Irish National Research Articles

Feasibility study on utilizing oscillating wave surge converters (OWSCs) in nearshore regions, case study: Along the southeastern coast of Iran in Oman sea

Considering the need for energy basket diversification and reducing fossil fuel consumption to control global warming, making renewable energies an appropriate solution. Wave energy is one of the most notable solutions offering the highest energy density among renewable energies. However, this energy source is not yet extensively developed. Finding an appropriate location to install the interested Wave Energy Converters (WECs) requires exquisite consideration. This study introduced a methodology through a case study to assess the use of OWSCs in nearshore regions. The southeast coasts of Iran along the Oman Sea were investigated as the case study, is the country's only oceanic coast and offers a higher potential for wave energy extraction. Therefore, to achieve this aim, the wave characteristics data were obtained from the Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science (INIO). The data was validated based on two buoys implemented by the Iran Meteorological Organization. By overlapping four key variables (average wave power, wave direction, distance from shoreline, and bathymetry) in annual and seasonal intervals via the geographic information system (GIS) program, five points were identified as optimal. Next, the distribution of wave height and period as well as angle distribution of wave power were analyzed for five considered points. Therefore, two points with appropriate distributions were selected with the following specifications an average annual wave power of 2–3.5 kW/m, wave direction arriving from the south-southwest, a depth of below 40 m, and coastal distance less than 5 km. In summer, due to the Indian Ocean monsoon, the potential to harness wave energy significantly increases.

Gelatine Extraction from Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) Head Bones by Acid-Hydrolysis Method and Its Physicochemical and Functional Characterizations

The purpose of this study was to extract gelatine from skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) head bones, which is an abundant by-product of tuna canning factories. Acid-hydrolysis method was used. Used extraction condition was 70 ◦C, 90 min and 0.4% HCL. The gelatine sheets yield of raw material and gel strength were respectively 6.50% and 37.35 g. The results of chemical properties of the skipjack tuna (K. pelamis) head gelatine were 83.70% protein, 6.58% lipid, 6.09% moisture and 1.13% ash contents, and the pH, viscosity at 60 ◦C, gelling point, and melting point values were 4.7, 6.0 cP, 4-10 ◦C, and 25-27 ◦C, respectively. According to the results, skipjack tuna (K. pelamis) head gelatine complies with the physicochemical and functional requirements of Iranian National Standardization Organization for an edible gelatine. Therefore, skipjack tuna (K. pelamis) heads of tuna canning factories are a potential source for producing good quality gelatine that could be used in food and introduced for pharmaceutical applications.

A Persian Perception of Two French Stories

ABSTRACT Modern Persian fiction initially emerged in Iran through translation of western literature, especially from French. The translation movement in Iran was simultaneous with the emergence of Romanticism in Europe; therefore, writers of this literary school are outstanding in translation of western literature into Persian. Using a descriptive, analytic, and comparative method, this article attempts to make a comparison between Bernardin de Saint-Pierre’s Le Café de Surate (Coffee House of Surat) and La Chaumière Indienne (Indian Cottage) and Mīrzā Āqā Khān Kermānī’s Haftād o do Mellat (Seventy-Two Nations). Motivated by Pierre’s broad worldview, Kermānī found intellectual and spiritual affinity with his attitude and translated two of his stories into Persian. Despite the popularity of romance stories among Persian readers, Kermānī was not quite successful to sustain the attraction of Pierre’s original stories in his adaptation due to his lack of acquaintance with modern fiction and scientific methods of translation, revolutionary zeal, extreme Iranian nationalism, religious prejudice, and manipulative outlook on literature Nevertheless, his good translation choice and its due time period gave him a special place in the realm of Persian fiction and also introduced de Saint-Pierre’s works to the Iranians.

Bernard Shaw as Political Writer

Bernard Shaw as Political Writer

For neither king nor swastika? Malan’s Afrikaner nationalism and De Valera’s Irish nationalism in the 1930s and 1940s

For neither king nor swastika? Malan’s Afrikaner nationalism and De Valera’s Irish nationalism in the 1930s and 1940s

Iran in Motion: Mobility, Space, and the Trans-Iranian Railway

Iran in Motion: Mobility, Space, and the Trans-Iranian Railway

Development and Service Evaluation of an ad hoc Virtual Arthroplasty Clinic during COVID-19: Experiences from Irish National Orthopaedic Hospital.

