Determination of long-term spatial and seasonal distribution of contaminants in an urban river and estuarine system using polarographic techniques

The Tolka River and Estuary, Co. Dublin, Ireland, is a typical Irish urban river and estuarine system. It has significant metal and organometal contaminant loading. A one-month rapid sampling and analysis regime was devised to optimise riverine and estuarine sampling techniques and to determine seasonality of contaminant distribution. Over a thirty-month period contaminant concentrations within the surface sediment of the aquatic system were analysed from twenty sampling points. Six metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) and an organometal (TBT) were analysed using Differential Pulse Polarography for thirty and nineteen months respectively. Organic Matter, Suspended Particulate Matter, pH, Salinity and metal content of the water column were also analysed. This thirty-month assessment created an extensive database to determine spatial and seasonal distributions of contaminants over time and various in situ environmental and anthropogenic parameters that influence these distributions. It was found that contaminant concentrations within surface sediment are highly variable over a twelve-month period and that environmental conditions and anthropogenic sources of contaminants are the key factors affecting spatial and seasonal distributions

Cure monitoring of a UV cured epoxy resin using a long period grating Mach- Zehnder interferometer

A cascaded long period grating Mach-Zehnder interferometer is used to monitor the change in refractive index of a UV cured epoxy resin over a cure cycle. Fourier techniques are used to calculate the phase shift and frequency spectral amplitude of the associated fringe pattern during the cure. The results are compared with the refractive index change during cure calculated using a Fresnel reflection based technique

Forced Medical Treatment of Pregnant Women: Compelling Each to Live as Seems Good to the Rest

This Article addresses the question of when, if ever, it is ethically and legally permissible to compel a competent, pregnant woman to undergo medical treatment for the sake of her fetus. The Article begins with a discussion of the various clinical situations in which maternal-fetal conflict may arise and the perceptions of clinicians faced with a maternal refusal of treatment. It then explores the ethical questions raised if a physician were to compel a pregnant woman to undergo treatment for the benefit of her fetus. This discussion is followed by an investigation of the legal status of the fetus and the legal interests of the pregnant woman. The Article concludes that pregnant women should not be legally compelled by judges, doctors, or society to accept medical treatment against their wishes

Tumour excisional surgery, anaesthetic-analgesic techniques, and oncologic outcomes : a narrative review

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Stabilising effect of α-lactalbumin on concentrated infant milk formula emulsions heat treated pre- or post-homogenisation

peer-reviewedProtein type and/or heat treatment pre- or post-homogenisation can affect the physical stability of infant formulations during manufacture. Previous research has described the use of α-lactalbumin addition in infant formulae, but has not demonstrated the effect of heating pre- or post-emulsion formulation during processing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of both of these parameters. Three batches of model 1st-stage infant formula containing differing whey protein ratios (60:40 whey: casein with α-lactalbumin content 12, 30 or 48% of total protein) were prepared. Each batch was split; one half receiving heat treatment pre-homogenisation and the second half homogenised and then heat treated. Emulsion stability was determined by size exclusion chromatography, SDS-PAGE, particle size and viscosity measurements. There was a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the formation of large soluble aggregates upon increasing α-lac concentration in emulsions heat treated either before or after homogenisation. Heat treatment of formulations post-homogenisation resulted in a higher (P < 0.05) D.v09 within the particle size distribution; increasing α-lactalbumin concentration to 30 or 48% significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the D.v09 within the particle size distribution in these emulsions. The viscosity of concentrates (55 % total solids) containing the 12% α-lactalbumin, heat treated post-homogenisation, was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than the equivalent emulsion heat treated pre-homogenisation; increasing the α-lactalbumin concentration to 30 or 48% significantly (P < 0.05) reduced viscosity. When the α-lactalbumin content was increased to 48% as a percentage of the total protein, heating before or after emulsion formation had no effect on concentrate viscosity. The findings demonstrate the importance of thermal denaturation/aggregation of whey proteins (and in particular, the ratio of α-lactalbumin to β-lactoglobulin) prior to homogenisation of infant formula emulsions

Railway track component condition monitoring using optical fibre Bragg grating sensors

The use of optical fibre Bragg grating (FBG) strain sensors to monitor the condition of safety critical rail components is investigated. Fishplates, switchblades and stretcher bars on the Stagecoach Supertram tramway in Sheffield in the UK have been instrumented with arrays of FBG sensors. The dynamic strain signatures induced by the passage of a tram over the instrumented components have been analysed to identify features indicative of changes in the condition of the components

Homelessness and health-related outcomes in the Republic of Ireland: a systematic review, meta-analysis and evidence map

Aim: To map existing research on homelessness and health in the Republic of Ireland, and to synthesize the evidence on housing-related disparities in health. Methods: Peer-reviewed articles and conference abstracts published in English between 2012–2022 were retrieved from 11 bibliographic databases if they contained empirical data on homelessness and health in Ireland, and – in a subsequent screening stage – at least one measure of health disparity between the homeless and general populations. Reviewers extracted relative risks (RR), 95% confidence intervals (CI), and calculated pooled RR of comparable health disparities using pairwise random-effects meta-analyses. Results: One hundred four articles contained empirical data on the health of homeless individuals residing in Ireland, addressing primarily substance use, addiction and mental health. Homelessness was associated with increased risk of illicit drug use (RR 7.33 [95% CI 4.2, 12.9]), reduced access to a general practitioner (GP) (RR 0.73 [CI 95% 0.71, 0.75]), frequent emergency department (ED) presentation (pooled RR 27.8 [95% CI 4.1, 189.8]), repeat presentation for self-harm (pooled RR 1.6 [95% CI 1.2, 2.0]) and premature departure from hospital (pooled RR 2.65 [95% CI 1.27, 5.53]). Conclusions: Homelessness in Ireland is associated with reduced access to primary care and overreliance on acute care. Chronic conditions amongst homeless individuals are understudied.Open Access funding provided by the IReL ConsortiumAhead of print to check citing and date details in 6