallergens and completed a validated questionnaire (AQUA), producing a score indicating likelihood of having allergy. The prevalence of allergy (positive to at least one aeroallergen on SPT and positive AQUA score) was 27.1% (n=69). Sixteen and a half percent (n=42) of the subjects tested had grass pollen AR\\/C while 22% (n=54) had house dust mite AR\\/C, though none were on standard medical therapies or had used allergen-specific immunotherapy. Grass pollen AR\\/C prevalence appears as common in elite Irish athletes as it is in other countries. It appears to be mild rather than well controlled in these subjects.

Quality management in Irish health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Ennis, K; Harrington, D

1999-01-01

This paper reports on the findings from a quantitative research study of quality management in the Irish health-care sector. The study findings suggest that quality management is what hospitals require to become more cost-effective and efficient. The research also shows that the culture of health-care institutions must change to one where employees experience pride in their work and where all are involved and committed to continuous quality improvement. It is recommended that a shift is required from the traditional management structures to a more participative approach. Furthermore, all managers whether from a clinical or an administration background must understand one another's role in the organisation. Finally, for quality to succeed in the health-care sector, strong committed leadership is required to overcome tensions in quality implementation.

Task-based agricultural mobile robots in arable farming: A review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krishnaswamy R. Aravind

2017-04-01

Full Text Available In agriculture (in the context of this paper, the terms “agriculture” and “farming” refer to only the farming of crops and exclude the farming of animals, smart farming and automated agricultural technology have emerged as promising methodologies for increasing the crop productivity without sacrificing produce quality. The emergence of various robotics technologies has facilitated the application of these techniques in agricultural processes. However, incorporating this technology in farms has proven to be challenging because of the large variations in shape, size, rate and type of growth, type of produce, and environmental requirements for different types of crops. Agricultural processes are chains of systematic, repetitive, and time-dependent tasks. However, some agricultural processes differ based on the type of farming, namely permanent crop farming and arable farming. Permanent crop farming includes permanent crops or woody plants such as orchards and vineyards whereas arable farmingincludestemporary crops such as wheat and rice. Major operations in open arable farming include tilling, soil analysis, seeding, transplanting, crop scouting, pest control, weed removal and harvesting and robots can assist in performing all of these tasks. Each specific operation requires axillary devices and sensors with specific functions. This article reviews the latest advances in the application of mobile robots in these agricultural operations for open arable farming and provide an overview of the systems and techniques that are used. This article also discusses various challenges for future improvements in using reliable mobile robots for arable farming.

Plutonium in intertidal coastal and estuarine sediments in the Northern Irish Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aston, S.R.; Assinder, D.J.; Kelly, M.

1985-01-01

Surface intertidal sediments from 35 sites in the Irish Sea have been analysed for their 238 Pu and sup(239,240)Pu activities, together with an intensive study of plutonium in sediments of the Esk Estuary (NW England). The range of plutonium activities for the whole survey were 0.14-4118 and 1.3-16 026 Bq kg -1 for 238 Pu and sup(239,240)Pu, respectively. The levels of Pu activity, derived from the Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing effluents, in sediments are controlled by lithological factors and the influence of transport and post-depositional processes. Grain size distribution is particularly important, the major part of plutonium activity being in the mud fraction of all sediments. The data suggest that over the Irish Sea coastline, dynamic mixing of sediment grains by reworking and resuspension and/or by dispersion in tidal currents are important in determining plutonium distributions. The exponential decrease in sediment plutonium activities away from the Sellafield source is attributed to the progressive mixing with older contaminated and uncontaminated sediments. (author)

An investigation into current protocols and radiographer opinions on contrast extravasation in Irish CT departments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cleary, N.; McNulty, J.P.; Foley, S.J.; Kelly, E.

2017-01-01

Background: Iodinated contrast extravasation is a serious complication associated with intravenous administration in radiology. Departmental protocols and the radiographer's approach on both prevention techniques and treatment will affect the prevalence of extravasation, and the eventual outcome for the patient when it does occur. Aims: To examine contrast extravasation protocols in place in Irish CT departments for alignment with European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) Guidelines (2014); to establish radiographer's opinions on contrast extravasation; and to examine radiographer adherence to protocols. Methods: Contrast extravasation protocols from a purposively selected sample of CT departments across Ireland (n = 6) were compared to ESUR guidelines, followed by an online survey of CT radiographers practicing in the participating centres. Results: All participating CT departments (n = 5) had written protocols in place. High risk patients, such as elderly or unconscious, were identified in most protocols, however, children were mentioned in just one protocol and obese patients were not specified in any. The response rate of CT radiographers was 23% (n = 24). 58% (n = 14) of respondents indicated that contrast extravasation was more likely during CTA examinations. While high levels of confidence in managing extravasation were reported, suggested treatment approaches, and confidence in same, was more variable. Clinical workload in CT departments was also identified as a factor impacting on patient care and management. Conclusion: While contrast extravasation protocols were generally in line with ESUR Guidelines, high risk patients may not be getting sufficient attention. More radiographer awareness of patient monitoring needs, particularly in busy departments with a heavy workload may also reduce extravasation risk, and improve management of same. - Highlights: • Irish protocols on contrast extravasation are generally in line with

Constraints in the adoption of Indigenous farming practices

OpenAIRE

K Kanagasabapathi; V Sakthivel

2017-01-01

Indigenous farming is a production system, based on renewal of ecological processes and strengthening of ecological functions of farm ecosystem to produce safe, healthy and sustainable food. Indigenous agriculture is being adopted by the farmers of Kolli Hills in centre Tamil Nadu for different reasons. However, a lot of constraints prevent the farmers in adopting indigenous farming practices, that include poor yield, poor marketing facilities, higher production cost and urbanization

Livestock systems and farming styles in Eastern Italian Alps: an on-farm survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maurizio Ramanzin

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This research aimed to study the relationships between livestock systems, landscape maintenance and farming styles in the Belluno Province, a mountainous area of the Eastern Italian Alps. A total of 65 farms were sampled on the basis of livestock category farmed and herd size. Farms were visited to collect information on technical and productive aspects, on landscape features of land managed, which was identified by aerial photographs and digitised in a GIS environment, and on the farmers’ background, attitudes and approach to farming. Six different livestock systems were identified: intensive beef cattle (2 farms; extensive beef cattle (12 farms; large sheep/goat farms (9 farms; small sheep/goat farms (6 farms; intensive dairy cattle (14 farms and extensive dairy cattle (22 farms. The intensive systems had larger herds, modern structures and equipment, and were strongly production oriented, whereas the extensive systems had smaller herds and productivity, with often traditional or obsolete structures and equipment, but showed a tendency to diversify production by means of on-farm cheese making and/or mixed farming of different livestock categories. The ability to maintain meadows and pastures was greater for the extensive systems, especially in steep areas, while the annual nitrogen output, estimated as kg N/ha, was lower. Data on the farmers’ background and attitudes were analysed with a non-hierarchical cluster procedure that clustered the farmers into 4 farming styles widely different in motivations to farming, innovative capability, and ability to diversify income sources and ensure farm economic viability. The farming styles were distributed across all livestock systems, indicating the lack of a linkage between the assignment of a farm to a livestock system and the way the farm is managed. This study demonstrates that in mountain areas variability of livestock systems may be high, and that they differ not only in production practices

An Irish perspective on Cryptosporidium. Part 1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zintl Annetta

2006-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Cryptosporidiosis, a protozoal disease which causes significant morbidity in humans, is one of the chief causes of diarrhoea in neonatal ruminants. Although the parasite poses a significant threat to public health and animal health in Ireland, its epidemiology on the island is only poorly understood. Environmental studies have shown the waterborne parasite to be widespread in some untreated waterbodies around Ireland. The island's hydrogeological situation, combined with high stocking rates of livestock and the absence of filtration from regular water treatment, render it vulnerable to large-scale outbreaks. This review discusses the parasite in the Irish context and underlines the need for a reference facility to provide active surveillance on the island.

An Irish perspective on Cryptosporidium*. Part 2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zintl Annetta

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Cryptosporidiosis, a protozoal disease which causes significant morbidity in humans, is one of the chief causes of diarrhoea in neonatal ruminants. although the parasite poses a significant threat to public health and animal health in Ireland, its epidemiology on the island is only poorly understood. Environmental studies have shown the waterborne parasite to be widespread in some untreated waterbodies around Ireland. The island's hydrogeological situation, combined with high stocking rates of livestock and the absence of filtration from regular water treatment, render it vulnerable to large-scale outbreaks. This review discusses the parasite in the Irish context and underlines the need for a reference facility to provide active surveillance on the island.

Is point of care testing in Irish hospitals ready for the laboratory modernisation process? An audit against the current national Irish guidelines.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Kelly, R A

2013-04-11

BACKGROUND: The Laboratory modernisation process in Ireland will include point of care testing (POCT) as one of its central tenets. However, a previous baseline survey showed that POCT was under-resourced particularly with respect to information technology (IT) and staffing. AIMS: An audit was undertaken to see if POCT services had improved since the publication of National Guidelines and if such services were ready for the major changes in laboratory medicine as envisaged by the Health Service Executive. METHODS: The 15 recommendations of the 2007 Guidelines were used as a template for a questionnaire, which was distributed by the Irish External Quality Assessment Scheme. RESULTS: Thirty-nine of a possible 45 acute hospitals replied. Only a quarter of respondent hospitals had POCT committees, however, allocation of staff to POCT had doubled since the first baseline survey. Poor IT infrastructure, the use of unapproved devices, and low levels of adverse incident reporting were still major issues. CONCLUSIONS: Point of care testing remains under-resourced, despite the roll out of such devices throughout the health service including primary care. The present high standards of laboratory medicine may not be maintained if the quality and cost-effectiveness of POCT is not controlled. Adherence to national Guidelines and adequate resourcing is essential to ensure patient safety.

Farm factors associated with the use of antibiotics in pig production.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Fels-Klerx, H J; Puister-Jansen, L F; van Asselt, E D; Burgers, S L G E

2011-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate farm-level economic and technical factors that are associated with the use of antibiotics on pig farms. Identification of such factors, like farm size and net farm result, may help to increase epidemiological knowledge and to specify farm advice and policy making to reduce inappropriate use of antibiotics. The study used over 300 farm-year records collected during 2004 to 2007 from pig farms in the Netherlands. Data included economic and technical factors as well as antibiotic administration. Data were statistically analyzed for factors associated with antibiotic use, both for fattening pig and sow farms (piglets only), separately. The response variable was the average number of daily dosages per average pig year. Statistical analysis was performed on 16 and 19 potential explanatory factors for the fattening pig and sow farms, respectively. The results showed that, both on the fattening pig and sow farms, the average use of antibiotics increased from 2004 to 2006, but decreased during 2007, but the effect of year was not significant (P > 0.05). Use of antibiotics varied between individual farms. Large farm repeatability for the use of antibiotics in the different years was found. Factors associated (P antibiotics included: farm system, number of pigs, and population density in the region of the farm (for sow farms only). As these factors are easy to collect and to register, they can be used to specify farm advice and investigation, as well as for policy making. The majority of the technical and economic factors were not significantly (P > 0.05) related to the on-farm use of antibiotics. Therefore, it is recommended to focus future research on the potential role of socioeconomic factors associated with antibiotic use on pig farms.

