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Age-associated deficits in social behaviour are microbiota-dependent
(Elsevier, 2023) Cruz-Pereira, Joana S.; Moloney, Gerard M.; Bastiaanssen, Thomaz F. S.; Boscaini, Serena; Fitzgerald, Patrick; Clarke, Gerard; Cryan, John F.; Science Foundation Ireland; Saks-Kavanaugh Foundation; Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
Aging is associated with remodelling of immune and central nervous system responses resulting in behavioural impairments including social deficits. Growing evidence suggests that the gut microbiome is also impacted by aging, and we propose that strategies to reshape the aged gut microbiome may ameliorate some age-related effects on host physiology. Thus, we assessed the impact of gut microbiota depletion, using an antibiotic cocktail, on aging and its impact on social behavior and the immune system. Indeed, microbiota depletion in aged mice eliminated the age-dependent deficits in social recognition. We further demonstrate that although age and gut microbiota depletion differently shape the peripheral immune response, aging induces an accumulation of T cells in the choroid plexus, that is partially blunted following microbiota depletion. Moreover, an untargeted metabolomic analysis revealed age-dependent alterations of cecal metabolites that are reshaped by gut microbiota depletion. Together, our results suggest that the aged gut microbiota can be specifically targeted to affect social deficits. These studies propel the need for future investigations of other non-antibiotic microbiota targeted interventions on age-related social deficits both in animal models and humans.
Agency and ageing in place in rural Ireland
(University College Cork and Age Action, 2022-04) O'Sullivan, Siobhán; Buckley, Margaret; Desmond, Elaine; Bantry-White, Eleanor; Cassarino, Marica; Irish Research Council
This report explores the experiences and preferences of older adults on ageing in place in rural Ireland. This exploration is undertaken through a participatory mixed-methods approach that seeks to foreground the voices of older adults themselves. The research study involved two phases. Phase one entailed a nationwide online and postal survey co-constructed with Age Action’s Glór advocacy group and University of the Third Age (U3A) membership and distributed to Age Action members living in rural areas across Ireland. 218 people aged 55 and older who live in rural areas took part in the survey and every county was represented, with 45% of respondents from Munster, 36% from Leinster, 12% from Connaught, and 7% from Ulster. Phase two involved a series of four focus groups in which 19 people took part. The focus groups explored the survey themes in more depth. The research highlights the diversity of experience of home and community among the older adults in rural Ireland who took part. Most participants expressed a strong desire to remain in their homes and communities as they age. The sense of attachment to home and place had, for many, strengthened since the pandemic. Some participants, however, highlighted the tenuous nature of their living arrangements and their sense of alienation from place. This was particularly the case for the participants who were renting, who had recently moved locations to be closer to children, or who found the limited facilities and social opportunities in their rural environments restrictive. Whether they were settled in their homes and communities or not, all participants highlighted the uncertainty of their positions and their fears for being able to have their preference for remaining in place realised as they aged. This was related to unpredictable factors such as their future health needs and availability of home care, their ongoing ability to drive, or their capacity to afford to live independently given the ambiguity surrounding future pension provision and the escalating costs associated with utilities, healthcare, home maintenance and expenses related to rural living, such as security, water, and sewerage costs. The general decline of towns and villages was highlighted by participants, as was the poor coverage of public transport in rural areas. These aspects not only heightened the sense of isolation of participants in terms of access to services and social activities; they also served to heighten their sense of marginalisation and perceived loss of agency in terms of policy formation and political representation. Participants also noted the limited options available to them should they consider moving from their rural locations, something that would be particularly challenging for most given their emotional connection to their homes and communities. The lack of affordable and suitable housing for older adults was a particular concern. Most participants were strongly opposed to nursing homes, a view which the experience of the pandemic had often reinforced. While