Poverty, Diet and Health Behaviours: a Quantitative and Qualitative Study Among Young Urbanised Women.

Demographic, socio-economic, attitudinal, dietary, health behavioural and anthropometric data were collected from 221 “disadvantaged” and 74 “advantaged” women aged 18-35 years across Dublin, according to the provisions of a novel socio-economic sampling frame. Internal and external validation techniques established the dietary assessment method of choice and identified “valid” dietary reporters (n=216, 153 disadvantaged, 63 advantaged) among this sample. Five qualitative focus groups (n=5-8 per group) were also conducted among disadvantaged women to examine their diet and health behaviour choices. Lower intakes of fruit and vegetables (172g/d vs. 405g/d,

Book Review J. Mann & A. S. Truswell (editors). Essentials of Human Nutrition.

Essentials of Human Nutrition is the third edition of this excellent text originally published in 1998. This comprehensively updated version contains many chapters that have been completely rewritten since the last volume in 2002, while the others have been meticulously revised. The content is presented in a readily accessible manner and addresses the issues of greatest pertinence to contemporary nutritional science and therapeutics, with sections covering foods, macro- and micronutrients, nutrition-related disorders, public health nutrition and clinical nutrition. Eminent researchers and teachers from around the world have been commissioned to write these specialist chapters, with the judicious editorial style permitting elaboration of key issues within the premise of a general nutrition text. The engagement of these experts has generated an insightful volume that addresses a broad subject matter in a truly global context

Evaluating site induction practice efficiency and effectiveness:an organisational case study

The style of induction presentation and other processes, irrespective of duration, immediately establishes the context and attitude of the construction site team and is where initial behavioural standards are established. A case study within a large contractor investigates site induction activities in practice to better understand the operational demands on time for those involved in managing site inductions and the impact of this activity on safety behaviour on site. The research method adopted was a desk-based review of company policy through document analysis, observations of site induction practice, operations and semi structured interviews. Trade-offs between time losses/benefits, safety in practice, technology implementation and their impact on administrative processes are examined. It is argued that the use of observations has allowed the identification of the actual time commitment in practice. The principal contractor's allocated time for providing and undertaking site induction activities was underestimated by 16% to 20%. There is potential to save time through exploitation of existing and new technology solutions more fully. However, those with an H&S leadership role have indicated difficulties in keeping up with the pace of change in technology development for this purpose

Early Development of Professional Skills Benefits Students & Community Partners

The BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition & Dietetics programme requires the early development of professional skills. In the Stage 2 module Professional Practice Studies , academic staff and students worked with Dublin City Council and older people in the North Central area to facilitate the development of these skills.https://arrow.tudublin.ie/civpostbk/1010/thumbnail.jp

Early Development of Professional Skills Benefits Students & Community Partners

Poster advocating Early Development of Professional Skills Benefits Students & Community Partnershttps://arrow.tudublin.ie/civpostbk/1030/thumbnail.jp

Law and the Open Internet

The FCC has issued a new set of Internet access regulations and policies (namely Preserving the Open Internet Broadband Industry Practices, Report and Order, FCC 10-201, rel. Dec. 23, 2010), which would prohibit broadband service providers like AT&T or Comcast from discriminating against unaffiliated content providers. The FCC\u27s proceedings, and the network neutrality debate, concentrate on two economic questions: (1) whether to broadband service providers can or will steer traffic to affiliated content limiting consumer access, and (2) how to preserve the Internet\u27s capacity for creativity and innovation. Yet despite the prominence of economics in the debate, economic theory cannot answer these questions. The debate also misapplies normative, legal concepts of discrimination and equal treatment onto Internet traffic management engineering. These concepts worked in a circuit switched telephone network in which equality can exist at switch points, but make little sense in the packet-switched Internet in which equality of outcomes of Internet experience is what matters. With its narrow focus, the debate has also missed the fact that actual Internet disputes, such as the BitTorrent-Comcast Order, involve many legal concerns, such as privacy, that have little to do with discrimination as such. We, therefore, argue for a bottom up approach to regulation, analogous to fair use in copyright law, with case specific adjudications creating a common law of acceptable network practice

Network Transparency: Seeing the Neutral Network

Article published in the Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property

Optimisation of Vitamin D Status for Enhanced Immuno-protection Against Covid-19

Abstract Background Vitamin D deficiency (serum 25(OH)D\u3c50nmol/l) is common in Ireland, particularly amongst older adults, hospital inpatients and nursing home residents. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risk of acute viral respiratory infection and community acquired pneumonia, with several molecular mechanisms proposed to explain this association. Vitamin D supplementation has also been shown to reduce the risk of respiratory infection. Vitamin D and Covid-19 Correction of vitamin D deficiency is thought to suppress CD26, a putative adhesion molecule for Covid-19 host cell invasion. Vitamin D may also attenuate interferon gamma (IFNγ) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) inflammatory responses, both potent predictors of poorer outcome in critically-ill ventilated patients including those with Covid-19. Vitamin D Requirements Irish adults require 25-30μg/d of vitamin D3, an intake not achievable by diet alone, to reliably maintain serum 25(OH)D levels \u3e50nmol/l. Supplementation with doses up to 100μg/d has been shown to be safe for adults, and many agencies and expert groups now advocate supplementation in older adults, albeit at lower levels than this. Conclusions and Recommendations Vitamin D deficiency is common and may contribute to increased risk of respiratory infection including Covid-19. We recommend that all older adults, hospital inpatients, nursing home residents and other vulnerable groups (e.g. those with diabetes mellitus or compromised immune function, those with darker skin, vegetarians and vegans, those who are overweight or obese, smokers and healthcare workers) be urgently supplemented with 20-50μg/d of vitamin D to enhance their resistance to Covid-19, and that this advice be quickly extended to the general adult population

Socio-Economic Differences in Food Group and Nutrient Intakes Among Young Women in Ireland

The present study aimed to investigate socio-economic disparities in food and nutrient intakes among young Irish women. A total of 221 disadvantaged and seventy-four non-disadvantaged women aged 18–35 years were recruited. Diet was assessed using a diet history protocol. Of the total population, 153 disadvantaged and sixty-three non-disadvantaged women were classified as plausible dietary reporters. Food group intakes, nutrient intakes and dietary vitamin and mineral concentrations per MJ of energy consumed were compared between the disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged populations, as was compliance with dietary fibre, macronutrient and micronutrient intake guidelines. The disadvantaged women had lower intakes than the non-disadvantaged women of fruit, vegetables, fish, breakfast cereals, low-fat milk and wholemeal bread (all P,0·001), yogurt (P¼0·001), low-fat spread (P¼0·002) and fresh meat (P¼0·003). They also had higher intakes of butter, processed red meats, white bread, sugar-sweetened beverages, fried potatoes and potato-based snacks (all P,0·001) and full-fat milk (P¼0·014). Nutritionally, the disadvantaged women had higher fat, saturated fat and refined sugar intakes; lower dietary fibre, vitamin and mineral intakes; and lower dietary vitamin and mineral densities per MJ than their more advantaged peers. Non-achievement of carbohydrate (P¼0·017), fat (P,0·001), saturated fat (P,0·001), refined sugar (P,0·001), folate (P¼0·050), vitamin C (P,0·001), vitamin D (P¼0·047) and Ca (P¼0·019) recommendations was more prevalent among the disadvantaged women. Both groups showed poor compliance with Fe and Na guidelines. We conclude that the nutritional deficits present among these socially disadvantaged women are significant, but may be potentially ameliorated by targeted food-based interventions