Game farming as a supplementary farming activity in the Karoo ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Game farming as a supplementary farming activity in the Karoo. ... Veld management in a game farming situation poses problems due to the ineffectiveness of rotational grazing systems. Simplification of natural ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Inbreeding and fertility in Irish Wolfhounds in Sweden: 1976 to 2007

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Urfer Silvan R

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Given that no influence of inbreeding on life expectancy could be demonstrated in Irish Wolfhounds in a previous study, it was decided to test the influence of inbreeding and other parameters on fertility in this breed. Methods The study was based on all Irish Wolfhound litters registered in Sweden between 1976 and 2007 (n = 822 litters as provided by the Swedish Kennel Club (SKK and combined with a pedigree database going back to 1862. Analyses were performed using linear regression in a Generalised Linear Model and other tests in the SAS system®. Results Mean number of pups per litter was 6.01 ± 2.65, with a maximum of 13. There were no significant differences in either the number of litters or the number of pups between years of birth. Males were used for breeding at a significantly earlier age than females. Mean number of litters per parent was 2.96 ± 3.14 for males and 1.59 ± 0.87 for females. No influence of Wright's inbreeding coefficients over 5, 10, 20 and 30 generations and/or Meuwissen's inbreeding coefficients on litter size was detected. In the Generalised Linear Model, highly significant, but weak (coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.0341 influences were found for maternal age at mating as well as maternal inbreeding measured by Wright's inbreeding coefficient over 30 generations and Meuwissen's inbreeding coefficient. Paternal inbreeding coefficients over 5, 10, 20 and 30 generations and calculated after Meuwissen, as well as maternal inbreeding coefficients over 5, 10 and 20 generations did not have significant effects on litter size. Conclusion The low coefficient of determination (R2 value of the Generalised Linear Model indicates that inbreeding does not have a strong influence on fertility in Irish Wolfhounds, which is consistent with earlier results and the breed's genetic history. These results likely reflect the aforementioned genetic history and should not be extrapolated to other breeds without

Working at a Different Level? Curriculum Differentiation in Irish Lower Secondary Education

Science.gov (United States)

Smyth, Emer

2018-01-01

Young people in Irish schools are required to choose whether to sit secondary exam subjects at higher or ordinary level. This paper draws on a mixed methods longitudinal study of students in 12 case-study schools to trace the factors influencing take-up of higher level subjects within lower secondary education. School organisation and process are…

Farm Health and Safety

Science.gov (United States)

... the United States. Farms have many health and safety hazards, including Chemicals and pesticides Machinery, tools and ... inspection and maintenance can help prevent accidents. Using safety gloves, goggles and other protective equipment can also ...

Training needs of farm women in dairy farming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Durgga Rani V. And Subhadra M.R.

2009-12-01

Full Text Available A study was conducted in Thrissur taluk of Thrissur district to assess the training needs of farm women engaged in dairy farming. It was found that out of the five major farm operations studied, the farm women needed training the most in housing. The minor operations preferred the most for knowledge need were proper design of cattle shed, selection of breeds, compounding balanced feed using locally available ingredients, vaccination and banking and insurance. As for skill need, construction of scientific low cost cattle shed, selection of breeds, compounding balanced feed using locally available ingredients, symptoms of common diseases and banking and insurance were preferred the most. [Vet World 2009; 2(6.000: 221-223

Genome Analyses of an Aggressive and Invasive Lineage of the Irish Potato Famine Pathogen

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cooke, D.E.L.; Cano, L.M.; Raffaele, S.; Bain, R.A.; Cooke, L.R.; Etherington, G.J.; Deahl, K.L.; Farrer, R.A.; Gilroy, E.M.; Goss, E.M.; Grünwald, N.J.; Hein, I.; Maclean, D.; McNicol, J.W.; Randall, E.; Oliva, R.F.; Pel, M.; Shaw, D.S.; Squires, J.N.; Taylor, M.C.; Vleeshouwers, V.G.A.A.; Birch, P.R.J.; Lees, A.K.; Kamoun, S.

2012-01-01

Pest and pathogen losses jeopardise global food security and ever since the 19th century Irish famine, potato late blight has exemplified this threat. The causal oomycete pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, undergoes major population shifts in agricultural systems via the successive emergence and

Constraints in the adoption of Indigenous farming practices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K Kanagasabapathi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Indigenous farming is a production system, based on renewal of ecological processes and strengthening of ecological functions of farm ecosystem to produce safe, healthy and sustainable food. Indigenous agriculture is being adopted by the farmers of Kolli Hills in centre Tamil Nadu for different reasons. However, a lot of constraints prevent the farmers in adopting indigenous farming practices, that include poor yield, poor marketing facilities, higher production cost and urbanization

Metrics and methods for characterizing dairy farm intensification using farm survey data.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Mejia, Alejandra; Styles, David; Wilson, Paul; Gibbons, James

2018-01-01

Evaluation of agricultural intensification requires comprehensive analysis of trends in farm performance across physical and socio-economic aspects, which may diverge across farm types. Typical reporting of economic indicators at sectorial or the "average farm" level does not represent farm diversity and provides limited insight into the sustainability of specific intensification pathways. Using farm business data from a total of 7281 farm survey observations of English and Welsh dairy farms over a 14-year period we calculate a time series of 16 key performance indicators (KPIs) pertinent to farm structure, environmental and socio-economic aspects of sustainability. We then apply principle component analysis and model-based clustering analysis to identify statistically the number of distinct dairy farm typologies for each year of study, and link these clusters through time using multidimensional scaling. Between 2001 and 2014, dairy farms have largely consolidated and specialized into two distinct clusters: more extensive farms relying predominantly on grass, with lower milk yields but higher labour intensity, and more intensive farms producing more milk per cow with more concentrate and more maize, but lower labour intensity. There is some indication that these clusters are converging as the extensive cluster is intensifying slightly faster than the intensive cluster, in terms of milk yield per cow and use of concentrate feed. In 2014, annual milk yields were 6,835 and 7,500 l/cow for extensive and intensive farm types, respectively, whilst annual concentrate feed use was 1.3 and 1.5 tonnes per cow. For several KPIs such as milk yield the mean trend across all farms differed substantially from the extensive and intensive typologies mean. The indicators and analysis methodology developed allows identification of distinct farm types and industry trends using readily available survey data. The identified groups allow the accurate evaluation of the consequences of the

Metrics and methods for characterizing dairy farm intensification using farm survey data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandra Gonzalez-Mejia

Full Text Available Evaluation of agricultural intensification requires comprehensive analysis of trends in farm performance across physical and socio-economic aspects, which may diverge across farm types. Typical reporting of economic indicators at sectorial or the "average farm" level does not represent farm diversity and provides limited insight into the sustainability of specific intensification pathways. Using farm business data from a total of 7281 farm survey observations of English and Welsh dairy farms over a 14-year period we calculate a time series of 16 key performance indicators (KPIs pertinent to farm structure, environmental and socio-economic aspects of sustainability. We then apply principle component analysis and model-based clustering analysis to identify statistically the number of distinct dairy farm typologies for each year of study, and link these clusters through time using multidimensional scaling. Between 2001 and 2014, dairy farms have largely consolidated and specialized into two distinct clusters: more extensive farms relying predominantly on grass, with lower milk yields but higher labour intensity, and more intensive farms producing more milk per cow with more concentrate and more maize, but lower labour intensity. There is some indication that these clusters are converging as the extensive cluster is intensifying slightly faster than the intensive cluster, in terms of milk yield per cow and use of concentrate feed. In 2014, annual milk yields were 6,835 and 7,500 l/cow for extensive and intensive farm types, respectively, whilst annual concentrate feed use was 1.3 and 1.5 tonnes per cow. For several KPIs such as milk yield the mean trend across all farms differed substantially from the extensive and intensive typologies mean. The indicators and analysis methodology developed allows identification of distinct farm types and industry trends using readily available survey data. The identified groups allow the accurate evaluation of the

Do Irish adolescents have adequate functional movement skill and confidence?

OpenAIRE

O'Brien, Wesley; Duncan, Michael J.; Farmer, Orlagh; Lester, Diarmuid

2017-01-01

Recent research has shown that post-primary Irish youth are insufficiently active and fail to reach a level of proficiency across basic fundamental movement skills. The purpose of the current research was to gather cross-sectional data on adolescent youth, differentiated by gender, specifically to inform the development of a targeted movement-oriented intervention. Data were collected on adolescents (N=219; mean age: 14.45 ± 0.96 years), within two, mixed gender schools. Data collection inclu...

Ireland's medical brain drain: migration intentions of Irish medical students.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Gouda, Pishoy

2015-12-01

To provide the optimum level of healthcare, it is important that the supply of well-trained doctors meets the demand. However, despite many initiatives, Ireland continues to have a shortfall of physicians, which has been projected to persist. Our study aimed to investigate the migration intentions of Irish medical students and identify the factors that influence their decisions in order to design appropriate interventions to sustain the supply of trained doctors in order to maintain a viable medical system.

Gradient-Based Optimization of Wind Farms with Different Turbine Heights: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stanley, Andrew P. J.; Thomas, Jared; Ning, Andrew; Annoni, Jennifer; Dykes, Katherine; Fleming, Paul

2017-05-08

Turbine wakes reduce power production in a wind farm. Current wind farms are generally built with turbines that are all the same height, but if wind farms included turbines with different tower heights, the cost of energy (COE) may be reduced. We used gradient-based optimization to demonstrate a method to optimize wind farms with varied hub heights. Our study includes a modified version of the FLORIS wake model that accommodates three-dimensional wakes integrated with a tower structural model. Our purpose was to design a process to minimize the COE of a wind farm through layout optimization and varying turbine hub heights. Results indicate that when a farm is optimized for layout and height with two separate height groups, COE can be lowered by as much as 5%-9%, compared to a similar layout and height optimization where all the towers are the same. The COE has the best improvement in farms with high turbine density and a low wind shear exponent.

