Introduction: Tickling the Palate. Gastronomy in Irish Literature and Culture

There has been a gradual but noticeable growth in scholarship concerning food globally, particularly in the last decade. One of the longest running and most inf luential forces behind this phenomenon is the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery (1981–present) which was originally founded and co-chaired by Alan Davidson, pre-eminent food historian, diplomat, and author of The Oxford Companion to Food, and Dr Theodore Zeldin, the celebrated social historian of France. This spawned a dedicated publishing house, Prospect Books, which published the conference proceedings and also the journal Petits Propos Culinaires (PPC), now approaching its 100th issue

Tickling the Palate: Gastronomy in Irish Literature and Culture

This volume of essays, which originated in the inaugural Dublin Gastronomy Symposium held in the Technological University Dublin in June 2012, offers fascinating insights into the significant role played by gastronomy in Irish literature and culture

Tickling the Palate: Gastronomy in Irish Literature and Culture

This volume of essays, which originated in the inaugural Dublin Gastronomy Symposium held in the Dublin Institute of Technology in June 2012, offers fascinating insights into the significant role played by gastronomy in Irish literature and culture. The book opens with an exploration of food in literature, covering figures as varied as Maria Edgeworth, James Joyce, Charles Dickens, Enid Blyton, John McGahern and Sebastian Barry. Other chapters examine culinary practices among the Dublin working classes in the 1950s, offering a stark contrast to the haute cuisine served in the iconic Jammet\u27s Restaurant; new trends among Ireland\u27s \u27foodie\u27 generation; and the economic and tourism possibilities created by the development of a gastronomic nationalism. The volume concludes by looking at the sacramental aspects of the production and consumption of Guinness and examining the place where it is most often consumed: the Irish pub.https://arrow.tudublin.ie/afisbo/1000/thumbnail.jp

Comparison of Semi-Automated and Manual Measurements of Carotid Intima-Media Thickening

Carotid intima-media thickening (CIMT) is a marker of both arteriosclerotic and atherosclerotic risks. Technological advances have semiautomated CIMT image acquisition and quantification. Studies comparing manual and automated methods have yielded conflicting results possibly due to plaque inclusion in measurements. Low atherosclerotic risk subjects (n = 126) were recruited to minimise the effect of focal atherosclerotic lesions on CIMT variability. CIMT was assessed by high-resolution B-mode ultrasound (Philips HDX7E, Phillips, UK) images of the common carotid artery using both manual and semiautomated methods (QLAB, Phillips, UK). Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the mean differences of paired measurements (Bland-Altman method) were used to compare both methodologies. The ICC of manual (0.547 ± 0.095 mm) and automated (0.524 ± 0.068 mm) methods was R = 0.74 and an absolute mean bias ± SD of 0.023 ± 0.052 mm was observed. Interobserver and intraobserver ICC were greater for automated (R = 0.94 and 0.99) compared to manual (R = 0.72 and 0.88) methods. Although not considered to be clinically significant, manual measurements yielded higher values compared to automated measurements. Automated measurements were more reproducible and showed lower interobserver variation compared to manual measurements. These results offer important considerations for large epidemiological studies

Microcavity supported lipid bilayers; evaluation of drug- lipid membrane Interactions by electrochemical impedance and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

Many drugs have intracellular or membrane-associated targets thus understanding their interaction with the cell membrane is of value in drug development. Cell-free tools used to predict membrane interactions should replicate the molecular organization of the membrane. Microcavity array supported lipid bilayer (MSLB) platform are versatile biophysical models of the cell membrane that combine liposome-like membrane fluidity with stability and addressability. We used an MSLB herein to interrogate drugmembrane interactions across seven drugs from different classes, including non-steroidal antiinflammatories; Ibuprofen (Ibu) and Diclofenac (Dic), antibiotics; Rifampicin (Rif), Levofloxacin (Levo) and Pefloxacin (Pef), and bisphosphonates; Alendronate (Ale) and Clodronate (Clo). Fluorescence lifetime correlation spectroscopy (FLCS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to evaluate the impact of drug on DOPC and binary bilayers over physiologically relevant drug concentrations. Whereas FLCS data revealed Ibu, Levo, Pef, Ale and Clo had no impact on lipid lateral mobility, EIS which is more sensitive to membrane structural change, indicated modest but significant decreases to membrane resistivity consistent with adsorption but weak penetration of drugs at the membrane. Ale and Clo, evaluated at pH 5.25, did not impact the impedance of the membrane except at concentrations exceeding 4mM. Conversely, Dic and Rif dramatically altered bilayer fluidity, suggesting their translocation through the bilayer and, EIS data, showed resistivity of the membrane decreased substantially with increasing drug concentration. Capacitance changes to the bilayer in most cases were insignificant. Using a Langmuir-Freundlich model to fit the EIS data, we propose Rsat as an empirical value that reflects permeation. Overall, the data indicate that Ibu, Levo, and Pef, adsorb at the interface of the lipid membrane but Dic and Rif interact strongly, permeating the membrane core modifying the water/ion permeability of the bilayer structure. These observations are discussed in the context of previously reported data on drug permeability and Log P