a small number saw their benefit in cases of critical care, most were dissatisfied with the current ‘Fair Deal’ Scheme for funding nursing home care. They argued that, instead of focussing resources on a nursing home option not favoured by older adults, the government should develop an alternative statutory home care scheme that would support older adults to remain in their homes as they age. The supports which were noted as important in relation to allowing adults to age in their homes included a more accessible and fit-for-purpose grant system to fund modifications to the home – the most popular of these being an emergency response system, bathroom modifications, and improved heating. The need for a properly paid and resourced home help service, as well as a home and garden maintenance service, was emphasised. This was especially the case given the changing reality of ageing in Irish society and the fact that many older adults cannot rely on the availability or ability of family members to care for them in their homes. Access to broadband in rural areas was also noted as crucial, not only given the fact that more aspects of daily services are being conducted online but also given the importance of a reliable broadband connection in facilitating isolated rural older adults to connect to others. Participants highlighted their enjoyment of meeting each other and realising their difficulties were shared despite their diverse locations as benefits of the research process in the current study. They argued for the need for training in technology which could be a significant enabler to their remaining in place, as opposed to presenting a barrier to their doing so. They also argued that there was a need to tackle the covert ageism which was seen as endemic in institutions and everyday interactions, and which served to marginalise older adults further. Participants noted their preferences were they to need additional supports which could not be provided in their homes in the future. In this case, their favoured options would be co-operative or sheltered housing and retirement villages. These options were available for very few participants locally, however, meaning that they would be required to move from their communities, as well as their homes. The research, while small in scale resonates with global research on the theme,1 and highlights that the ability of older adults to age in place requires coordination among several different policy areas, not least housing, transport, technology, and healthcare. There is a need to adjust the funding focus from moving people who need help out of their homes to ensuring that the help they need is available to them in their homes for as long as possible. There is also a need to develop housing options, other than nursing homes, to address people’s preferences should staying at home be no longer a feasible option. Finally, and most importantly, there is a requirement to listen to older people in rural areas about where and how they wish to age in ways that support their sense of agency and challenge flawed assumptions about ageing. This research seeks to contribute to that aim both through its focus and its process.
The Aghadown bronze axes, Paddock Td., Co. Cork
(Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, 1978) McCarthy, J. P.
A brief account of the two axes to be described and illustrated here was published by Power in 1926. He states that they were discovered at Aghadown near Baltimore, in a souterrain locally known as Poll-a-Talmhain
“And then things clicked” – Developing a measure of asexual identity development
(The Boolean, University College Cork, 2022) Kelleher, Sinéad; O'Driscoll, Conor; Niemitz, Lorenzo; Murphy, Stephen; Cheemarla, Vinay Kumar Reddy; Meyer, Melissa Isabella; Taylor, David Emmet Austin; Cluzel, Gaston
Asexuality is best defined as a lack of sexual attraction towards other people that is not explained by a physical or psychological disorder. Like homosexuality and bisexuality, asexuality is recognised as a minority sexual orientation, with approximately 1.05% of the population (70 million) believed to be asexual. Recent research suggests that asexual people experience heightened levels of anxiety and depression when compared to both their heterosexual (i.e., straight) and non-heterosexual (i.e., lesbian, gay and bisexual) peers. This may be as a result of negative attitudes held towards asexual people, and a lack of recognition of asexuality as a legitimate sexual orientation. My research comprises of the steps taken to develop a psychometric tool to identify aspects of asexual identity development and internalisation. This will provide a theoretical foundation to inform sex education as well as the application of theory and knowledge within clinical settings to better evaluate the processes contributing to such heightened levels of depression and anxiety amongst asexual individuals.