Distribution of Technetium-99 in sub-tidal sediments of the Irish Sea

Science.gov (United States)

McCubbin, David; Leonard, Kinson S.; McDonald, Paul; Bonfield, Rachel; Boust, Dominique

2006-03-01

To date, relatively little attention has been given to the accumulation of 99Tc discharged from Sellafield in the subtidal sediments of the Irish Sea. The potential implications for secondary seafood contamination from contaminated sediment has driven the UK Food Standards Agency to commission further research into this pathway. The work reported here reviews existing data and provides new measurements of 99Tc specific activity in surface and sub-surface sediments of the Irish Sea, together with environmental Kd values. The results are used to assess the spatial and temporal evolution of 99Tc in the seabed after 8 years of enhanced Sellafield discharges (between 1994 and 2002), of the aforementioned radionuclide. The information is discussed with reference to other studies, in an attempt to infer the processes controlling 99Tc uptake and release from seabed sediments. The average environmental Kd value for 99Tc in the Irish Sea (1.9×10 3) was more than an order of magnitude greater than the presently recommended value of 10 2 [IAEA, 2004. Sediment distribution coefficients and concentration factors for biota in the marine environment. Technical Report Series No. 422, IAEA, Vienna]. Comparison with results from laboratory studies indicates that the observed distribution may represent metastable binding rather than thermodynamic equilibrium. Activities in surface sediments decreased with increasing distance from Sellafield but were also dependent upon the nature of the underlying substrate, being greater on muddy material. Preliminary measurements of grain-size distribution indicated that the observed variation in activities was probably not due to surface area effects. There is an emerging body of evidence from other studies that indicate the differences were most likely due to variations in redox regimes between the different substrates. Vertical profiles were significantly irregular, probably due to the effects of variable sediment mixing processes. Comparison of

Determinants of early withdrawal and of early withdrawal by reason of disability from the Irish labour force in the third age

OpenAIRE

Lawless, Martin

2015-01-01

III – Abstract: Determinants of early withdrawal and early withdrawal by reason of disability from the Irish labour force in the Third Age.Background. This study examines the relationship between early withdrawal and early withdrawal through disability from the Irish labour force in the Third Age. The relationship between unemployment or early retirement and ill health has been determined by a number of studies and, while unemployment through ill health or occupational disability may lead to ...

Farm Population Trends and Farm Characteristics. Rural Development Research Report No. 3.

Science.gov (United States)

Banks, Vera J.

While total farm population is declining, the number of people living on the farms which produce the bulk of the nation's food and fiber is increasing. The 1970-75 total farm population decline was 13 percent, but the number of people living on farms with annual sales greater than $40,000 increased 76 percent. Such farms account for about 80…

Whole grain intakes in Irish adults: findings from the National Adults Nutrition Survey (NANS).

Science.gov (United States)

O'Donovan, Clare B; Devlin, Niamh F; Buffini, Maria; Walton, Janette; Flynn, Albert; Gibney, Michael J; Nugent, Anne P; McNulty, Breige A

2018-01-20

Observational studies link high whole grain intakes to reduced risk of many chronic diseases. This study quantified whole grain intakes in the Irish adult population and examined the major contributing sources. It also investigated potential dietary strategies to improve whole grain intakes. Whole grain intakes were calculated in a nationally representative sample of 1500 Irish adults using data from the most recent national food survey, the National Adult Nutrition Survey (NANS). Food consumption was assessed, at brand level where possible, using a 4-day semi-weighed food diary with whole grain content estimated from labels on a dry matter basis. Mean daily whole grain intakes were 27.8 ± 29.4 g/day, with only 19% of the population meeting the quantity-specific recommendation of 48 g per day. Wheat was the highest contributor to whole grain intake at 66%, followed by oats at 26%. High whole grain intakes were associated with higher dietary intakes of fibre, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and a higher alternative Mediterranean Diet Score. Whole grain foods were most frequently eaten at breakfast time. Regression analysis revealed that consumption of an additional 10 g of whole grain containing 'ready-to-eat breakfast cereals', 'rice or pastas', or 'breads' each day would increase intake of whole grains by an extra 5, 3.5, and 2.7 g, respectively. This study reveals low intakes of whole grains in Irish adults. Recommending cereals, breads, and grains with higher whole grain content as part of public health campaigns could improve whole grain intakes.

AX Tank Farm waste retrieval alternatives cost estimates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krieg, S.A.

1998-01-01

This report presents the estimated costs associated with retrieval of the wastes from the four tanks in AX Tank Farm. The engineering cost estimates developed for this report are based on previous cost data prepared for Project W-320 and the HTI 241-C-106 Heel Retrieval System. The costs presented in this report address only the retrieval of the wastes from the four AX Farm tanks. This includes costs for equipment procurement, fabrication, installation, and operation to retrieve the wastes. The costs to modify the existing plant equipment and systems to support the retrieval equipment are also included. The estimates do not include operational costs associated with pumping the waste out of the waste receiver tank (241-AY-102) between AX Farm retrieval campaigns or transportation, processing, and disposal of the retrieved waste

Risk Management Education for Kentucky Farm Women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer L. Hunter

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This article describes how an agricultural and farm risk management education program, known as Annie’s Project, was adapted from a midwestern focus to meet the diversity of Kentucky agriculture and shares the results of a longer-term evaluation of the Kentucky program. The Annie’s Project program is geared specifically to the needs of farm women. The program adaption process, which began in late 2006, is detailed from inception through pilot testing to the full launch of the program. Over a four year period, the Kentucky Annie’s Project program reached 425 farm women in 41 of Kentucky’s 120 counties. The evaluation draws on the results of a questionnaire mailed to program participants 18 months to 5 years after programming. Participants reported statistically significant gains in all topical areas representing agricultural risk management education, including production, human resources, marketing, legal, and financial. Key actions which occurred as a result of participating in the program included increasing confidence in management abilities, reviewing personal/farm insurances policies, developing a network of peers and professionals, and using financial statements.

The cost utility of a multi-disciplinary foot protection clinic (MDFPC) in an Irish hospital setting.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Nason, G J

2012-04-21

BACKGROUND: Foot ulceration which may result in lower limb amputation is one of the most feared complications among patients with diabetes and the prevention of both ulceration and amputation is a major challenge facing the health service. Many studies have proposed dedicated diabetic foot teams as the future of diabetic foot care. AIMS: We aimed to quantify the cost benefit and sustainability of a multi-disciplinary foot protection clinic (MDFPC) in an Irish university hospital setting. METHODS: A dedicated bi-weekly consultant-led MDFPC including Vascular Surgery, Endocrinology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Podiatry, Orthotics and Tissue Viability was established in June 2008. RESULTS: Between 2006 and 2010, a total of 221 lower limb procedures (major\\/minor amputations and debridement) were performed. The number of major amputations decreased from 12 during the control period (2 years before the clinic) to 7 in the study period (2 years after the clinic). After costing all activity associated with the clinic, there was an overall saving of 114,063 per year associated with the introduction of the MDFPC. CONCLUSION: This is the first study in an Irish context, and one of few international studies, to demonstrate that an aggressive-coordinated approach to diabetic foot care is both cost effective and clinically efficient in reducing the burden of foot-related complications in a diabetic population.

IEA-Task 31 WAKEBENCH: Towards a protocol for wind farm flow model evaluation. Part 2: Wind farm wake models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moriarty, Patrick; Rodrigo, Javier Sanz; Gancarski, Pawel

2014-01-01

Researchers within the International Energy Agency (IEA) Task 31: Wakebench have created a framework for the evaluation of wind farm flow models operating at the microscale level. The framework consists of a model evaluation protocol integrated with a web-based portal for model benchmarking (www.......windbench.net). This paper provides an overview of the building-block validation approach applied to wind farm wake models, including best practices for the benchmarking and data processing procedures for validation datasets from wind farm SCADA and meteorological databases. A hierarchy of test cases has been proposed...

Challenges in wind farm optimization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Gunner Chr.

To achieve the optimal economic output from a wind farm over its lifetime, an optimal balance between capital costs, operation and maintenance costs, fatigue lifetime consumption of turbine components and power production is to be determined on a rational basis. This has implications both...... for the wind turbine modeling, where aeroelastic models are required, and for the wind farm flow field description, where in-stationary flow field modeling is needed to capture the complicated mixture of atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flows and upstream emitted meandering wind turbine wakes, which together...... dictates the fatigue loading of the individual wind turbines. Within an optimization context, the basic challenge in describing the in-stationary wind farm flow field is computational speed. The Dynamic Wake Meandering (DWM) model includes the basic features of a CFD Large Eddy Simulation approach...

An overview of farming system typology methodologies and its use in the study of pasture-based farming system: a review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madry, W.; Mena, Y.; Roszkowska, B.; Gozdowski, D.; Hryniewski, R.; Castel, J. M.

2013-06-01

The main objective of the paper is to do a critic study of the use of typology methodologies within pasture-based farming systems (PBFS), especially those situated in less favoured areas, showing in each case the more relevant variables or indicators determining the farming system classification. Another objective is to do an overview of the most used farming system typology methodologies in general. First some considerations about the concept of farming system and approaches to its study have been done. Next, the farming system typology methodologies have been showed in general to different farming systems, but addressed preferably to PBFS. The different tools integrated in these methodologies have been considered: sampling methods, sources of data, variables or indicators obtained from available data and techniques of analysis (statistical or not). Methods for farming system classification have been presented (expert methods, analytical methods or a combination of both types). Among the statistical methods, the multivariate analysis has been overall treated, including the principal component analysis and the cluster analysis. Finally, the use of farming system typology methodologies on different pasture-based farming systems has been presented. The most important aspects considered are following: the main objective of the typology, the main animal species, the employed methods of classification and the main variables involved in this classification. (Author) 56 refs.

Training the Knowledge Worker: A Descriptive Study of Training Practices in Irish Software Companies.

Science.gov (United States)

Acton, Thomas; Golden, Willie

2003-01-01

Employees (n=200) of 39 Irish software companies indicated the following about training practices: organizational commitment to and provision for training was positively associated with employee expectations; well-designed training increased job satisfaction and helped retain organizational knowledge. One-third believed training has not helped…

The Funding of the Irish Domestic Banking System During the Boom?

OpenAIRE

Lane, Philip R.

2015-01-01

(read before the Society, 15th January 2015) This paper analyses the funding of the Irish domestic banking system during the boom period. We highlight: the shifting roles of deposit and bond funding; the prominence of foreign banks as funding counterparties; the role of interoffice funding; and the scale of US dollar and Sterling funding. From August 2007, the deterioration in funding conditions is clearly evident across a range of indicators.

75 FR 15402 - Information Collection; Minority Farm Register

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-29

... notice. In your comments, include date, volume, and page number of this issue of the Federal Register... farming or agriculture. The registrant's name, address, email, phone number, race, ethnicity, gender, farm... information collected with these organizations for outreach purposes. The race, ethnicity, and gender of...

