CORA
Cork Open Research Archive (CORA) is UCC’s Open Access institutional repository which enables UCC researchers to make their research outputs freely available and accessible.
UCC Research Communities
Recent Submissions
Child/youth climate litigation: tracking children’s rights and and children’s impact
(Washington & Lee Law Review, 2025-07) Daly, Aoife; Muller, Liesl Heila; Horizon 2020
Children and youth have been engaging extensively in climate action around the world. They have been doing this by protesting in the streets, talking with governments, and most recently by taking climate litigation against governments and companies. In this Article, these climate cases are considered from a children’s rights perspective. Using the Youth Climate Justice database, fifty cases are analyzed to consider two aspects of climate litigation—the children’s rights involved in the case, and the significance of the outcomes of the cases. It is concluded that climate cases are a new form of child participation in society, and that child participation has moved from (1) being something primarily aimed at benefiting children to (2) a phenomenon that can benefit the human rights of all.
Is mental health multimorbidity associated with contact with healthcare services before suicide? Retrospective analysis of Irish coronial data, 2015–2020
(Routledge, 2025-09-02) Kavalidou, Katerina; Cox, Gemma; Munnelly, Anita; Platt, Stephen
Objective: Healthcare services are potential interventions points before suicide. The aim of the current study was to explore whether mental health (MH) multimorbidity is associated with contact with healthcare services before suicide. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using data from the Irish Probable Suicide Deaths Study (IPSDS), over the period 2015–2020. MH conditions were recorded on the basis of collateral information, including medical diagnosis or/and undiagnosed. The IPSDS cohort (n = 3625), comprising deaths given a coronial verdict of suicide and deaths on the balance of probabilities, was allocated to three mutually exclusive health groups: (a) no MH conditions, (b) one MH condition only, (c) two or more MH conditions (“MH multimorbidity”). Descriptive statistics (p ≤ 0.05) and binary logistic regression analyses with odds ratios (OR) and 95% CIs (p ≤ 0.01) are presented. Results: One fifth (20%) of the IPSDS cohort had MH multimorbidity, which was more prevalent among those aged 35–44 years. The unadjusted logistic regression analysis indicated that those with multimorbidity were significantly more likely to have contacted health services before suicide, compared to those with no MH conditions. This finding was substantially unchanged following adjustment for sex, age, and labor market position (OR = 12.170, 95% CI 9.595–15.437, p < .001) and in a sensitivity analysis restricted to a subset of deaths given a coronial verdict of suicide (OR = 12.728, 95% CI 9.635–16.814). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that those who experience MH multimorbidity and are in contact with health services should be targeted with tailor-made suicide prevention interventions.
Rapid, versatile, and reliable metrology for multi-layer transition metal dichalcogenide thin films using atomic force microscopy to investigate surface grain distributions
(AIP Publishing, 2025-09-23) Tonon, Alessandro; Gupta, Aashi; Di Russo, Enrico; Sheehan, Brendan; Metaxa, Pavlina; Arifutzzaman, A.; Connolly, J.; Lin, Jun; Povey, Ian M.; Sgarbossa, Francesco; De Salvador, Davide; Napolitani, Enrico; Duffy, Ray; European Commission; Science Foundation Ireland
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has garnered significant attention among 2D materials, demonstrating great potential for electronics and optoelectronics. Although numerous growth techniques have been explored, a definitive solution for large-area film fabrication remains elusive. Moreover, comparing thin-films obtained through different techniques is not straightforward. Particularly, analyzing grain size across samples is challenging, making it difficult to clearly correlate growth conditions with the resulting crystal structure. In this letter, we developed an approach based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) morphology measurements to analyze nanograins in large-area thin-films obtained through relevant growth techniques such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and sputter deposition followed by pulsed laser annealing (PLA). To address the challenges in comparing thin-films grown by different methods, we propose a robust approach based on statistical grain analysis. By combining well-established investigation tools, such as AFM, with advanced watershed-segmentation algorithms, we demonstrate a reliable method for identifying grains and grain boundaries. This approach allows for a robust and quantitative comparison of film morphology across different growth conditions, providing a crucial benchmark for evaluating and differentiating various growth methods.
Empowering explainable artificial intelligence through case-based reasoning: a comprehensive exploration
(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2025-09-16) Pradeep, Preeja; Caro-Martínez, Marta; Wijekoon, Anjana; European Commission; Irish Research Council; Science Foundation Ireland
Artificial intelligence (AI) advancements have significantly broadened its application across various sectors, simultaneously elevating concerns regarding the transparency and understandability of AI-driven decisions. Addressing these concerns, this paper embarks on an exploratory journey into Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) and Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI), critically examining their convergence and the potential this synergy holds for demystifying the decision-making processes of AI systems. We employ the concept of Explainable CBR (XCBR) system that leverages CBR to acquire case-based explanations or generate explanations using CBR methodologies to enhance AI decision explainability. Though the literature has few surveys on XCBR, recognizing its potential necessitates a detailed exploration of the principles for developing effective XCBR systems. We present a cycle-aligned perspective that examines how explainability functions can be embedded throughout the classical CBR phases: Retrieve, Reuse, Revise, and Retain. Drawing from a comprehensive literature review, we propose a set of six functional goals that reflect key explainability needs. These goals are mapped to six thematic categories, forming the basis of a structured XCBR taxonomy. The discussion extends to the broader challenges and prospects facing the CBR-XAI arena, setting the stage for future research directions. This paper offers design guidance and conceptual grounding for future XCBR research and system development.
Pre-gestational diabetes: benefits and barriers to attendance at pre-pregnancy clinics
(Springer Nature, 2025-08-15) Murphy, Cathriona; Kennedy, Ashling; Wyse, Adrianne; Kgosidialwa, Oratile; O'Riordan, Mairead N.; Tuthill, Antoinette
Background
Pre-gestational diabetes mellitus increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Pre-pregnancy clinics are a well-established and cost-effective way of reducing pregnancy complications.
Aims
This study aimed to review outcome differences between women with pre-gestational diabetes who did/did not attend pre-pregnancy clinics and to evaluate barriers to attendance.
Methods
1)
A retrospective study examined data from all women with pre-gestational diabetes who received obstetric care in Cork University Maternity Hospital 2015–2019.
2)
A cross-sectional survey of women attending antenatal clinics during the study period. A telephone questionnaire was completed to understand facilitators and barriers to pre-pregnancy attendance.
Results
Two hundred women were included retrospectively: 65.5% with Type1 diabetes, and 30.5% with type 2 diabetes. Only 26% (52) attended pre-pregnancy clinics. Although there were no differences in miscarriage rate, congenital anomaly, mode of delivery or neonatal intensive care unit admission between groups, the mean birth weight of babies born to women who attended pre-pregnancy clinics was less than those who did not attend (3294.5 ± 753.0 g vs. 3598.8 ± 802.8 g; p = 0.02).
Twenty-eight women were included cross-sectionally, nine of whom attended pre-pregnancy clinics. All who attended found it useful. Eight participants proposed a hybrid clinic model to optimise future service engagement. Increasing awareness was advocated by many participants.
Conclusion
Attendance at pre-pregnancy clinics is low. Lack of awareness is the greatest barrier reported to attendance. To optimise perinatal outcomes, efforts are required to increase attendance; this may be facilitated by increasing awareness of these clinics, as suggested by the women themselves.