An approach to evaluating the user experience of serious games
(Elsevier Ltd., 2019-04-09) Moizer, Jonathan; Lean, Jonathan; Dell'Aquila, Elena; Walsh, Paul; Keary, Alphonsus; O'Byrne, Déirdre; Di Ferdinando, Andrea; Miglino, Orazio; Friedrich, Ralf; Asperges, Roberta; Sica, Luigia Simona; European Commission
The use of serious games to support learning continues to expand across a range of educational and training settings. Hence, a need exists to understand more fully how users experience such games. This study seeks to describe and assess an approach to the evaluation of user-experience applied within the context of a specific serious game developed to address the training needs of people working in social enterprises. Drawing on an extensive literature review, the development of a survey instrument to capture the multi-dimensional nature of user-experience is explained as is the evaluation process employed. Findings from surveys of individuals working in social enterprises are analysed and discussed. The results demonstrate the value of the proposed method of user-experience evaluation. Recommendations for practice and further research are outlined, identifying in particular the importance of qualitative insights in the evaluation process and the need for greater understanding of the inter-relationships between the various dimensions and attributes of user-experience in serious games.
Atmospheric carbon capture
(The Boolean, University College Cork, 2022) Ritchie, Sean; O'Driscoll, Conor; Niemitz, Lorenzo; Murphy, Stephen; Cheemarla, Vinay Kumar Reddy; Meyer, Melissa Isabella; Taylor, David Emmet Austin; Cluzel, Gaston
Human-generated carbon emissions are the leading cause of climate change. There is a global commitment to reduce carbon emissions, in an effort to limit climate change effects. Many climate change solutions involve the mitigation of carbon emissions, mitigation alone is not enough. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) can live in the atmosphere for over 100 years. If we were to switch to 100% renewable energies, we would still damage the planet with the stagnant CO2 from the 1920’s. To combat climate change, we need a solution that can remove this carbon. One such solution is carbon capture, one of our best weapons in tackling climate change. The replacement of fossil fuel energy will not happen in the next few years, maybe not even for decades. Therefore, carbon capture is a promising ‘bridge’ technology, while we reach a sustainable level of green energy production. Carbon capture technology development has largely focused on singular processes (typically absorption, adsorption and membranes) capturing carbon from industrial exhaust systems. Recently, studies have delved into the idea of combining two or more of these technologies into one more efficient system and employing them in the industrial exhaust systems but also capturing carbon from the atmosphere. This project aims to develop a hybrid membrane and adsorption unit to capture carbon directly from the atmosphere. The aim is to provide the technology necessary to remove carbon from the atmosphere more effectively and cheaper than earlier technologies.
Bacterial toxins: Offensive, defensive, or something else altogether?
(Public Library of Science, 2017-09-21) Rudkin, Justine K.; McLoughlin, Rachel M.; Preston, Andrew; Massey, Ruth C.
The secretion of proteins that damage host tissue is well established as integral to the infectious processes of many bacterial pathogens. However, recent advances in our understanding of the activity of toxins suggest that the attributes we have assigned to them from early in vitro experimentation have misled us into thinking of them as merely destructive tools. Here, we will discuss the multifarious ways in which toxins contribute to the lifestyle of bacteria and, by considering their activity from an evolutionary perspective, demonstrate how this extends far beyond their ability to destroy host tissue.
Ballineaspigmore and Bishopstown House
(Bishopstown Community Association, 1981) McCarthy, J. P.
Ballineaspig, anglicised Bishopstown, consists of two townlands which are Ballineaspigmore and Ballineaspigbeg. Taken together, both townlands occupy an area identifiable in modern day terms as lying approximately between the old Glasheen National School on the east side and what was, until recently, the University Farm Curraheen Road on the west. A townland is the smallest administrative land division in Ireland. Historians and other scholars are as yet inconclusive about the origins of these divisions. They are certainly as old as the seventeenth century. The townland with which this booklet is concerned is known as Ballineaspigmore. It extends west from the new Regional Hospital at Wilton and includes modern housing estates such as Uam-Var, Benvoirlich and Firgrove. The simplest translation of the townland name is the large land division of the bishop. To clarify a popular misconception, Bishopstown does not derive its name from the fact that in the early eighteenth century a bishop of Cork built his country residence there. The name is much older and can be found in sources dating back to the sixteenth century.