The impact of shrimp farming on mangrove ecosystems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ashton, Elizabeth Clare

2008-01-01

. Policy to position shrimp farms behind mangroves can be effective but also requires good institutional capacity and coordination, effective enforcement, incentives, land tenure and participation of all stakeholders for success. Better management practices have been identified which reduce impacts......Farmed shrimp production and value continue to increase with Asia producing the global majority of shrimp and the USA, Japan and Europe being the main importers. Shrimp farming systems are very diverse in their management, size and impacts. There are many causes for mangrove loss but the conversion...... of mangroves to shrimp farms has caused considerable attention. The major issues of shrimp farming include the loss of important ecological and socio-economic functions of mangrove ecosystems, changes in hydrology, salinization, introduction of non-native species and diseases, pollution from effluents...

Leverages for on-farm innovation from farm typologies? An illustration for family-based dairy farms in north-west Michoacán, Mexico

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cortez Arriola, J.; Rossing, W.A.H.; Amendola Massiotti, R.D.; Scholberg, J.M.S.; Groot, J.C.J.; Tittonell, P.A.

2015-01-01

Knowledge on farm diversity provides insight into differences among farms, enables scaling from individual farm to farm population level and vice versa, and has been used in the definition of recommendation domains for introduction of novel technologies. Farm diversity can be broadly described in

Irish Ice Sheet dynamics during deglaciation of the central Irish Midlands: Evidence of ice streaming and surging from airborne LiDAR

Science.gov (United States)

Delaney, Catherine A.; McCarron, Stephen; Davis, Stephen

2018-04-01

High resolution digital terrain models (DTMs) generated from airborne LiDAR data and supplemented by field evidence are used to map glacial landform assemblages dating from the last glaciation (Midlandian glaciation; OI stages 2-3) in the central Irish Midlands. The DTMs reveal previously unrecognised low-amplitude landforms, including crevasse-squeeze ridges and mega-scale glacial lineations overprinted by conduit fills leading to ice-marginal subaqueous deposits. We interpret this landform assemblage as evidence for surging behaviour during ice recession. The data indicate that two separate phases of accelerated ice flow were followed by ice sheet stagnation during overall deglaciation. The second surge event was followed by a subglacial outburst flood, forming an intricate esker and crevasse-fill network. The data provide the first clear evidence that ice flow direction was eastward along the eastern watershed of the Shannon River basin, at odds with previous models, and raise the possibility that an ice stream existed in this area. Our work demonstrates the potential for airborne LiDAR surveys to produce detailed paleoglaciological reconstructions and to enhance our understanding of complex palaeo-ice sheet dynamics.

The impact of frailty on healthcare utilisation in Ireland: evidence from the Irish longitudinal study on ageing.

Science.gov (United States)

Roe, Lorna; Normand, Charles; Wren, Maev-Ann; Browne, John; O'Halloran, Aisling M

2017-09-05

To examine the impact of frailty on medical and social care utilisation among the Irish community-dwelling older population to inform strategies of integrated care for older people with complex needs. Participants aged ≥65 years from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) representative of the Irish community-dwelling older population were analysed (n = 3507). The frailty index was used to examine patterns of utilisation across medical and social care services. Multivariate logistic and negative binomial regression models were employed to examine the impact of frailty on service utilisation outcomes after controlling for other factors. The prevalence of frailty and pre-frailty was 24% (95% CI: 23, 26%) and 45% (95% CI: 43, 47%) respectively. Frailty was a significant predictor of utilisation of most social care and medical care services after controlling for the main correlates of frailty and observed individual effects. Frailty predicts utilisation of many different types of healthcare services rendering it a useful risk stratification tool for targeting strategies of integrated care. The pattern of care is predominantly medical as few of the frail older population use social care prompting questions about sub-groups of the frail older population with unmet care needs.

The distribution and transport of Sellafield derived 137Cs and 241Am to western Irish Sea sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charlesworth, M.E.; Service, M.; Gibson, C.E.

2006-01-01

Sellafield derived 137 Cs and 241 Am were analysed in surficial sediments at 23 sites in the western Irish Sea. Concentrations varied between 3-175 Bq 137 Cs/kg and 1-147 Bq 241 Am/kg. There are two distinct basins in the western Irish Sea separated by an area of restricted depth and this bathymetry is reflected in the radionuclide concentrations. Highest concentrations were found in the northerly samples and substantially lower concentrations further south. This pattern of distribution can be explained by the predominantly northerly residual flow and the existence of seasonal stratification in this area of weak tides. 137 Cs/ 241 Am ratios were also highest in the northern basin, and it is suggested that this is caused by differences in the mechanisms of transport of the two elements. The direct physical migration of contaminated particles from the eastern Irish Sea is the dominant transport mechanism in the north of the study area, whereas transport in the dissolved phase is most important to the southern region. Concentrations of both elements were best correlated with the percentage <15 μm particulate fraction suggesting that particles within this range are most important for direct transport and scavenging from the soluble phase

Ethical Issues in Internet Research: International Good Practice and Irish Research Ethics Documents

Science.gov (United States)

Felzmann, Heike

2013-01-01

This chapter discusses the main research ethical concerns that arise in internet research and reviews existing research ethical guidance in the Irish context in relation to its application to internet research. The chapter begins with a brief outline of high profile cases in the early history of the internet that highlighted specific emerging…

The Transmission of Cultural Heritages: The Case of the Irish and the Italians.

Science.gov (United States)

Greeley, Andrew J.; McCready, William

This paper begins with a very simple theoretical question: Do the cultural heritages of the Old World persist among children and grandchildren of the immigrants from the various European countries? Two ethnic groups--the Irish Catholics and the Italians--about whose country of origin there exists something of an anthropological and sociological…

Radon remediation in irish schools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Synnott, H.

2006-01-01

Full text: Commencing in 1998, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland carried out radon measurements in 3826 schools in the Republic of I reland on behalf of the Irish Department of Education and Science (D.E.S.). This represents approximately 97% of all schools in the country. Approximately 25% (984) schools had radon concentrations above the Irish national schools Reference Level for radon of 200 Bq/m 3 and required remedial work. The number of individual rooms with radon concentrations above 200 Bq/m 3 was 3020. Remedial work in schools commenced in early 2000. In general schools with maximum radon concentrations in the range 200 -400 Bq/m 3 in one or more rooms were remediated through the installation of passive systems such as an increase in permanent background ventilation mainly wall vents and trickle vents in windows. Schools with maximum radon concentrations greater than 400 Bq/m 3 were usually remediated through the provision of active systems mainly fan assisted sub -slab de pressurization or where this was not possible fan assisted under floor ventilation. The cost of the remedial programme was funded by central Government. Active systems were installed by specialized remedial contractors working to the specifications of a radon remedial expert appointed by the D.E.S. to design remedial systems for affected schools. Schools requiring increased ventilation were granted aided 190 pounds per affected room and had to organize the work themselves. In most schools radon remediation was successful in reducing existing radon concentrations to below the Reference Level. Average radon concentration reduction factors for sub-slab de pressurization systems and fan assisted fan assisted under floor ventilation ranged from 5 to 40 with greater reduction rates found at higher original radon concentrations. Increasing ventilation in locations with moderately elevated radon concentrations (200 - 400 Bq/m 3 ) while not as effective as active systems produced on

Farm management information systems: A case study on a German multifunctional farm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Husemann Christoph

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Accurate and easy to use Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS are of fundamental importance for a successful operational farm management. However, still today many farmers do not use FMISs for various reasons, like lack of knowledge and the complexity of many available FMISs. In particular for small to medium-sized farms and for multifunctional farms appropriate FMISs hardly exist. This paper aims on the deduction of a concrete FMIS from a general FMIS. The concrete FMIS has to focus on the needs of medium-sized and multifunctional farms. This means that the farmer has to be empowered to allocate the scarce resources of the farm. Therefore, we picked a German farm from the state North Rhine Westphalia as a case-study to apply a system analysis. The case study farm helps to identify and to analyze relevant material and information flows, production processes, and their interconnections and synergies.

Coping styles in farmed fish: consequences for aquaculture

OpenAIRE

Castanheira, Maria Filipa; Conceicao, Luis E. C.; Millot, Sandie; Rey, Sonia; Begout, Marie-laure; Damsgard, Borge; Kristiansen, Tore; Hoglund, Erik; Overli, Oyvind; Martins, Catarina I. M.

2017-01-01

Individual differences in physiological and behavioural responses to stressors are increasingly recognised as adaptive variation and thus raw material for evolution and fish farming improvements including selective breeding. Such individual variation has been evolutionarily conserved and is present in all vertebrate taxa including fish. In farmed animals, the interest in consistent trait associations, that is coping styles, has increased dramatically over the last years because many studies h...

Potential applications of process irradiation in Irish industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Upton, Mary

1985-01-01

Dr. Mary Upton draws attention to the U.S.A. Food and Drugs Administration agreement to allow irradiation for fresh fruit and vegetables of up to one kilogray and of spices up to 30 kilograys. There is also the likelihood of favourable legislation in the U.K. later this year. The potential for Irish industry may well lie in the extension of shelf-life of poultry, fish, fruit and vegetables; salmonella eradication; control of sprouting in potatoes and onions; treatment of food additives such as spices and enzymes; the replacement of ethylene oxide or of ethylene dibromide as preservatives, residues of which are currently considered somewhat suspect for health reasons

Coordination Control of a Novel Wind Farm Configuration Including a Hydrogen Storage System and a Gas Turbine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xuan, Shihua; Hu, Weihao; Yao, Jun

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a novel configuration that combines wind turbines, an electrolyzer, and a gas turbine with the corresponding generator. A control strategy for this configuration is also proposed. The purpose of this configuration and its control strategy is to make the wind farm work like...

My Goodness, My Heritage! Constructing Good Heritage in the Irish Economic Crisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maja Lagerqvist

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In 2008, the Republic of Ireland entered a severe financial crisis partly as a part of the global economic crisis. Since then, it has seen large raises in income taxes and cuts in state spending on health, welfare, education and on heritage, which has suffered relatively large cuts. This implies a need for rethinking choices and prioritisations to cope with the changing circumstances. Across Europe, the effects of the crisis on heritage, or the whole cultural sector, have yet mostly been highlighted in general or supposed terms rather than empirically analysed. But what actually happens to how heritage is conceptualised in times of crisis? Inspired by Critical Discourse Analysis, this paper explores representation of and argumentation for heritage in Irish state heritage policies pre and post the recession 2008. Much concerns regarding heritage management are discursively shaped. Policies, stating the authorised viewpoint, are thus key in the construction of heritage and its values in society. Recently, research has highlighted a shift towards more instrumentality in cultural policy due to wider societal changes. A crisis could influence such development. The analysis departs from an often-stated notion of heritage as a part of the Irish national recovery, but what does that imply? Focus is therefore put on how different representations of heritage and its values are present, argued for and compete in a situation with increasing competition regarding relevance and support. The paper shows how heritage matters are refocused, streamlined and packaged as productive, good-for-all, unproblematic and decomplexified in order to be perceived and valued as part of the national recovery. This includes privileging certain instrumental values, foremost economic, by means of specificity, space and quantification, while heritage's contribution to social life, education or health, although often mentioned, are downplayed by being expressed in much more vague

Publishing the confidential: an ethnographic study of young Irish bloggers

OpenAIRE

Fowley, Catherine

2011-01-01

From blogs to social network sites, young people have been early adopters of all forms of Web 2.0 communication. Diary-style blogs have been one of the tools they have used as outlets for creativity and communication, whilst simultaneously bringing into a public forum a genre which was inherently private. This thesis is the result of a three year ethnographic study of two groups of young Irish bloggers on the LiveJournal platform, which mixes blogging tools with social network facilities...