Introduction:COVID-19 has had a significant impact on healthcare. It has forced orthopaedic surgeons to limit face-to-face patient contact. This resulted in the ad hoc creation of a virtual arthroplasty clinic (VAC) in Irish National Orthopaedic Hospital. We aimed to assess this new VAC and ascertain its effectiveness as an alternative to physical appointments during and following the pandemic.Materials and methods:Patients were followed-up in this VAC six weeks post-operatively. A service evaluation of this virtual arthroplasty clinic was carried out using a questionnaire created by the orthopaedic department.Results:A total of 30 patients requiring 6-week follow-up after the arrival of COVID-19 in Ireland were included. Average pre- and post-operative visual analogue scale score (VAS) was 8.1 and 2.3, respectively. Average pre- and postoperative Oxford hip and knee score was 19.1 and 39.2, respectively. Twenty-one patients (70%) were happy to have their six weeks post-operative e-outpatient consultation virtually. Twenty-six patients (86%) were happy with future virtual follow-up. Twenty-eight patients (93%) would be happy experiencing the whole process again. Eleven patients would be interested in having future joint replacement surgery, though ten of them (91%) stated COVID-19 would impact that decision.Conclusion:Most patients were happy to have their six-week appointment and future appointments virtually. Functional outcome scores had improved and pain scores had reduced at six-week follow-up, supporting the idea that virtual clinics are not inferior to physical clinics. Patients expressed concern about having a further joint replacement in the context of COVID-19.

The Sewing Machine and Spectral Presences: Connolly, Shaw, and O’Casey

The Sewing Machine and Spectral Presences: Connolly, Shaw, and O’Casey

Redefining the Role of Libraries: Strategies of the National Library and Archives of Iran during Pandemic

ABSTRACT COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on individual and social activities, at the beginning of 2020, this pandemic led to the closure of social activities. After that, with the limited resumption of these activities, the activities of many social institutions took on different forms. Among these social institutions, we can mention the libraries that were closed in the first few months of Pandemic and continued their cultural activities through cyberspace, and now serve a small percentage of their users to maintain the health of members. In this regard, the National Library and Archives of Iran (NLAI), according to its duties and missions, has taken effective steps in developing strategies to increase the level of services and optimize services by using new technologies. One of the duties of the National Library is to distribute and make available information to all users. The NLAI, with the slogan “National Memory in the Home of Every Iranian,” has placed a part of its digital resources on the library’s website for public access to these resources. These services include “Iranian National Memory System,” “Iranian Periodicals System,” “Digital Children’s Library” and “Digital Library.”

아일랜드 민족주의와 가톨릭교회: 􋺷영웅 스티븐􋺸

At the turn of the 20th century, Irish nationalists sought to devise a unique Irish identity that could be used to justify Ireland’s independence from Britain. Unlike other countries in Western Europe, in Ireland the Catholic Church played a major role in shaping the national identity; Catholic and Irish became interchangeable. Stephen Hero demonstrates how the Catholic Church supported the Gaelic Revival, a nationalist movement. The nationalist movement and the Catholic Church contributed to maintaining the unique identity of Irish people in a mutually supportive relationship. Joyce criticizes the Catholic Church’s participation in the nationalist movement, noting that ”it ruins the chances of revolutions.” Because the Irish Catholic Church designed Ireland’s political future in the interests of the Church, the aspirations of the Irish people were often ignored. As Joyce says after independence in Ireland, “there is less freedom,” nationalism combined with religion does not bring true liberation. The Irish case shows that we need to find a more inclusive, more transcendental basis to define the nation than religion.

Influential factors on oral health status of the elderly Iranians: A Path analysis

