A Tale of a Modern Meitheal: SETU Sustainability in the Arts Festival : Fostering SDGs Through Creative Collective Action

In the narrative of sustainability, the concept of the traditional Irish ‘meitheal’ emerges as a powerful metaphor for fostering collective action towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This presentation explores the dynamic interplay between creativity, collective action, and sustainability within the framework of a modern meitheal. SETU, a university with a multi-campus presence in the south east, serves as the backdrop for this story of collective effort. Anchored by the university's strategic commitment to sustainability, and exemplified in its roadmap "Connecting for Impact", the narrative unfolds through the lens of SETU's "Sustainability in the Arts Festival". This festival, now in its second year, serves as a vibrant testament to the community's dedication to sustainability. It embodies the spirit of the traditional meitheal, where individuals come together to tackle common challenges. Through a diverse array of creative expression encompassing visual arts, design, music, culinary arts, languages, and internationalising higher education, the festival becomes a melting pot of ideas and inspiration. At its core, the festival is a platform for fostering understanding and engagement with the SDGs. Through interactive workshops, exhibitions, and performances, participants are not only entertained but also educated about the significance of sustainable development. This creative multidisciplinary approach ensures that sustainability becomes accessible and relatable to all, transcending traditional disciplinary boundaries. This presentation paints a vivid picture of a modern meitheal in action, where creativity and collective action converge to foster sustainability and advance the global agenda of the SDGs. The success of the festival underscores SETU's commitment to leading sustainable change within its community and beyond. By harnessing the collective energies and talents of its stakeholders, SETU, through collaborative initiatives like the "Sustainability in the Arts Festival" fosters a culture of innovation, creativity, and shared responsibility, driving progress towards the realisation of the SDGs

MENTORR Programme- Bridging the gap for regional research.

Aim: •To support regional clinicians in meeting their research and evidence based practice (EBP) competency requirements Objectives: •Develop nurses and midwives' knowledge, skills and attitudes in taking a research idea from initial idea conceptualisation to a working proposal. •Develop role models in each clinical setting to encourage, motivate, engage and support peers in research/EBP activity. •Raise the profile and capacity for nurse/midwife led research activity within the region. Background: The collaborative academic-clinical partnership designed, developed and delivered a bespoke research education and training programme. Underpinned by the theory of Community of Practice the programme included structured core sessions, peer to peer support and one to one mentoring. Methodology: Programme design focused on : •Fundamentals of clinical inquiry, EBP and research •PDP including: proposal preparation , presentation skills, poster design and digital skills •Engagement with key staff from HSE units who can assist clinicians on/during their research journey •Utilising digital technology and platforms in creating of a safe, sustainable learning environment •Creating a forum for staff to re-engage with their foundational research skills •Provision of new and novel tools to initiate clinical nurse/midwife led research ideation Results •Evaluated using Upton & Upton (2005) EBPQ, which measures self-reported knowledge, practice, and attitudes towards EBP was distributed pre/post programme . •Focus group with participants based on information provided in programme evaluations. •Preparation of “5 min pitch” for research funding with presentation of an academic poster at a Research Symposium. Outcomes: •Access and provision of a shared learning space •Benefit of ‘protected time’ for clinicians to re-engage with the skills and tools to initiate clinical nurse/midwife led research projects •Introduction and provision of expert led one-to-one mentoring and peer-to-peer support •Organisational recognition of the positive impact and need for CPD and Mentorship Discussion : Future Implications •Employment of digital technology and platforms to scale this pilot •Enhance staff knowledge, skills and attitudes of research process through CPD •Reduce the current research–practice gap •Improve quality of patient-centered care •Staff retentio

Micro-credentials as a building block to recognize prior learning for entry to higher education

Partnerships with training providers, certifiers and employers allow for greater ease of entry for students, removing the necessity for portfolio creation, particularly for those not as familiar with higher education Higher education providers can provide structured RPL with partners and identify pathways for students for credit or exemption from requirements This is also a benefit for the employer as it identifies a value add to prospective employees and can promote employee retention and development Structured PLA also reduces the cost of delivery and promotes scalability for the employers and higher education providers, thus contributing to the sub theme of democracy and skills in action. A more streamlined structured RPL recognition process can allow for advanced entry or exemption on programs Ideas will be shared from the Ireland and US perspectives for adopting a structured process Many institutions likely do this informally, but investments need to be made in order to scale and standardise approaches so that there will be equal access to all eligible learners. Case studies will be shared where RPL is integrated into micro credentials as stackable building blocks Discussion will also include marketing, administration, technology and AI implications Participants will be engaged to discuss the barriers to successful building from employer or other standardised approaches to RPL or exemption from certain levels of requirements It seems quite possible that technology and other AI based tools could be useful to assist learners and employer