Human Resource Development in the Irish Hotel Industry: The Case of the Small Firm.

Science.gov (United States)

Nolan, Clara

2002-01-01

A profile of small businesses in the Irish hotel industry shows that all claim to believe in human resource development but few practice it. Small hotels favor informal, specific job training focused on solution of immediate problems rather than long-term development. (Contains 119 references.) (SK)

Temporal trends in hyperuricaemia in the Irish health system from 2006-2014: A cohort study.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

2018-05-01

Elevated serum uric acid (sUA) concentrations are common in the general population and are associated with chronic metabolic conditions and adverse clinical outcomes. We evaluated secular trends in the burden of hyperuricaemia from 2006-2014 within the Irish health system.

Farm production performance in Russian regions: farm panel data analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bezlepkina, I.

2003-01-01

The Russian agricultural sector has experienced many problems since the beginning of the 1990s that resulted in a fall in farm output. Employing a production function approach and, unlike other studies, farm-level data on more than 20,000 Russian large-scale farms for the period 1995-2000, this

Maintaining the Mother-Child Relationship within the Irish Prison System: The Practitioner Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

O'Malley, Sinead; Devaney, Carmel

2016-01-01

There is a dearth of research on the experience of motherhood within the Irish prison system. This paper considers the specific issue of facilitating contact between incarcerated mothers and their children. It is based on a study which explores the views of practitioners working directly with mothers in prison on how the mother-child relationship…

The changing landscape of Clara Bog: the history of an Irish raised bog

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Crushell, P.H.; Connolly, A.; Schouten, M.G.C.; Mitchell, F.J.G.

2008-01-01

Clara Bog is one of the few raised bogs that has not been fully exploited in the Irish midlands and is a reminder of how the landscape of this region once appeared. This paper describes how the Clara Bog landscape has been changing since the commencement of the Holocene 11,500 years ago. Initially

The Irish Phone Home: Reflections of Ireland in Jim Sheridan’s In America

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paula Murphy

2009-03-01

Full Text Available This article analyses Jim Sheridan’s film In America (2002, arguing that the American location reflects back imaginary images of Ireland to its Irish audience, in a manner similar to the mechanism described in Lacan’s discussion of his experiment of the inverted bouquet, which he uses to illustrate the three registers of the human psyche. It explores imaginary, symbolic and real dimensions of identity as they are articulated in the film, showing that, as in Lacan’s experiment, the symbolic dimension, which equates with the position of the human subject as social being, is the most powerful structuring force.  In Sheridan’s film, this dimension is embodied in Steven Spielberg’s film ET, a fictional narrative that allows Johnny, the father of the family, to articulate his grief and begin a new life.  Further, Sheridan’s film suggests that America is the imaginary locus of contemporary Irish identity, and that it can be understood as analogous to the spherical mirror of Lacan’s experiment.

Post-mortem findings in Irish culled hounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Jahns, H; Callanan, J J; McElroy, M C; Sammin, D J; Bassett, H F

2011-07-01

Little is known of the common diseases of hunting dogs or of the reasons why they are culled. To address these questions, necropsy examinations were conducted on 52 hounds aged 1.5-12 years (mean 6.5 ± 2.5 years) and culled from 10 Irish hunting kennels over a 3-year period. Progressive systemic disease was seen in six dogs only and encompassed individual cases of tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis, bronchioalveolar carcinoma with metastasis to regional lymph nodes, renal amyloidosis, suppurative pneumonia, extramedullary plasmacytoma in the atrial wall of the heart and foreign body-induced hepatitis with focal peritonitis. Single or multiple localized tumours were identified in five dogs and, apart from the aforementioned, included two cutaneous haemangiomas, a trichoepithelioma, a lipoma and a mammary ductal adenoma. Three dogs were culled for lameness; one of these dogs had torn musculature, another had cellulitis and the third had a healed fracture of the tibia and fibula. Chronic renal changes were present in 48% of the dogs and included focal proliferative, exudative or crescentic glomerulonephritis (33%) or low-grade interstitial inflammatory changes (50%). The most frequently diagnosed skin lesions reported in this study were mild healed decubitus ulcers (33%), scars (33%) and stereotypic dermatitis (13%). These findings indicate that hounds are likely to be culled for reasons other than the presence of disease in most cases. In addition, this survey highlights different disease patterns in hounds than are typically observed in pet dogs. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

50 CFR 14.23 - Live farm-raised fish and farm-raised fish eggs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Live farm-raised fish and farm-raised fish eggs. 14.23 Section 14.23 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF... Exportation at Designated Ports § 14.23 Live farm-raised fish and farm-raised fish eggs. Live farm-raised fish...

Work-Life Balance Practices Among Irish Hotel Employees:Implications for HRM

OpenAIRE

Farrell, Kathleen

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper is to examine work-life balance in the Irish hotel sector from an employee perspective with implications for HRM. 246 questionnaires from employees were returned which was a 22% response rate. Company benefits were not associated with numerical flexibility, but company benefits were associated with functional flexibility and work-life balance supports. This would suggest an integrated approach to human resource management (HRM), whereby some companies engage in a contemp...

Effects of hand-hoe tilled conservation farming on soil quality and carbon stocks under on-farm conditions in Zambia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martinsen, V; Shitumbanuma, V; Mulder, J

2017-01-01

Conservation farming (CF) has been promoted in Zambia since the 1980s. Despite long-term practice of CF in Zambia, its effect on soil fertility, including the storage of soil organic matter (SOM), on smallholder farms are inconclusive. Here, we assess the effect of CF as compared to conventional....... Overall, our results show small differences in the soil quality parameters between the CF and conventional practices at smallholder farms after maximum 12 years since adoption of CF....... tillage on soil quality parameters on smallholder farms in the Eastern province (EP, 20 sites, two to six years of CF) and Central province (CP, 20 sites, four to twelve years of CF) in Zambia. Soils under CF (minimum tillage hoe basins, crop rotation and residue retention) were compared with adjacent...

Catheter-related infection in Irish intensive care units diagnosed with HELICS criteria: a multi-centre surveillance study.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Conrick-Martin, I

2013-03-01

Catheter-related infection (CRI) surveillance is advocated as a healthcare quality indicator. However, there is no national CRI surveillance programme or standardized CRI definitions in Irish intensive care units (ICUs).

76 FR 65360 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Southeastern States; Suspension of Marketing Order Provisions

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-21

... operate without marketing order requirements in order to review the effectiveness of the order. During the... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Agricultural Marketing Service 7 CFR Part 953 [Doc. No. AMS-FV-11-0027; FV11-953-1 FR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Southeastern States; Suspension of Marketing Order Provisions...

Construct Validity of the WISC-IV[superscript UK] with a Large Referred Irish Sample

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, Marley W.; Canivez, Gary L.; James, Trevor; James, Kate; Good, Rebecca

2013-01-01

Irish educational psychologists frequently use the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth U.K. Edition (WISC-IV[superscript UK]) in clinical assessments of children with learning difficulties. Unfortunately, reliability and validity studies of the WISC-IV[superscript UK] have not yet been reported. This study examined the construct…

Foreign Adoption in Ireland: A Case Study of the Irish-American Adoptions, 1947–1952

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O'Keeffe, Brian

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The Irish-American adoptions were a revolutionary way of dealing with Ireland’s ‘problem of the illegitimate child’. Ireland had long been promoted as a Catholic, and thus, a morally pure country. Having a child out of wedlock often resulted in the mother and child being shunned by their family and community and having little choice but to seek the help of church-run institutions. These institutions began facilitating illegal extraterritorial adoptions in 1947 to relieve the mounting pressures as those seeking their help continued to grow annually. These adoptions were heavily concerned with protecting the religious faith of the child, and this often took prominence over the quality of home. The adoptions were facilitated exclusively by these church-run institutions, allowing for complete control over the selection of prospective parents. The standards of these adoptions fell well below what was expected on the U.S. domestic scale, with no visits to the homes of prospective parents occurring, and crucially, there was no way to facilitate the reversal of an adoption. During the early life of the Irish-American adoptions, the Department of External Affairs had little involvement, only issuing passports for children that had been adopted. This changed however in 1951, as the ‘Jane Russell Case’ attracted front page media attention. The Russell case highlighted the lackadaisical approach of many of those within the Department to the exporting of some of Ireland’s youngest citizens. Undue publicity continued in the early 1950s, notably with the German newspaper, 8 Uhr Blatt. It is this media attention that forced the Department to finally address the glaring issues that severely hindered the success of the Irish-American adoptions. The Department was powerless to do anything once the child had been passed into the care of the adoptive parents. The Adoption Act 1952, marked a major turning point in the care of illegitimate children in

A Wind Farm Electrical Systems Evaluation with EeFarm-II

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pierik, J.; Axelsson, U.; Eriksson, E.; Salomonsson, D.; Bauer, P.; Czech, B.

2010-01-01

EeFarm-II is used to evaluate 13 different electrical systems for a 200 MW wind farm with a 100 km connection to shore. The evaluation is based on component manufacturer data of 2009. AC systems are compared to systems with DC connections inside the wind farm and DC connection to shore. Two options

Minimum ten-year follow-up of acetabular fracture fixation from the Irish tertiary referral centre.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Magill, Paul

2012-04-01

Successful outcome from acetabular fracture fixation is multi-factorial. Long-term results are not frequently reported. Pooling such data from high output centres will help progress acetabular fixation. This paper presents the first ten-year data from the Irish tertiary referral centre.

Situation Report--Austria, Cameroon, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, France, German Federal Republic, Greece, Hungary, Irish Republic, Jamaica, Malta, Norway, Sabah, Sarawak, Spain, Tahiti (French Polynesia), Tonga, Turkey, and United Kingdom.

Science.gov (United States)

International Planned Parenthood Federation, London (England).