Improved determination of marine sedimentation rates using 230Thxs

Measurements of excess 230Th (230Thxs) have proved to be a useful tool in constraining changes in sedimentation rate, and improving our understanding of the fluxes of other components into marine sediments. To obtain the initial activity of 230Thxs (230Thxs0) in sediment: the total measured 230Th must be corrected for the presence of 230Th associated with detrital minerals, for ingrowth from uranium-bearing authigenic phases and then also corrected for the decay of 230Thxs since deposition. We describe a number of improvements in the way these corrections are applied to obtain more accurate determinations of 230Thxs0. We present a new method for the determination of a local estimate for the detrital 238U/232Th activity ratio; suggest more appropriate values for the isotopic composition of authigenic uranium; and question the assumption of secular equilibrium in detrital material. We also present a new, freely-available MATLAB® script called ‘XSage’ that can calculate 230Thxs0, from user-supplied datasets of uranium and thorium isotope activities from sedimentary samples following the theoretical approach described. ‘XSage’ can determine variations in sedimentation rate between stratigraphic horizons of known age and thus produce high-resolution age models. Using a Monte Carlo approach, the program calculates uncertainties for these age models and on the durations of intervals between tie-points. An example of the application of the XSage program using a previously published record is provided

Making the case for Temporary Migrant Worker Programmes: Evidence from the UK's rural guestworker (‘SAWS’) scheme

The UK has had a Temporary Migrant Worker Programme (TMWP) for agricultural ‘guestworkers’ since 1943. Most recently referred to as the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS), SAWS accommodated 25,000 workers per annum by its 2004 peak. However, the UK government then announced the scheme’s closure (initially for 2011, but then delayed until 2014). This paper examines employers’ response to this closure and, specifically, juxtaposes the academic critiques of TMWPs with the very strong employer preference for them. This preference, the paper concludes, is about the way in which TMWPs allow labour to be more readily and more extensively controlled, and, also allow employers access to ‘better quality’ workers. Considering these benefits of quality and control, alongside the academic critiques, the paper concludes that SAWS should be retained, but with major changes

\u27Tickling the Palate\u27 Gastronomy in Irish Literature and Culture

This volume of essays which originated in the inaugural Dublin Gastronomy Symposium held in the Dublin Institute of Technology in June 2012, offers fascinating insights into the significant role played by gastronomy in Irish literature and culture. The book opens with an exploration of food in literature, covering figures as varied as Maria Edgeworth, James Joyce, Charles Dickens, Enid Blyton, John McGahern, and Sebastian Barry. Other chapters examine culinary practices among the Dublin working classes in the 1950\u27s, offering a stark contrast to the haute cuisine served in the iconic Jammet\u27s Restaurant; new trends among Ireland\u27s \u27foodie\u27 generation; and the economic and tourism possibilities created by the development of a gastronomic nationalism. The volume concludes by looking at the sacramental aspects of the production and consumption of Guinness and examining the place where it is most often consumed: the Irish pub

Lipid Targets in Clinical Practice: Successes, Failures and Lessons to be Learned

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Optimal risk factor control is integral to managing patients with proven coronary heart disease (CHD+) and for those at risk of coronary heart disease (CHD-). The primary aim of the study was to assess the success rate of reaching lipid risk factor targets in a multiple risk factor clinic. METHODS: A retrospective audit was conducted in 488 patients (CHD+, n = 112; CHD-, n = 376) who attended the Cardiovascular Risk Factor Clinic at Tallaght Hospital, Dublin in 2009 and 2010. RESULTS: Risk factor targets achieved in CHD+ and CHD- patients were LDLc (54/62 %), HDLc (67/67 %), systolic blood pressure (35/38 %), diastolic blood pressure (82/75 %), smoking cessation (27/26 %), BMI ≤ 30 (39/50 %) and normal waist circumference (27/39 %). Patients not reaching LDLc targets were found to be receiving fewer lipid-lowering drugs and having higher LDL levels at the initial clinic visit than those reaching targets. DISCUSSION: This retrospective audit highlights gaps in achieving target lipid levels at a multiple risk factor clinic level. High initial LDLc levels and lack of drug titration are evident. Guideline changes, staff rotation, clinic visit frequency and multiplicity of targets may be contributory. More emphasis needs to be placed on education and algorithm-based strategies to achieve better risk factor control