SLAN 2007: Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition in Ireland. Dietary Habits of the Irish Population

The main SLÁN 2007 survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews. There were two sub-group studies involving (i) measurement of height, weight and waist circumference (subgroup of younger respondents) and (ii) a detailed physical examination (sub-group of older respondents). The overall aim was to provide nationally representative data on the general health, health behaviours and health service use of adults living in Ireland. The two sub-group studies aimed to provide vital information regarding the health risk profiles of younger and older adults, and at the same time offer the first opportunity to compare measured and self-reported anthropometric data from the general Irish population. This report presents the detailed diet and nutrition findings from SLÁN 2007, analysed in accordance with current Irish dietary guidelines. Identification of dietary behaviours and dietary patterns in the Irish population at national level is essential to enhance our understanding of the relationships between diet and disease, and to monitor changes over time. As with previous SLÁN surveys, these patterns were assessed using a comprehensive Food Frequency Questionnaire adapted for use in the Irish population. Due to the changing nature of Irish society, additional information relating to meal patterns, snacking and food consumption outside the home were also included in the main survey. The SLÁN 2007 survey was funded by the Health Promotion Policy Unit of the Department of Health and Children. The survey and analyses were carried out by the SLÁN 2007 Consortium, consisting of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), University College, Cork (UCC), the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI)

JIP4 is a PLK1 binding protein that regulates p38MAPK activity in G2 phase

Cell cycle progression from G2 phase into mitosis is regulated by a complex network of mechanisms, all of which finally control the timing of Cyclin B/CDK1 activation. PLK1 regulates a network of events that contribute to regulating G2/M phase progression. Here we have used a proteomics approach to identify proteins that specifically bind to the Polobox domain of PLK1. This identified a panel of proteins that were either associated with PLK1 in G2 phase and/or mitosis, the strongest interaction being with the MAPK scaffold protein JIP4. PLK1 binding to JIP4 was found in G2 phase and mitosis, and PLK1 binding was self-primed by PLK1 phosphorylation of JIP4. PLK1 binding is required for JIP4-dependent p38MAPK activation in G2 phase during normal cell cycle progression, but not in either G2 phase or mitotic stress response. Finally, JIP4 is a target for caspase-dependent cleavage in mitotically arrested cells. The role for the PLK1–JIP4 regulated p38MAPK activation in G2 phase is unclear, but it does not affect either progression into or through mitosis

SLAN 2007: Suirbhe ar Nosanna Maireachtala, Dearcai agus Cothu in Eirinn: Priomhthuarascail

Is éard atá sa tuarascáil seo na príomhthorthaí ó Shuirbhé ar Nósanna Maireachtála, Dearcaí agus Cothú in Éirinn 2007 (SLÁN 2007). Is é seo an tríú suirbhé SLÁN agus an suirbhé is mó agus is é seo an chéad suirbhé a áirítear teangacha eile ann seachas Béarla agus Gaeilge. Rinneadh staidéir eile roimhe seo in 1998 (Friel et al, 1999) agus 2002 (Kelleher et al, 2003). Tá an dá thuarascáil seo le fáil ar an láithreán gréasáin www.healthpromotion.ie/publications. Rinneadh príomhshuirbhé SLÁN 2007 trí agallaimh duine le duine. Bhí dhá staidéar foghrúpa ann (i) tomhas airde, meáchain agus imlíne coime (foghrúpa freagróirí níos óige) agus (ii) scrúdú fisiciúil níos mionsonraithe (foghrúpa de fhreagróirí níos sine). Is é a bhí mar aidhm leis an staidéar sonraí náisiúnta maidir le sláinte ghinearálta, iompraíochtaí sláinte agus úsáid seirbhísí sláinte a bhailiú i measc daoine fásta a bhfuil cónaí orthu in Éirinn. Dhírigh staidéar an dá fhoghrúpa ar eolas ríthábhachtach maidir le próifílí riosca sláinte daoine fásta níos óige agus níos sine a sholáthar. Roghnaíodh téamaí SLÁN 2007 bunaithe ar thosaíochtaí reatha náisiúnta beartais agus seirbhíse. Baineadh úsáid as príomhcháipéisí lena n-áirítear an Straitéis Náisiúnta Sláinte, Ardchaighdeán agus Cothroime (An Roinn Sláinte agus Leanaí, 2001); an Straitéis Náisiúnta um Chur chun Cinn na Sláinte (An Roinn Sláinte agus Leanaí, 2000); agus ceathrú Tuarascáil Bhliantúil an Phríomh-Oifigigh Mhíochaine (An Roinn Sláinte agus Leanaí, 2005). Trí chomhairliúchán breise leis an gcuibhreannas taighde, chuir an Grúpa Maoiniúcháin agus Comhairleach sraith míreanna tosaíochta agus soláimhsithe a bhí le meas le chéile. Príomhriachtanas ba ea sraith príomhshonraí sláinte den daonra náisiúnta a sholáthar – sonraí a chiallódh go mbeadh sé indéanta comparáid a dhéanamh laistigh d’fhoghrúpaí staidéir (inscne, aois agus aicme shóisialta), sna réigiúin seirbhíse sláinte laistigh d’Fheidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte (HSE), agus le príomhdhaonraí comparáide eile (go háirithe Tuaisceart Éireann) mar aon le suirbhéanna SLÁN a rinneadh roimhe seo. Ba é an tAonad Cothú Sláinte agus Beartais sa Roinn Sláinte agus Leanaí a mhaoinigh SLÁN 2007. Ba é cuibhreannas SLÁN 2007 a rinne na suirbhéanna agus an anailís. I measc chomhaltaí an Chuibhreannais bhí Coláiste Ríoga na Máinleá in Éirinn (RCSI), Coláiste na hOllscoile, Corcaigh (UCC), Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh (OÉG) agus an Institiúid Taighde Eacnamaíochta agus Sóisialta (ESRI)

Detecting the human fingerprint in the summer 2022 western-central European soil drought

In the 2022 summer, western-central Europe and several other regions in the northern extratropics experienced substantial soil moisture deficits in the wake of precipitation shortages and elevated temperatures. Much of Europe has not witnessed a more severe soil drought since at least the mid-20th century, raising the question whether this is a manifestation of our warming climate. Here, we employ a well-established statistical approach to attribute the low 2022 summer soil moisture to human-induced climate change using observation-driven soil moisture estimates and climate models. We find that in western-central Europe, a June-August root zone soil moisture drought such as in 2022 is expected to occur once in 20 years in the present climate but would have occurred only about once per century during preindustrial times. The entire northern extratropics show an even stronger global warming imprint with a 20-fold soil drought probability increase or higher, but we note that the underlying uncertainty is large. Reasons are manifold but include the lack of direct soil moisture observations at the required spatiotemporal scales, the limitations of remotely sensed estimates, and the resulting need to simulate soil moisture with land surface models driven by meteorological data. Nevertheless, observation-based products indicate long-term declining summer soil moisture for both regions, and this tendency is likely fueled by regional warming, while no clear trends emerge for precipitation. Finally, our climate model analysis suggests that under 2C global warming, 2022-like soil drought conditions would become twice as likely for western-central Europe compared to today and would take place nearly every year across the northern extratropics.</p