Data relating to population and family planning in 21 foreign countries are presented in these situation reports. Countries included are Austria, Cameroon, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, France, German Federal Republic, Greece, Hungary, Irish Republic, Jamaica, Malta, Norway, Sabah, Sarawak, Spain, Tahiti, Tonga, Turkey, and United…

Minority Languages and Performative Genres: The Case of Irish Language Stand-Up Comedy

Science.gov (United States)

Moriarty, Mairead

2011-01-01

This article will examine the potential for language change from the bottom-up given the new domains in which minority languages are present as a result of the process of language mobility. Drawing on a theoretical notion of sociolinguistic scales, this article aims to discuss how the position of the Irish language has been reconfigured. From this…

A Time Profile of Mathematics in a "Gap Year" in Irish Secondary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Prendergast, Mark; O'Meara, Niamh

2016-01-01

The Irish education system is unique in an international context as it sets aside a full school year for a transition and youth development programme in the middle of secondary education. The Transition Year (TY) programme is an optional, full time programme offered in the majority of secondary schools. Each school designs its own programme,…

The impact of farm size on sustainability of dutch dairy farms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meulen, van der H.A.B.; Dolman, M.A.; Jager, J.H.; Venema, G.S.

2014-01-01

Sustainable milk production systems require economically viable, environmentally sound and socially acceptable practices. This study compared the economic, environmental and societal impact of large-scale farms with other dairy farms in the Dutch Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). Moreover the

Occupational predictors of pregnancy outcomes in Irish working women in the Lifeways cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Niedhammer, I; O'Mahony, D; Daly, S; Morrison, J J; Kelleher, C C

2009-06-01

The objective of this study was to explore the association between occupational factors and pregnancy outcomes in a prospective cohort of Irish pregnant women. This study has a prospective design. The Lifeways cohort included 1124 pregnant women, 676 of whom delivered a single baby and were working at their first prenatal care visit when they filled in a self-administered questionnaire. Occupational factors were measured using this questionnaire and included eight factors describing job and working conditions. Data including pregnancy outcomes were also obtained from clinical hospital records. Logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for well-known risk factors. Birthweight (work demands and low birthweight (working with between a temporary contract and preterm delivery. Trends were also observed between working 40 hours or more a week and shift work, and birthweight of 3000 g or less. The study of a cumulative index showed that being exposed to at least two of these occupational factors significantly predicted birthweight of working conditions. As they may be modifiable, occupational factors deserve more attention in relation to birth outcomes.

Radioactivity monitoring of the Irish marine environment 1988 - 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Grady, John; Currivan, Lorainne; McEnri, Catherine; O'Colmain, Mairin; Colgan, P.A.; Cunningham, J.D.

1991-07-01

This report presents estimates of the radiaiton doses to the Irish public arising from caesium-137 and caesium-134, the contaminating radionuclides of greatest radiological significance. The doses are expressed in terms of individual and collective doses and are assessed against the system of dose limitation recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) which is embodied in the Basic Safety Standards Directive of the European Community. The doses are also compared with doses arising from background radiation and the associated risks are considered in the context of some of the common risks in everyday life

Victims and survivors: stable isotopes used to identify migrants from the Great Irish Famine to 19th century London.

Science.gov (United States)

Beaumont, Julia; Geber, Jonny; Powers, Natasha; Wilson, Andrew; Lee-Thorp, Julia; Montgomery, Janet

2013-01-01

Historical evidence documents mass migration from Ireland to London during the period of the Great Irish Famine of 1845-52. The rural Irish were reliant on a restricted diet based on potatoes but maize, a C(4) plant, was imported from the United States of America in 1846-47 to mitigate against Famine. In London, Irish migrants joined a population with a more varied diet. To investigate and characterize their diet, carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were obtained from bone collagen of 119 and hair keratin of six individuals from Lukin Street cemetery, Tower Hamlets (1843-54), and bone collagen of 20 individuals from the cemetery at Kilkenny Union Workhouse in Ireland (1847-51). A comparison of the results with other contemporaneous English populations suggests that Londoners may have elevated δ(15) N compared with their contemporaries in other cities. In comparison, the Irish group have lower δ(15) N. Hair analysis combined with bone collagen allows the reconstruction of perimortem dietary changes. Three children aged 5-15 years from Kilkenny have bone collagen δ(13) C values that indicate consumption of maize (C(4)). As maize was only imported into Ireland in quantity from late 1846 and 1847, these results demonstrate relatively rapid bone collagen turnover in children and highlight the importance of age-related bone turnover rates, and the impact the age of the individual can have on studies of short-term dietary change or recent migration. Stable light isotope data in this study are consistent with the epigraphic and documentary evidence for the presence of migrants within the London cemetery. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Temporal record of Pu isotopes in inter-tidal sediments from the northeastern Irish Sea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindahl, Patric, E-mail: patriclindahl@yahoo.com [School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA (United Kingdom); Worsfold, Paul; Keith-Roach, Miranda [School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA (United Kingdom); Andersen, Morten B. [Bristol Isotope Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Bristol BS8 1RJ (United Kingdom); Kershaw, Peter; Leonard, Kins [The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory, Pakefield Road, Suffolk NR33 0HT (United Kingdom); Choi, Min-Seok [Division of Earth and Environmental Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, 113 Gwahangno, Yusung-gu, Daejon 305-333 (Korea, Republic of); Boust, Dominique [Laboratoire de Radioecologie, Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, BP 10, 50130 Cherbourg-Octeville (France); Lesueur, Patrick [University of Caen Basse Normandie, M2C UMR CNRS 6143, 14000 Caen (France)

2011-11-01

A depth profile of {sup 239}Pu and {sup 240}Pu specific activities and isotope ratios was determined in an inter-tidal sediment core from the Esk Estuary in the northeastern Irish Sea. The study site has been impacted with plutonium through routine radionuclide discharges from the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria, NW England. A pronounced sub-surface maximum of {approx} 10 kBq kg{sup -1} was observed for {sup 239+240}Pu, corresponding to the peak in Pu discharge from Sellafield in 1973, with a decreasing trend with depth down to {approx} 0.04 kBq kg{sup -1} in the deeper layers. The depth profile of {sup 239+240}Pu specific activities together with results from gamma-ray spectrometry for {sup 137}Cs and {sup 241}Am was compared with reported releases from the Sellafield plant in order to estimate a reliable sediment chronology. The upper layers (1992 onwards) showed higher {sup 239+240}Pu specific activities than would be expected from the direct input of annual Sellafield discharges, indicating that the main input of Pu is from the time-integrated contaminated mud patch of the northeastern Irish Sea. The {sup 240}Pu/{sup 239}Pu atom ratios ranged from {approx} 0.03 in the deepest layers to > 0.20 in the sub-surface layers with an activity-weighted average of 0.181. The decreasing {sup 240}Pu/{sup 239}Pu atom ratio with depth reflects the changing nature of operations at the Sellafield plant from weapons-grade Pu production to reprocessing spent nuclear fuel with higher burn-up times in the late 1950s. In addition, recent annual {sup 240}Pu/{sup 239}Pu atom ratios in winkles collected during 2003-2008 from three stations along the Cumbrian coastline showed no significant spatial or temporal differences with an overall average of 0.204, which supports the hypothesis of diluted Pu input from the contaminated mud patch. - Highlights: {yields} Depth profiles of {sup 239}Pu and {sup 240}Pu determined in a northeastern Irish Sea sediment. {yields

Sample representativeness verification of the FADN CZ farm business sample

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie Prášilová

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Sample representativeness verification is one of the key stages of statistical work. After having joined the European Union the Czech Republic joined also the Farm Accountancy Data Network system of the Union. This is a sample of bodies and companies doing business in agriculture. Detailed production and economic data on the results of farming business are collected from that sample annually and results for the entire population of the country´s farms are then estimated and assessed. It is important hence, that the sample be representative. Representativeness is to be assessed as to the number of farms included in the survey and also as to the degree of accordance of the measures and indices as related to the population. The paper deals with the special statistical techniques and methods of the FADN CZ sample representativeness verification including the necessary sample size statement procedure. The Czech farm population data have been obtained from the Czech Statistical Office data bank.

Women in 19th Century Irish immigration.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, P

1984-01-01

By the 1950s--100 years after the great famine of 1845-49-- 57% of emigrants from the 26 countries of Ireland were women. In the latter 1/2 of the 19th Century, increasing proportions of women emigrated, until they outnumbered men. For women it was more than a flight from poverty. It was also an escape from an increasingly patriarchal society, whose asymetrical development as a colony curtailed women's social space, even in their traditional role as wife and mother. The famine, which is the single greatest influence forcing emigration, undermined the social fabric of an agrarian society, hastening the process of agricultural transformation. The growth of a new class of Irish a British grazier landlords resulted in a situation of acute land scarcity, encouraging tendencies to cling to one's land holding without dividing it. This, combined with new inheritance practices, gave rise to widespread arranged marriages as a means of land consolidation, and the dowry system. The spontaneous marriage practices of famine days also were replaced by a postponement of marriage. These trends severely reduced the choices exerted by women. The absence of big industrialized cities, which might have absorbed displaced rural populations, removed available options, particularly for women. The system of land monopoly and inheritance revolving around male heads of households reinforced partriarchal relations, within a framework of rigid sexual norms, whose enforcement was easy because the church, which played an important role in the emergence of these values, was a major landowner in itself. The subordinated, invisible status of women in post-famine Ireland, and growing barriers to easy access to marriage partners, to waged employment and self-expression, all helped ensure the higher and higher emigration rates of women. The economic transformation of Irish agriculture accelerated the establishment of oppressive values and helped depreciate the position of women to a very low level. The

Economic Efficiency, Allen / Uzama and Morishima Elasticities of Smallholder Agriculture In Dedza District, Malawi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Assa MAGANGA

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper is an attempt to measure the economic efficiency of Dedza smallholder Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum farmers in Malawi using a translog cost frontier, inefficiency effect model and input Elasticities from Seeming Unrelated Regression Model for asystem of cost share equations for labour, fertilizer, seed and land. A sample of 200 farmers has been considered from Dedza district in Malawi. Results indicate that the mean economic efficiency of Irish potato production in Dedza District is 0.61 with scores ranging between 0.12 and 0.94. The economic efficiency differences are significantly explained by non-farm employment, education, credit access, farm experience, degree of specialization, household size and frequency of weeding. The highest input substitution existed between labour and fertilizer, followed by seedfertilizer.

Comparison of cluster and principal component analysis techniques to derive dietary patterns in Irish adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Hearty, Aine P; Gibney, Michael J

2009-02-01

The aims of the present study were to examine and compare dietary patterns in adults using cluster and factor analyses and to examine the format of the dietary variables on the pattern solutions (i.e. expressed as grams/day (g/d) of each food group or as the percentage contribution to total energy intake). Food intake data were derived from the North/South Ireland Food Consumption Survey 1997-9, which was a randomised cross-sectional study of 7 d recorded food and nutrient intakes of a representative sample of 1379 Irish adults aged 18-64 years. Cluster analysis was performed using the k-means algorithm and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to extract dietary factors. Food data were reduced to thirty-three food groups. For cluster analysis, the most suitable format of the food-group variable was found to be the percentage contribution to energy intake, which produced six clusters: 'Traditional Irish'; 'Continental'; 'Unhealthy foods'; 'Light-meal foods & low-fat milk'; 'Healthy foods'; 'Wholemeal bread & desserts'. For PCA, food groups in the format of g/d were found to be the most suitable format, and this revealed four dietary patterns: 'Unhealthy foods & high alcohol'; 'Traditional Irish'; 'Healthy foods'; 'Sweet convenience foods & low alcohol'. In summary, cluster and PCA identified similar dietary patterns when presented with the same dataset. However, the two dietary pattern methods required a different format of the food-group variable, and the most appropriate format of the input variable should be considered in future studies.