Objectives: This study aimed at assessing the influential factors on oral health status of the elderly Iranian population (65 to 74 years of age) by using Path analysis. Methods: This study was conducted on 7,521 elderly individuals participating in the Iranian National Oral Health Survey in 2012. After data collection process, initially decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index as well as functional health (FH) index were evaluated in this study by using clinical data. The socio-economic status (SES), insurance type (IT), dental attendance pattern (DAP), reason of attendance (R of A), tooth cleaning (TC), and nutritional pattern (NP) were evaluated according to responses provided to the questions in the questionnaire by participant. Path analysis was applied to analyze the patterns between these variables and DMFT and FH index. Results: The participants’ mean DMFT was 26.6±8.03, and the median FH was 0 (0.10). Path analysis revealed that seniors with higher SES, and having a dental insurance with greater coverage had a direct effect on more regular DAP, and indirect effect on improvement of FH and reduction in DMFT index. More regular DAP had a direct effect on improvement of FH, and reduction of DMFT index. Also, NP with lower risk of caries had a direct effect on improvement of FH and reduction of DMFT index. Conclusion: Out of all the evaluated factors, IT, SES, DAP, and NP demonstrated to be particularly important and significantly affecting DMFT and FH indices in the elderly population. Out of all aforementioned factors, IT in low SES individuals was more important for obtaining required oral healthcare services. Apparently, seniors’ oral health is absolutely in need of special attention with particular focus on providing access to early prevention and care.

Planning Transition of Care for Adolescents Affected by Congenital Heart Disease: The Irish National Pathway.

At some point in their life, adolescent patients with a congenital heart disease (CHD) transition from paediatric services to adult care facilities. The process is not without any risks, as it is often linked with a significantly progressive deterioration in adolescents' health and loss of follow-up. In fact, transition patients often encounter troubles in finding a care giver who is comfortable managing their condition, or in re-establishing trust with the new care provider. Planning the rules of transition is pivotal in preventing these risks. Unfortunately, the American and European guidelines on CHD provide just generic statements about transition. In a recently published worldwide inter-societies consensus document, a hybrid model of transition, which should be adapted for use in high- and low- resource settings, has been suggested. Currently, in literature there are a few models of transition for CHD patients, but they are by far local models and cannot be generalized to other regions or countries. This paper describes the Irish model for transition of care of CHD patients. Due to the peculiarity of the healthcare organization in the Republic of Ireland, which is centralized with one main referral centre for paediatric cardiology (in Dublin, with a few smaller satellite centres all around, according to the "hub and spoke" model) and one centre for adult with CHD (in Dublin), the model can be considered as a national one and the first to be released in the old continent.

INFluence of Revascularization Attempts on Clinical Outcomes of Mechanical Thrombectomy Patients and its Economic BURDEN

Background Emerging evidence suggests that clinical and economic benefits of treatment with mechanical thrombectomy vary by level of reperfusion achieved, and the number of passes required to achieve revascularization. This study aimed to investigate the INF luence of revascularization A ttempts on C linical outcomes of mechanical T hrombectomy and the economic BURDEN (INFACT BURDEN) in Ireland using single center real‐world data from the Irish National Thrombectomy Service database. Methods Primary clinical outcomes were reperfusion (modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b‐3 or <2b) and functional outcome (90‐day modified Rankin Scale ≤2 or modified Rankin Scale >2) among patients treated with 1–3 passes compared with ≥4 passes. Multivariable generalized linear models examined the association between number of passes with outcomes, with adjustment for covariates that may affect outcomes (eg, age, pre‐procedure modified Rankin Scale, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, occlusion site, time from symptom onset to groin puncture). A 90‐day decision‐tree and Markov model with a 5‐year time horizon evaluated the cost‐effectiveness of mechanical thrombectomy from the Irish public healthcare payer perspective. Results Eight hundred twenty three patients met the inclusion criteria. Compared with patients in the ≥4 passes group, patients in the 1–3 passes group achieved a significantly higher rate of successful reperfusion (94% versus 78%, odds ratio [OR], 4.7; P <0.001) and a higher rate of functional independence (49% versus 33%, OR, 2.0; P <0.001). Patients in the 1–3 passes group had a shorter time from onset to reperfusion, lower incidence of procedural complications, including distal emboli into non‐involved territory and intra‐procedure rupture, as well as lower 90‐day mortality. The cost‐effectiveness analysis demonstrated that patients successfully revascularized in 1–3 passes had 0.19 additional QALYs and lower costs (€3328; $3800) such that 1–3 passes was dominant compared with ≥4 passes over a 5‐year time horizon. Conclusion This study illustrates that the number of passes has a significant effect on both clinical outcomes and health care costs.

