Report on Sea Lice Epidemiology and Management in Ireland with Particular Reference to Potential Interactions with Wild Salmon (Salmo salar) and Freshwater Pearl Mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) Populations

In 2009 two Non-Governmental organizations (NGOs) submitted a legal complaint (Anon. 2009 a) against Ireland to the EU Commission (EU Pilot Case 764/09/ENV1). The substance of the complaint was that Ireland was failing to comply with the Habitats Directive and the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive in three named fisheries; the Delphi (Bundorragha River), the Newport Fishery (Newport River) and the Ballynahinch Fishery (Ballynahinch River). The complainants also cited a failure to protect both the salmon (Salmo salar) and the freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera). In responding to the complaint a detailed scientific investigation was undertaken. Long term research and specifically commissioned studies were accessed and their data drawn on to ensure a comprehensive and accurate response based on the best available scientific data and information. This report sets out this information, together with the associated studies and data which formed the basis of the scientific response to the complaint. The complaint was closed in favour of the State on the 11th of October 2012.Funder: Marine Institut

Associations between adherence, depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life in young adults with cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life shortening disease, however prognosis has improved and the adult population is growing. Most adults with cystic fibrosis live independent lives and balance the demands of work and family life with a significant treatment burden. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among treatment adherence, symptoms of depression and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a population of young adults with CF. METHODS: We administered three standardized questionnaires to 67 patients with CF aged 18–30 years; Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, Major Depression Inventory, and Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised. RESULTS: There was a response rate of 77 % and a majority of the young adults (84 %) were employed or in an education program. Most participants (74 %) reported low adherence to medications. One third (32.8 %) of the participants reported symptoms of depression. HRQoL scores were especially low on Vitality and Treatment Burden, and symptoms of depression were associated with low HRQoL scores (p < 0.01) with medium to large deficits across on all HRQoL domains (Cohen’s d 0.60–1.72) except for the domain treatment burden. High depression symptom scores were associated with low adherence (r = −0.412, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite improved physical health, many patients with CF report poor adherence, as well as impaired mental wellbeing and HRQoL. Thus, more attention to mental health issues is needed

The increasing importance of Green Bonds as instruments of Impact Investing: towards a new European Standardization

The paper analyses the principal characteristics of Green Bonds, a particular financial instrument of Impact Investing that is showing a rapidly growing market and that can offer new possibilities for investors who consider important ESG considerations. The author wants to point out the main critical aspects that characterize Green Bonds, regarding both the lack of clarity about what makes a bond “green” and the presence of too many ways of assessing the bond greenness. The work notices that an answer to these needs is now coming from the European Institutions, showing how their recent actions - the HLEG Final Report and the EC Action Plan on Financing Sustainable Growth (2018) – are filling up the existing gaps, representing important steps towards a new European standardization