Technical and scale efficiency in public and private Irish nursing homes - a bootstrap DEA approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Ni Luasa, Shiovan; Dineen, Declan; Zieba, Marta

2016-10-27

This article provides methodological and empirical insights into the estimation of technical efficiency in the nursing home sector. Focusing on long-stay care and using primary data, we examine technical and scale efficiency in 39 public and 73 private Irish nursing homes by applying an input-oriented data envelopment analysis (DEA). We employ robust bootstrap methods to validate our nonparametric DEA scores and to integrate the effects of potential determinants in estimating the efficiencies. Both the homogenous and two-stage double bootstrap procedures are used to obtain confidence intervals for the bias-corrected DEA scores. Importantly, the application of the double bootstrap approach affords true DEA technical efficiency scores after adjusting for the effects of ownership, size, case-mix, and other determinants such as location, and quality. Based on our DEA results for variable returns to scale technology, the average technical efficiency score is 62 %, and the mean scale efficiency is 88 %, with nearly all units operating on the increasing returns to scale part of the production frontier. Moreover, based on the double bootstrap results, Irish nursing homes are less technically efficient, and more scale efficient than the conventional DEA estimates suggest. Regarding the efficiency determinants, in terms of ownership, we find that private facilities are less efficient than the public units. Furthermore, the size of the nursing home has a positive effect, and this reinforces our finding that Irish homes produce at increasing returns to scale. Also, notably, we find that a tendency towards quality improvements can lead to poorer technical efficiency performance.

Job Satisfaction among Accounting and Finance Academics: Empirical Evidence from Irish Higher Education Institutions

Science.gov (United States)

Byrne, Marann; Chughtai, Aamir Ali; Flood, Barbara; Willis, Pauline

2012-01-01

The central aim of the present study was to examine the levels of job satisfaction among accounting and finance academics in Irish higher education institutions. Additionally, this research sought to uncover the factors linked to the overall job satisfaction of these teachers. The findings showed that while, participants were generally satisfied…

The relationship between previous hamstring injury and the concentric isokinetic knee muscle strength of irish gaelic footballers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O'Ceallaigh Brian

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hamstring injury is one of the most common injuries affecting gaelic footballers, similar to other field sports. Research in other sports on whether residual hamstring weakness is present after hamstring injury is inconsistent, and no study has examined this factor in irish gaelic footballers. The aim of this study was to examine whether significant knee muscle weakness is present in male Irish gaelic footballers who have returned to full activity after hamstring injury. Methods The concentric isokinetic knee flexion and extension strength of 44 members of a university gaelic football team was assessed at 60, 180 and 300 degrees per second using a Contrex dynamometer. Results Fifteen players (34% reported a history of hamstring strain, with 68% of injuries affecting the dominant (kicking limb. The hamstrings were significantly stronger (p 0.05 using this comparison. The previously unilaterally injured hamstrings were significantly weaker (p Conclusion Hamstring muscle weakness was observed in male Irish gaelic footballers with a history of hamstring injury. This weakness is most evident when comparisons are made to multiple control populations, both within and between subjects. The increased strength of the dominant limb should be considered as a potential confounding variable in future trials. The study design does not allow interpretation of whether these changes in strength were present before or after injury.

The Challenges of Distributing Leadership in Irish Post-Primary Schools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margaret O’DONOVAN

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This study explores the challenges and opportunities in relation to developing distributed leadership practice in Irish post-primary schools. It considers school leadership within the context of contemporary distributed leadership theory. Associated concepts such as distributed cognition and activity theory are used to frame the study. The study is situated in a space which acknowledges the current complex reality in our schools, where school leadership is characterised by increased workload and an ever-expanding role-definition. Drawing on the empirical findings from semi-structured interviews conducted with principals, deputy principals, post of responsibility holders and teachers in three case-study schools, the study probes: (1 how school leaders (reconstruct a form of leadership suited to the needs of the current reality, by exploring their leadership and management styles; (2 how the internal conditions are created in which distributed leadership can function; (3 the challenges posed by distributed leadership and how they might be overcome. The findings clarify that school leadership is a construct beyond the scope of the principal alone. While there is widespread support for a distributed model of leadership, the concept does not explicitly form part of the discourse in the case-study schools. This poses challenges for school leaders and policy-makers to put mechanisms in place to re-culture schools, to develop teacher-leadership capacity and to reflect on the future direction of leadership in Irish post-primary schools.

The challenges of distributing leadership in Irish post-primary schools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margaret O'Donovan

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This study explores the challenges and opportunities in relation to developing distributed leadership practice in Irish post-primary schools. It considers school leadership within the context of contemporary distributed leadership theory. Associated concepts such as distributed cognition and activity theory are used to frame the study. The study is situated in a space which acknowledges the current complex reality in our schools, where school leadership is characterised by increased workload and an ever-expanding role-definition. Drawing on the empirical findings from semi-structured interviews conducted with principals, deputy principals, post of responsibility holders and teachers in three case-study schools, the study probes: (1 how school leaders (reconstruct a form of leadership suited to the needs of the current reality, by exploring their leadership and management styles; (2 how the internal conditions are created in which distributed leadership can function; (3 the challenges posed by distributed leadership and how they might be overcome. The findings clarify that school leadership is a construct beyond the scope of the principal alone. While there is widespread support for a distributed model of leadership, the concept does not explicitly form part of the discourse in the case-study schools. This poses challenges for school leaders and policy-makers to put mechanisms in place to re-culture schools, to develop teacher-leadership capacity and to reflect on the future direction of leadership in Irish post-primary schools.

Wind Farm Control Survey

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Torben; Bak, Thomas; Svenstrup, Mikael

2013-01-01

This document is a delivery in the project NORCOWE. It is part of work package WP3.2.2. The main goal is to establish the present state-of-the-art for wind farm control for both research and practice. The main approach will be to study the literature. This will of cause be much more efficient...... for the research part than for the practice part. It is however not the intention to do company interviews or similar. This report is structured into a section for each WF control objective. These sections then includes the important control project issues: choice of input and output, control method, and modelling...... turbine farm based on a dynamic programming type of method....

Farm Management: rethinking directions?

OpenAIRE

Kemp, David R.; Girdwood, John; Parton, Kevin A.; Charry, Al A.

2004-01-01

Farms and farming are major contributors to the world economy, directly responsible for a large part of GDP. These achievements are not trivial and imply that farms are being managed in reasonably effective ways, else agricultural industries would not be sustained. However has the study of Farm Management within Australia made significant contributions to agriculture or lagged in the background. Is it contributing to better Farm Management or merely cataloguing what has happened? Is it leadin...

Perfluoroalkylated substances in edible livers of farm animals, including depuration behaviour in young sheep fed with contaminated grass

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zafeiraki, Effrosyni; Vassiliadou, Irene; Costopoulou, Danae; Leondiadis, Leondios; Schafft, Helmut A.; Hoogenboom, Ron L.A.P.; Leeuwen, van Stefan P.J.

2016-01-01

Perfluoroalkylated substances (PFASs) present a potential health risk for consumers. In animals these compounds are known to accumulate in livers. In order to determine potential PFASs contamination in commercially available livers, samples from farmed sheep, horses, cows, pigs and chicken were

Is Farm Management Skill Persistent?

OpenAIRE

Li, Xin; Paulson, Nicholas

2014-01-01

Farm management skills can affect farm managers' performance. In this article, farm management performance is analyzed based on yearly Illinois Farm Business Farm Management (FBFM) panel data across 6,760 farms from 1996 through 2011. Two out-of-sample measures of skill are used to analyze the ability of farm managers that consistently perform well over yearly and longer time horizons. Persistence tests show management skills are consistent and predictable. Results also suggest that the most ...

Whole farm management to reduce nutrient losses from dairy farms: a simulation study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rotz, C.A.; Oenema, J.; Keulen, van H.

2003-01-01

Whole farm simulation provides a tool for evaluating the impact of nutrient conservation technologies and strategies on dairy farms. A farm simulation model was verified by simulating the production and nutrient flows of the De Marke experimental dairy farm in the Netherlands. Technology such as a

IEA-Task 31 WAKEBENCH: Towards a protocol for wind farm flow model evaluation. Part 2: Wind farm wake models

Science.gov (United States)

Moriarty, Patrick; Sanz Rodrigo, Javier; Gancarski, Pawel; Chuchfield, Matthew; Naughton, Jonathan W.; Hansen, Kurt S.; Machefaux, Ewan; Maguire, Eoghan; Castellani, Francesco; Terzi, Ludovico; Breton, Simon-Philippe; Ueda, Yuko

2014-06-01

Researchers within the International Energy Agency (IEA) Task 31: Wakebench have created a framework for the evaluation of wind farm flow models operating at the microscale level. The framework consists of a model evaluation protocol integrated with a web-based portal for model benchmarking (www.windbench.net). This paper provides an overview of the building-block validation approach applied to wind farm wake models, including best practices for the benchmarking and data processing procedures for validation datasets from wind farm SCADA and meteorological databases. A hierarchy of test cases has been proposed for wake model evaluation, from similarity theory of the axisymmetric wake and idealized infinite wind farm, to single-wake wind tunnel (UMN-EPFL) and field experiments (Sexbierum), to wind farm arrays in offshore (Horns Rev, Lillgrund) and complex terrain conditions (San Gregorio). A summary of results from the axisymmetric wake, Sexbierum, Horns Rev and Lillgrund benchmarks are used to discuss the state-of-the-art of wake model validation and highlight the most relevant issues for future development.

IEA-Task 31 WAKEBENCH: Towards a protocol for wind farm flow model evaluation. Part 2: Wind farm wake models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moriarty, Patrick; Rodrigo, Javier Sanz; Gancarski, Pawel; Chuchfield, Matthew; Naughton, Jonathan W; Hansen, Kurt S; Machefaux, Ewan; Maguire, Eoghan; Castellani, Francesco; Terzi, Ludovico; Breton, Simon-Philippe; Ueda, Yuko

2014-01-01

Researchers within the International Energy Agency (IEA) Task 31: Wakebench have created a framework for the evaluation of wind farm flow models operating at the microscale level. The framework consists of a model evaluation protocol integrated with a web-based portal for model benchmarking (www.windbench.net). This paper provides an overview of the building-block validation approach applied to wind farm wake models, including best practices for the benchmarking and data processing procedures for validation datasets from wind farm SCADA and meteorological databases. A hierarchy of test cases has been proposed for wake model evaluation, from similarity theory of the axisymmetric wake and idealized infinite wind farm, to single-wake wind tunnel (UMN-EPFL) and field experiments (Sexbierum), to wind farm arrays in offshore (Horns Rev, Lillgrund) and complex terrain conditions (San Gregorio). A summary of results from the axisymmetric wake, Sexbierum, Horns Rev and Lillgrund benchmarks are used to discuss the state-of-the-art of wake model validation and highlight the most relevant issues for future development

TOPFARM wind farm optimization tool

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rethore, P.-E.; Fuglsang, P.; Larsen, Torben J.; Buhl, T.; Larsen, Gunner C.