Barriers and waste in the research grant application process in higher education through a lean six sigma lens
(Polska Akademia Nauk, 2020-09) Dempsey, Mary; Brennan, Attracta; McAvoy, John
Higher education institutions (HEIs) typically generate income from two main sources; student fees and research income. In contrast, the predominant waste streams in HEIs tend to include; (1) assignment/examination mark submission process, (2) photocopying process and (3) the funding application process. Unintended internal process complexities and barriers typically aggravate the challenges already inherent, in the research grant application process. Although Lean Six Sigma (LSS) has been adopted by a number of HEIs in Ireland, very few have adopted an integrated LSS approach for waste reduction in the research grant application process. To identify barriers and waste in the research grant application process within an Irish HEI in an EU environment, the authors used an online survey deployed to 240 academics and researchers. The survey response rate was 13%. The participating HEI in this pilot study generated an annual income (including student fees and research income) exceeding (sic)240 million for the academic year 2017/2018. Using an LSS lens, this paper identified the primary waste in the research grant application process from an academic and researcher perspective to be; editing and revising applications, liaising and communicating with collaborators and waiting for information. Organised thematically, the main barriers were strategic thinking, collaborator identification and co-Ordination, eligibility, process, time and support & mentoring. The results from this study can be used to inform the next stage of the research where empirical studies will be carried out in other HEIs to develop a practical roadmap for the implementation of LSS as an operational excellence improvement methodology in the research grant application process.
Being creative in making your (special) collections available through innovative tools and technology
(2023-04) Chen, Stephanie
This talk will highlight four ways University College Cork Library have creatively and innovatively used emerging technology and new digital tools and platforms to provide and enhance access to rare and unique items in the Library’s Special Collections. Items in Special Collections are normally restricted for use in the physical Special Collections and Archives’ spaces and during opening hours. Having alternative ways of viewing and interacting with material means anyone is able to access it from anywhere at any time. UCC Library staff and students collaborated to create (1) a virtual tour of Cork city based on historical newspaper advertisements, (2) various 3D models of objects including parchment fragments, (3) a colouring book published online, and (4) a digital exhibit on historical recipes with different visualisations. While the above projects use items from Special Collections, they serve as an example of what is possible. The technology and digital tools and platforms used are not limited to unique and distinctive collections but can be applied to all types of collections and material. The presentation will outline the benefits of trying new technology and tools, some of the challenges experienced, and provide recommendations on how all types of libraries can utilize technology and digital tools and platforms for outreach, engagement, and access. By engaging with emerging technologies and innovative digital tools and platforms, staff are inspired to develop their own skills, experiment, and be creative.
Beyond Wikipedia and Google: Web-based literacies and student learning
(NAIRTL, 2010-10) Cronin, James G. R.; Higgs, Bettie; Kilcommins, Shane; Ryan, Tony
The Educause Horizon Report (http://wp.nmc.org/horizon2009/) argues that while web-based tools are rapidly becoming standard in education and in the workplace and technologically mediated communication is the norm, fluency in information, visual, and technological literacy is not formally taught to most students. In the light of this we need new and expanded definitions and paradigms of academic digital literacy that are based on mastering underlying concepts of critical thinking and enhancing these paradigms within the digital environment. This chapter attempts to test the assumption that entrants to the humanities (in this case art history) are information or data literate. This is an assumption often made yet it largely goes unchallenged. This study reflects on the strengths and weaknesses of a series of information literacy workshops currently being delivered in History of Art, University College Cork (http://eimagespace.blogspot.com/). The use of dynamic web tools, like audio and video podcasts, has given dyslexic students attending the workshops alternative entry points to learning.
Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 exopolysaccharide modulates the early life Microbiota by acting as a potential dietary substrate
(MDPI, 2020) Püngel, Deborah; Treveil, Agatha; Dalby, Matthew J.; Caim, Shabhonam; Colquhoun, Ian J.; Booth, Catherine; Ketskemety, Jennifer; Korcsmaros, Tamas; van Sinderen, Douwe; Lawson, Melissa A. E.; Hall, Lindsay J.; Wellcome Trust; H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions; Science Foundation Ireland
BACKGROUND: Bifidobacterium represents an important early life microbiota member. Specific bifidobacterial components, exopolysaccharides (EPS), positively modulate host responses, with purified EPS also suggested to impact microbe-microbe interactions by acting as a nutrient substrate. Thus, we determined the longitudinal effects of bifidobacterial EPS on microbial communities and metabolite profiles using an infant model colon system. METHODS: Differential gene expression and growth characteristics were determined for each strain; Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 and corresponding isogenic EPS-deletion mutant (B. breve UCC2003del). Model colon vessels were inoculated with B. breve and microbiome dynamics monitored using 16S rRNA sequencing and metabolomics (NMR). RESULTS: Transcriptomics of EPS mutant vs. B. breve UCC2003 highlighted discrete differential gene expression (e.g., eps biosynthetic cluster), though overall growth dynamics between strains were unaffected. The EPS-positive vessel had significant shifts in microbiome and metabolite profiles until study end (405 h); with increases of Tyzzerella and Faecalibacterium, and short-chain fatty acids, with further correlations between taxa and metabolites which were not observed within the EPS-negative vessel. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that B. breve UCC2003 EPS is potentially metabolized by infant microbiota members, leading to differential microbial metabolism and altered metabolite by-products. Overall, these findings may allow development of EPS-specific strategies to promote infant health.
Book review: Progressive Business: An Intellectual History of the Role of Business in American Society, by Christian Olaf Christiansen, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015, 275 pp. ISBN: 978-0198701033
(2018-10) Kaucz, Błażej
Book Review: When America Liked Ike: How Moderates Won the 1952 Presidential Election and Reshaped American Politics. By Gary Donaldson. Rowman and Littlefield. 2016. vii + 137pp. $38.00
(Wiley, 2018-03-28) Thelen, Sarah J.
Brewing the future
(The Boolean, University College Cork, 2022) Belloch-Molina, Carlos; O'Driscoll, Conor; Niemitz, Lorenzo; Murphy, Stephen; Cheemarla, Vinay Kumar Reddy; Meyer, Melissa Isabella; Taylor, David Emmet Austin; Cluzel, Gaston
Nowadays the environmental concerns and the limited availability of fossil resources have resulted in the development of bioeconomy and biorefineries. It is crucial to adapt production processes within this context. In Ireland cheese whey and derivatives are some of the main wastes generated by the industry. This article aims at the possibility of using this dairy waste for production of interesting biochemicals and compounds using a microbe known as Kluyveromyces marxianus, which is a yeast adapted to live in milk.
Broad purpose vector for site-directed insertional mutagenesis in Bifidobacterium breve
(Frontiers Media S.A., 2021-03) Hoedt, Emily C.; Bottacini, Francesca; Cash, Nora; Bongers, Roger S.; van Limpt, Kees; Ben Amor, Kaouther; Knol, Jan; MacSharry, John; van Sinderen, Douwe; Nutricia Research Foundation; Science Foundation Ireland; Federation of European Microbiological Societies
Members of the genus Bifidobacterium are notoriously recalcitrant to genetic manipulation due to their extensive and variable repertoire of Restriction-Modification (R-M) systems. Non-replicating plasmids are currently employed to achieve insertional mutagenesis in Bifidobacterium. One of the limitations of using such insertion vectors is the presence within their sequence of various restriction sites, making them sensitive to the activity of endogenous restriction endonucleases encoded by the target strain. For this reason, vectors have been developed with the aim of methylating and protecting the vector using a methylase-positive Escherichia coli strain, in some cases containing a cloned bifidobacterial methylase. Here, we present a mutagenesis approach based on a modified and synthetically produced version of the suicide vector pORI28 (named pFREM28), where all known restriction sites targeted by Bifidobacterium breve R-M systems were removed by base substitution (thus preserving the codon usage). After validating the integrity of the erythromycin marker, the vector was successfully employed to target an alpha-galactosidase gene responsible for raffinose metabolism, an alcohol dehydrogenase gene responsible for mannitol utilization and a gene encoding a priming glycosyltransferase responsible for exopolysaccharides (EPS) production in B. breve. The advantage of using this modified approach is the reduction of the amount of time, effort and resources required to generate site-directed mutants in B. breve and a similar approach may be employed to target other (bifido)bacterial species.