Microbial profiling of liquid feed for pigs and the impact of strategies to optimise feed microbial quality on the feed and pig gut microbiome

The objectives of this thesis were to (1) develop an optimal methodology for simultaneous profiling of liquid feed and pig gut bacteriome and mycobiome; (2) profile the bacteriome and mycobiome of liquid feed on commercial pig farms; (3) determine the impact of different feed form and delivery methods on the feed and pig gut bacteriome; (4) determine whether intensive sanitisation of liquid feeding systems improves system hygiene and the microbiological and nutritional quality of liquid feed and if it impacts the bacteriome and mycobiome of feed and feeding system surfaces. All experiments were conducted with grow-finisher feed/pigs. The optimal method for simultaneously profiling the bacteriome and mycobiome of liquid feed and pig faeces included a 20-minute bead-beating step to minimise lysis bias. Application of this methodology on liquid feed samples from commercial pig farms revealed increased relative abundances of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (Lactobacillus, Weissella and Leuconostoc) and yeasts (Kazachstania and Dipodascus) between liquid feed in the mixing tank and troughs, consistent with spontaneous fermentation. This was supported by moderate concentrations of biogenic amines, the products of amino acid degradation, which likely contributes to the poorer feed efficiency of liquid-fed pigs. The LAB, Leuconostoc, which was associated with spontaneous fermentation in liquid feed, was enriched in the ileal and faecal bacteriome of liquid-fed pigs and correlated with higher feed intake and poorer feed efficiency. This may, in part, explain the poorer feed efficiency of liquid-fed pigs observed in the study. Intensive sanitisation of the liquid feeding system removed pipeline biofilms, improved system hygiene and reduced concentrations of acetic acid, ethanol and biogenic amines in the liquid feed. Bacteriome and mycobiome profiling revealed differences in liquid feed post-cleaning, including predominance of fermentative Weissella and Kazachstania in the residual trough-sampled feed, however, fermentation-associated metabolites remained below pre-cleaning concentrations at 10 weeks post-cleaning

Evaluation of the metal additive manufacturing process through the study of the recyclability of metal powders and in-situ monitoring

Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) processes are becoming frequently applied within a wide range of industries. Enabling the production of complex, high-value components, within the medical device and aerospace industries where regulations drive the requirement for stringent quality control. Powder material used in the L-PBF process can be costly, and as it is rare for a full batch of virgin powder to be used in one build, it is frequently recycled for subsequent builds. Therefore, it is useful to characterise both the powder material being recycled and the final printed component properties. Characterisation of the recycled powder and the parts allows the feasibility of powder recycling to be assessed. Methods required to extend the utility of a single batch of powder through a process called powder rejuvenation are also investigated. Thus, quantifying the effectiveness of allowing a previously recycled powder to be utilised further in the L-PBF process. With an understanding of the effect of recycling and rejuvenation processes on the powder and the manufactured part properties an empirical model for the prediction of the part density and surface roughness are developed. This allows the user to input the current powder characteristics to predict the manufactured part qualities. Furthermore, the ability to monitor components as they are being built layer-by-layer enables their quality to be assessed. Using in-situ monitoring, the identification of defects as well as measurement of the layers throughout a build allows for greater quality control, as well as a reduction in the requirement for ex-situ measurement. Results from this work provide L-PBF operators with understanding of the effect that recycled and rejuvenating of powders have on the quality of the components produced. Also providing a method to monitor the component layer-wise throughout the process. This will facilitate a more controlled use of L-PBF within the highly regulated industries

Advanced Nurse Practitioners Actualising, Adopting, Integrating and Championing Digital Transformation.