2011-02-15

A wind farm optimization framework is presented in detail and demonstrated on two test cases: 1) Middelgrunden and 2) Stags Holt/Coldham. A detailed flow model describing the instationary flow within a wind farm is used together with an aeroelastic model to determine production and fatigue loading of wind farm wind turbines. Based on generic load cases, the wind farm production and fatigue evaluations are subsequently condensed in a large pre-calculated database for rapid calculation of lifetime equivalent loads and energy production in the optimization loop. The objective function defining the optimization problem includes elements as energy production, turbine degradation, operation and maintenance costs, electrical grid costs and foundation costs. The objective function is optimized using a dedicated multi fidelity approach with the locations of individual turbines in the wind farm spanning the design space. The results are over all satisfying and are giving some interesting insights on the pros and cons of the design choices. They show in particular that the inclusion of the fatigue loads costs give rise to some additional details in comparison with pure power based optimization. The Middelgrunden test case resulted in an improvement of the financial balance of 2.1 M Euro originating from a very large increase in the energy production value of 9.3 M Euro mainly counterbalanced by increased electrical grid costs. The Stags Holt/Coldham test case resulted in an improvement of the financial balance of 3.1 M Euro. (Author)

Aboriginal consultation report, Amherstburg solar farm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-05-15

First Solar is constructing many solar farms in North America, Europe and Asia, including a planned solar farm in California expected to generate 550 MW of electricity and a completed 80 MW, 1150 acre solar farm in Sarnia, Ontario representing the largest photovoltaic (PV) solar facility in the world. First Solar is now working on the project of constructing a solar farm that will use thin film photovoltaic modules and convert the solar energy into electrical energy for distribution to the local electricity distribution system. This solar farm, identified as a Class 3 solar facility according to the Regulation, is expected to generate 10 MW of electricity. Class 3 solar facilities are renewable energy facilities presenting a name plate power capacity exceeding 10kW and they take place at any location other than a roof or the wall of a building. During the project development process, First Solar will keep on liaising and communicating with the two identified First Nations, the Windsor Essex Metis Council, MNO and the Crown authorities. The purpose of the process will keep on giving a particular attention to identifying any concerns raising from the project, and if some are identified, it will also focus on methods of reducing or preventing related impacts.

The Lake Turkana wind farm project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burlando, M.; Durante, F. [DEWI GmbH, Genoa (Italy); Claveri, L. [DEWI GmbH, Oldenburg (Germany)

2010-08-15

The Lake Turkana wind farm is one of the largest wind farm projects to be realised in the African Continent, and the first of its kind in Kenya. After its full commissioning in 2012, the wind farm will be generating 300 MW of clean power almost steadily thanks to the very peculiar characteristics of the wind climate of north-western Kenya. Until now, only northern African countries such as Morocco and Egypt had used wind power for commercial purposes on the continent. Projects are now beginning to bloom south of the Sahara as governments realise that harnessing the vast wind potential can efficiently meet the growing demand of electric power. With the Lake Turkana wind farm project and other minor projects, Kenya is trying to lead the way. The project consists of building 365 wind turbines Vestas V52 of hub height 45 m and nominal power 850 kW, corresponding to about 30% of Kenya's current installed power. The project includes also reinforcing 200 km of roads and bridges to transport the wind turbines from the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa to the northwestern Kenya, and adding more than 400 km of transmission lines and several substations to connect the wind farm and supply power to the national electric grid. (orig.)

Health care options for commercial farm workers in Namibia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Beer, I.; Coutinho, H.M.; Guariguata, L.; Fortsch, H.T.; Hough, R.; Rinke de Wit, T.F.

2011-01-01

Introduction: Limited access to health care in rural areas is a challenge in Namibia. In 2007 a survey was conducted among employers of commercial farms to assess the feasibility of introducing private, affordable health insurance that including HIV/AIDS coverage for commercial farm workers in

29 CFR 780.111 - “Dairying” as a farming operation.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false âDairyingâ as a farming operation. 780.111 Section 780.111... General Scope of Agriculture Dairying § 780.111 “Dairying” as a farming operation. “Dairying” includes the work of caring for and milking cows or goats. It also includes putting the milk in containers, cooling...

Accumulation of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon ((14)C) in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal shells and sediments.

Science.gov (United States)

Tierney, Kieran M; Muir, Graham K P; Cook, Gordon T; MacKinnon, Gillian; Howe, John A; Heymans, Johanna J; Xu, Sheng

2016-01-01

The nuclear energy industry produces radioactive waste at various stages of the fuel cycle. In the United Kingdom, spent fuel is reprocessed at the Sellafield facility in Cumbria on the North West coast of England. Waste generated at the site comprises a wide range of radionuclides including radiocarbon ((14)C) which is disposed of in various forms including highly soluble inorganic carbon within the low level liquid radioactive effluent, via pipelines into the Irish Sea. This (14)C is rapidly incorporated into the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) reservoir and marine calcifying organisms, e.g. molluscs, readily utilise DIC for shell formation. This study investigated a number of sites located in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal zones. Results indicate (14)C enrichment above ambient background levels in shell material at least as far as Port Appin, 265 km north of Sellafield. Of the commonly found species (blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) and common periwinkle (Littorina littorea)), mussels were found to be the most highly enriched in (14)C due to the surface environment they inhabit and their feeding behaviour. Whole mussel shell activities appear to have been decreasing in response to reduced discharge activities since the early 2000s but in contrast, there is evidence of continuing enrichment of the carbonate sediment component due to in-situ shell erosion, as well as indications of particle transport of fine (14)C-enriched material close to Sellafield. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Risk-based audit selection of dairy farms.

Science.gov (United States)

van Asseldonk, M A P M; Velthuis, A G J

2014-02-01

Dairy farms are audited in the Netherlands on numerous process standards. Each farm is audited once every 2 years. Increasing demands for cost-effectiveness in farm audits can be met by introducing risk-based principles. This implies targeting subpopulations with a higher risk of poor process standards. To select farms for an audit that present higher risks, a statistical analysis was conducted to test the relationship between the outcome of farm audits and bulk milk laboratory results before the audit. The analysis comprised 28,358 farm audits and all conducted laboratory tests of bulk milk samples 12 mo before the audit. The overall outcome of each farm audit was classified as approved or rejected. Laboratory results included somatic cell count (SCC), total bacterial count (TBC), antimicrobial drug residues (ADR), level of butyric acid spores (BAB), freezing point depression (FPD), level of free fatty acids (FFA), and cleanliness of the milk (CLN). The bulk milk laboratory results were significantly related to audit outcomes. Rejected audits are likely to occur on dairy farms with higher mean levels of SCC, TBC, ADR, and BAB. Moreover, in a multivariable model, maxima for TBC, SCC, and FPD as well as standard deviations for TBC and FPD are risk factors for negative audit outcomes. The efficiency curve of a risk-based selection approach, on the basis of the derived regression results, dominated the current random selection approach. To capture 25, 50, or 75% of the population with poor process standards (i.e., audit outcome of rejected), respectively, only 8, 20, or 47% of the population had to be sampled based on a risk-based selection approach. Milk quality information can thus be used to preselect high-risk farms to be audited more frequently. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Irish medical students’ understanding of the intern year

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Gouda, P,

2016-03-01

Upon completion of medical school in Ireland, graduates must make the transition to becoming interns. The transition into the intern year may be described as challenging as graduates assume clinical responsibilities. Historically, a survey of interns in 1996 found that 91% felt unprepared for their role. However, recent surveys in 2012 have demonstrated that this is changing with preparedness rates reaching 52%. This can be partially explained by multiple initiatives at the local and national level. Our study aimed evaluate medical student understanding of the intern year and associated factors. An online, cross-sectional survey was sent out to all Irish medical students in 2013 and included questions regarding their understanding of the intern year. Two thousand, two hundred and forty-eight students responded, with 1224 (55.4%) of students agreeing or strongly agreeing that they had a good understanding of what the intern year entails. This rose to 485 (73.7%) among senior medical students. Of junior medical students, 260 (42.8%) indicated they understood what the intern year, compared to 479 (48.7%) of intermediate medical students. Initiatives to continue improving preparedness for the intern year are essential in ensuring a smooth and less stressful transition into the medical workforce

Reproductive health in Irish female renal transplant recipients.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Kennedy, C

2012-02-01

OBJECTIVE: To report the pregnancy outcomes in Irish female renal transplant recipients on modern maintenance immunosuppression. METHODS: The Republic of Ireland transplant database was accessed to identify the patient cohort in question. All female renal transplant recipients whose transplantation was in Ireland before or during their reproductive years were included. A questionnaire was sent to the identified women. A chart review was performed for those women who reported a pregnancy following renal transplantation. RESULTS: Two hundred and ten women met the inclusion criteria. There was a response rate of 70% (n = 148). Eighteen women reported 29 pregnancies. The live birth rate was 76%. The mean gestation of the live births was 36.2 weeks with a mean birth weight of 3.0 kg. There were six cases of pre-eclampsia. Twin pregnancies and those entering pregnancy with a creatinine greater than 135 micromol\\/l had particularly complicated clinical courses. Four women had not conceived post transplant despite actively trying for over 1 year. Two women utilised assisted fertility methods (in vitro fertilisation), one of whom became pregnant. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of women who attempt to conceive following renal transplantation are successful, without the use of assisted fertility. Pregnancy in this setting warrants meticulous multidisciplinary care.

Health Categorisation of Fish Farms in Europe In 2011

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olesen, Niels Jørgen; Nicolajsen, Nicole

2012-01-01

The Questionnaire on Surveillance and Diagnosis (S&D) included questions on how fish farms are health categorised according to Council Directive 2006/88/EC in the respective countries. More than half of the authorised farms in Europe are in category III for VHS and IHN and the remaining in category...... I or II. According to these official data almost no farms are infected with either of these diseases. This might be more due to a significant underreporting than of the de facto situation. For KHV most carp farms are in category III, unknown status. Many farms in Europe are not categorised yet......, and unfortunately the situation have not improved much from 2010.. In the questionnaire we ask for the number of APBs in these areas. There are several different views on how categorisation shall be performed, e.g. should VHS free marine rainbow trout farms be placed in Category III or I? If Isavirus HPR0 is found...