Broadcasting the library - Shush! Sounds from University College Cork Library
(Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals: Multimedia Information and Technology Group, 2018-05) O'Connor, Martin; Madden, Ronan
Shush! Sounds from UCC Library is a weekly radio show, hosted by two UCC Librarians: Ronan Madden and Martin O’Connor. As well as featuring a rather eclectic selection of (in the main) left field rock music, the show features UCC Library news, interviews with UCC Library staff and visiting librarians, in addition to regular features on UCC Library resources and issues relevant to librarianship in general.
Building resilient teams in adverse times
(The Boolean, University College Cork, 2022) Dillon, Lorraine; O'Driscoll, Conor; Niemitz, Lorenzo; Murphy, Stephen; Cheemarla, Vinay Kumar Reddy; Meyer, Melissa Isabella; Taylor, David Emmet Austin; Cluzel, Gaston
In light of the significant focus on how individuals and organisations cope with and adapt to the urgency of change in the business landscape, a growing number of researchers are now exploring how teams can develop resilience in the face of adversity. However, in spite of the burgeoning research in this area, the antecedents of team resilience require further attention from scholars. Building on the extant literature in this developing field this PhD draws on the job demands-resources theory as a conceptual lens to help explain how team resilience emerges.
The Cantwell collection
(Open Book Publishers in association with the Institute of English Studies School of Advanced Study, 2016-12) Ó Doibhlin, Crónán; Gould, Warwick
The Cantwell collection (with the agreement of Dr Eamonn Cantwell) is an open collection within the Boole Library, University College Cork, and the Library has added a small number of significant titles to the collection since the original gift in 2006. The Collection was first exhibited at the Boole Library, UCC, 24 June-30 July 2003, and it complements other Boole Library collections such as the Cuala Press Collection, and the Dolmen Press Collection of the Yeats scholar and distinguished publisher, Liam Miller. The accompanying catalogue, W. B. Yeats: A Collector's Gift was compiled by Olivia Fitzpatrick and a team of assistants and was available at the exhibition, which opened with the inaugural lecture of the series: see above p. 3. Catalogue details not pertaining to provenance and to be found more generally in Wade, have not been repeated here. A few details of provenance for some items have been added to this list. The provenance of each title was not specifically recorded prior to 2006 unless noted in the UCC Library catalogue record. Errors in A Collector's Gift have been silently corrected.
Carbon tax ethics
(John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2023-09-06) Mintz-Woo, Kian
Ideal carbon tax policy is internationally coordinated, fully internalizes externalities, redistributes revenues to those harmed, and is politically acceptable, generating predictable market signals. Since nonideal circumstances rarely allow all these conditions to be met, moral issues arise. This paper surveys some of the work in moral philosophy responding to several of these issues. First, it discusses the moral drivers for estimates of the social cost of carbon. Second, it explains how national self-interest can block climate action and suggests international policies—carbon border tax adjustments and carbon clubs—that can help address these concerns. Third, it introduces some of the social science literature about the political acceptability of carbon taxes before addressing a couple common public concerns about carbon taxes. Finally, it introduces four carbon revenue usage options, arguing that redistributive and climate compensation measures are most morally justified.

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