Background In their digital health capability framework, the Office of the Nursing and Midwifery Services Director outlined the vital role that nurses and midwives will play in advocating, planning and implementing digital health. Similarly, the Department of Health Report of the Expert Body on Nursing and Midwifery identifies that nurses and midwives are among the crucial elements in the understanding, development and demonstration of digital technology in clinical practice. Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANP’s) can lead by using their unique strategic operational position to actualise, adopt, integrate, champion and drive digital technologies in clinical practice. Purpose To discuss the lived experience of two Advanced Nurse Practitioners in driving digital transformation in healthcare and map an evolving skillset. Discussion Digital technologies can be utilised in several ways such as capturing digital data to improve health research, joining up provision between services and improving patients' self-management of conditions to influence health outcomes. Paradoxically, despite the noted advantages and recent impetus of digital technology in clinical practice, the actualising, implementation and integration remains stagnant. There are six core competencies of Advanced Nursing Practice in Ireland; Professional Values and Conduct, Management and Team Competence, Clinical-Decision Making, Knowledge and Cognitive Competence, Communication and Interpersonal Competence and Leadership and Professional Scholarship. Lockwood describes four themes in relation to ANP clinical autonomy- “stepping up”, “living it”, “bounce-back ability” and “setting in motion”, we have used these themes to guide our discussion and reflection. We acknowledge both the importance and relevance of the six core competencies of Advanced Nursing Practice in this project however, we propose that based on our experience and learning that fundamental to the adoption of digital health in clinical practice it is imperative that ANP’s develop a further skillset which encompasses digital expertise, foresight, innovation and entrepreneurship. Conclusion There is limited reference to the academic preparation required within the current ANP education programme to adopt and integrate digital technology in clinical practice. To prepare candidates to actualise, adopt, integrate, champion and drive digital health in clinical practice we propose the integration of the identified digital health skillset as competencies in post-graduate advanced nurse practice education curriculum

The Development of Nanoparticle Formulations for NAD+ Delivery Towards the Prevention of Age-Related Ocular Diseases

The decline in intracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a critical risk factor for numerous neurodegenerative ocular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and dry eye. Such loss results in mitochondrial dysfunction, irreversible cellular damage and increased visual impairment. Ocular diseases are typically treated at the mid to late stages of their pathogeneses, which typically coincides with the development of debilitating visual conditions. As the eye itself contains numerous static and dynamic anatomical barriers, the efficacy of conventional ocular drug delivery systems (ODDs), such as eye drops and ointments, is limited by low therapeutic bioavailability at the target site, primarily attributed to poor ocular retention and intraocular clearance mechanisms. Such treatments are often administered frequently, presenting further challenges such as poor patient compliance and sporadic dosing, which can result in increased delocalised therapeutic absorption. Treatment options such as intravitreal injections offer enhanced bioavailability at the intraocular target site. However, continuous subjection to invasive surgical procedures poses the risk of adverse complications, such as vitritis, increased intraocular pressure, and retinal haemorrhaging . This research aims to develop and characterise a non-invasive nanomaterial formulation composed of polyelectrolyte biomaterials for the intraocular delivery of NAD+, as a means of upregulating cellular longevity and minimising deleterious ageing effects on ocular health. NAD+-associated hyaluronic acid (HA) and poly(L-lysine) (PLL) polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs), and chitosan and NAD+ complexes (CH-NAD+) were formulated via polyelectrolyte complexation/ ionotropic gelation in aqueous medium. The biopolymers were chosen based on their inherent biocompatibility, tunable charge densities, mucoadhesive capabilities and biodegradation profiles. Critical evaluations of the physicochemical attributes of the formulations for suitability for ocular application were conducted, with formulations exhibiting optimal sizes, surface charges, and NAD+ association efficiencies (AE) being selected for further in vitro release and stability studies. Under microfluidic conditions, NAD+ is released in a sustained manner from the respective formulations over 24 hours, thus indicating their suitability as a depot for NAD+ ocular delivery on a once or twice-daily basis. Assessment of their physiochemical behaviour in solutions mimicking that of the ocular environment in vivo highlighted the susceptibility of the formulations to changes in environmental stimuli, confirming that the final form of the nanomaterials would be a governing factor of long-term formulation stability.In vitro and ex vivo safety and efficacy assessments using porcine ocular tissues and immortalised human corneal epithelial cells confirmed that the association of NAD+, particularly to the PECs, resulted in formulations with high cytocompatibility that could attenuate oxidative stress-mediated damage upon successful internalisation into the intracellular environment over 24 hours. The screening of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) and lipid-based nanoformulations, initially investigated as depots for the more targeted delivery of NAD+ to the posterior segment, highlighted the suitability of NAD+-laden liposomes for the intended application, primarily based on their physiochemical attributes. However, due to the high degree of variability observed in the in vitro release profile of this formulation under microfluidic conditions, this formulation will be subject to further investigations to improve the lipid later stability and NAD+ retention during release. Ultimately, this research project details, for the first time, the development of an NAD+-laden nanoformulation for supplementary treatment of the ocular surface. Outcomes from this research provide justification to conduct future work on extensive in vitro efficacy trials to assess the ability of the formulations to prevent mitochondrial damage and promote cellular respiration, with more emphasis being placed on the pharmacokinetic and cellular internalisation mechanisms