E-Governance in Ireland: New Technologies, Local Government and Civic Participation

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RGS1 regulates myeloid cell accumulation in atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysm rupture through altered chemokine signalling

Chemokine signalling drives monocyte recruitment in atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysms. The mechanisms that lead to retention and accumulation of macrophages in the vascular wall remain unclear. Regulator of G-Protein Signalling-1 (RGS1) deactivates G-protein signalling, reducing the response to sustained chemokine stimulation. Here we show that Rgs1 is upregulated in atherosclerotic plaque and aortic aneurysms. Rgs1 reduces macrophage chemotaxis and desensitizes chemokine receptor signalling. In early atherosclerotic lesions, Rgs1 regulates macrophage accumulation and is required for the formation and rupture of Angiotensin II-induced aortic aneurysms, through effects on leukocyte retention. Collectively, these data reveal a role for Rgs1 in leukocyte trafficking and vascular inflammation and identify Rgs1, and inhibition of chemokine receptor signalling as potential therapeutic targets in vascular disease

Rodent models of Spondyloarthritis have decreased white and bone marrow adipose tissue depots

Bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) has recently been recognized as a distinct fat depot with endocrine functions. However, if and how it is regulated by chronic inflammation remains unknown. Here, we investigate the amount of white fat and BMAT in HLA-B27 transgenic rats and curdlan-challenged SKG mice, two well-established models of chronic inflammatory spondyloarthritis (SpA). Subcutaneous and gonadal white adipose tissue and BMAT was reduced by 65-70% and by up to 90% in both experimental models. Consistently, B27 rats had a 2-3-fold decrease in the serum concentrations of the adipocyte-derived cytokines adiponectin and leptin as well as a 2-fold lower concentration of triglycerides. The bone marrow of B27 rats was further characterized by higher numbers of neutrophils, lower numbers of erythroblast precursors, and higher numbers of IL-17 producing CD4+ T cells. IL-17 concentration was also increased in the serum of B27 rats. Using a cell culture model, we show that high levels of IL-17 in the serum of B27 rats negatively impacted adipogenesis (-76%), an effect that was reversed in the presence of neutralizing anti-IL-17 antibody. In summary, these findings show BMAT is severely reduced in two experimental models of chronic inflammatory SpA and suggest that IL-17 is involved in this process

Brokerage or friendship? politics and networks in Ireland

Studies of Irish politics have often emphasised clientelist relations between voters and politicians. A survey carried out in the 1970s indicates that the importance of politicians has been overstated. A significant percentage of people chose non-political figures as brokers between themselves and the state. Differences in urban and rural community social structures, which are not reflections of age, education, or socio-economic status, correlate with different brokerage choices. Such findings cast doubt on both modernization and dependency explanations of brokerage. Further research on social networks of friendship and exchange are necessary, since informal personal networks emerge as important links between individuals and the state

Politics and Administrative Practice in the Irish Information Society

The Information Society is expected to transform political relations in industrial societies, but the extent to which transformations have already taken place is often under-estimated. In the past, Irish politicians provided real or imagined patronage in exchange for the electoral support of citizens. The introduction of office information systems in the Irish civil service has lessened politicians' monopoly on administrative information. This increased public access to information has altered traditional politics in Ireland and enhanced democratic participation. However, any further changes should result from conscious policy decisions rather than as unplanned consequences of efficiency-driven IT investments

Dublin

Dublin is the capital city of Ireland, and is not only the largest in both population and size, but it is also the center for administrative, political, economic, and cultural activities in Ireland. It is also the main transportation link between Ireland and the rest of the world, with direct flights to numerous United States, British, and continental European cities. It is also linked, via ferries, with Great Britain, but remains the only member of the European Union without a direct rail or automobile link with other member states

Electronic communities in an information society: paradise, mirage, or malaise?

Communities and neighbourhoods are often perceived to be under threat in the information society, as technological developments accelerate economic and social change. Technological developments may also provide a solution: 'virtual communities'. There has been much debate about whether virtual communities can exist, but in the midst of such debates there has been little recognition that 'community' is a complex phenomenon. Many varieties of community exist, which can be categorised as moral, normative or proximate. Evidence suggests that some varieties of community can be constituted via electronic communication, but it is probably not possible to replicate those features of community that many people find lacking in modern life. Such a lack, and the desire for virtual communities as a response to that lack, are symptomatic of individuals' disengagement from social and political participation. If the process continues, this suggests an information society constituted by segmented diversity with isolated pockets of sociability

Politics and Clientelism in Urban Ireland: information, reputation, and brokerage

Existing studies of Irish politics presume a clientelist exchange between politician and voter: the politician uses personal influence to obtain state benefits for the constituent, and the constituent provides electoral support in return. This study investigates the accuracy of this assumption by tracing how people actually obtain the state resources they need, and examining the exchanges between voter, politician, and bureaucrat that revolve around public resources. A number of issues are addressed. First, there is little data on how or why clientelism operates in urban Ireland, as most studies have examined only rural communities. Second, despite the clientelist rhetoric, the actual necessity for clientelist exchanges has not been demonstrated. Third, it is unclear which social and economic factors encourage voters to become clients, or what political benefits politicians receive by acting as patrons or brokers. Finally, the thesis investigates why clientelism should in fact exist in a homogeneous society which lacks politically salient ethnic, class, or regional divisions. Research shows that clientelism exists in Dublin, but politicians do not control material resources, but rather information regarding state benefits and access to the bureaucrats who allocate benefits. Often, politicians ensure that voters obtain benefits which they are entitled to, but which they might not otherwise receive. Politicians do not obtain a direct return for this assistance, but their enhanced reputation in the community increased their overall electoral support. Brokerage exchanges are most frequent among poorer segments of the community who are most dependent on state assistance. State officials help create the demand for information and access, while also helping politicians to satisfy those demands. Clientelism is both an urban and rural phenomenon; the control of information and access gives politicians considerable leverage over people who depend on state assistance

Individuals and social change

In recent chapters, discussion of the Digital Revolution and Information Society has moved from technology, economics, and politics to broader social issues such as rural development, life-long learning, and working from home. Such issues are crucial, since to lose sight of the social dimension is to reduce the Information Society to computers and the market. This is a social transformation - a transformation in the way people live, the way they relate to either other, and they way they perceive the world at large - or else it does not warrant the attention that it has received. How are individuals’ lives outside of work changing, and are these changes significant or superficial?University College Dubli