British-Irish historical memory: the legacy of the Anglo-Irish conflict in the first four volumes of the Lives Entwined project

The very name given to the project initiated by the British Council in the mid-2000s, i.e. Lives Entwined, set the tone for the four volumes of essays it has hitherto given birth to, and in which the overarching themes are indeed the strong cultural and historical ties linking British and Irish people and the main stumbling blocks to their reconciliation in decades past, namely the exacerbation of the memory of their strife-ridden past by British imperialism and Irish nationalism, as well as the Troubles in Northern Ireland. This article shall attempt to determine the extent to which the personal accounts given by the contributors to Lives Entwined testify to the “postcolonial recalibration” of British-Irish relations referred to by Tony Reilly in his introductory remarks to the first volume. It shall be argued that while Reilly’s statement is not wide of the mark, the overwhelming majority of the contributors highlighting the end of an era fraught with historical tension between Britain and Ireland, and the emergence, in its stead, of a new and more peaceful one, this assessment of the situation should not be taken for granted too easily nowadays, given the political turmoil brought about by Brexit.

Men, Misfits, and Martyrs

Homosexuality has historically been constructed as an issue within Ireland and the Irish diaspora for centuries. However, the academic investigation of homosexuality and, consequently, homophobia’s roles in Irish history have been sparsely studied. This essay seeks to examine homosexuality in the Irish diaspora. Specifically, it investigates how heterosexuality necessarily came to be closely associated with the growing Irish nationalist movement in late nineteenth and early twentieth-century England. Through the analysis of Oscar Wilde’s court cases as well as the impact of the publishing of Roger Casement’s personal diary entries, it is evident that homosexuality was constructed as a controversial issue in the Irish diaspora during times of instability in Ireland. Because homosexuality threatened the sanctity of Irish nationhood by existing outside of outlined social norms, instances of publicized homosexuality amid elite Irish men living within the Irish diaspora were largely looked down upon in order to preserve traditional notions of ‘Irishness’. This investigation concluded that familism’s rise in Ireland and throughout the Irish diaspora in response to Britain’s encroaching colonial intervention in the country determined that homosexuality served no purpose to the nationalistic cause, thus leading to its construction as an inherently anti-Irish characteristic among Irish men.

Time of Historicism, Print Revival, and Parsi Patronage of Architecture, 1887–1936

AbstractFocusing on the decades between 1887 and 1936, this article examines the relationship between the Parsi-Iranian network of the printed text—often sustained by abundant visual evidence—and the built environment that then returned onto the published pages of printed books and periodicals. It examines several seminal Parsi and Iranian texts, all of which were published in the Bombay-based Parsi press, containing images of outstanding architectural edifices erected in Iran with Parsi financing to map the broader political discourse on modern reform through the strategy of an artistic revival. The piece foregrounds the codependence of Parsi patronage of print and built architecture. Architecture itself is treated as a text that aimed to ground the instability of language and identity in solid foundations. This codependent relation helped support a modernist discourse on Iranian nationalist rebirth.

Impact of Conti ransomware attack on cancer trials Ireland sites.

e13614 Background: Cancer trials in Ireland are conducted in both public Health Service Executive (HSE) and private hospitals and are overseen by Cancer Trials Ireland (CTI). On the 14th of May 2021 the Irish National HSE was the victim of a “Conti” ransomware attack. The attack triggered a “Critical Incident Process,” and the shutting down of all HSE IT systems at a national level. Disruption to patient care across the HSE’s 4000 locations, 54 acute hospitals, and 70,000 connected devices was drastic, immediate and without warning. Methods: The purpose of this study is to quantify the impact of the attack on the clinical trials network. A questionnaire was distributed by CTI to the 16 trials units within the group, this examined patient referrals and key performance indexes for a period of 4 weeks; prior, during, and after the attack. A total of 10 responses were returned, with a split of 3 private and 7 HSE hospitals. Results: The effect of the attack on referrals and enrollment to clinical trials was marked. In the 4 weeks prior to the attack 273 patients in total were referred to the trials units for screening, this fell to 41 patients in the 4 weeks during and recovering to 323, 4 weeks after. 49 patients were enrolled in trials prior the attack, 22 during and 38 after, a drop of 85% in referrals and 55% in recruitment to trials before recovery. Radiotherapy delivery was interrupted for patients on treatment or delayed for those initiating it. Radiology, lab systems and radiotherapy are heavily reliant on IT systems. Access to all was impacted, with only urgent diagnostic tests being carried out. Requesting tests and reports pivoted to a paper based systems. With staff having to present in person to request and collect reports. Patient safety was prioritized, with accurate paper records and logs in lieu of electronic records. Scientific integrity of trials involving combined modality or radiotherapy was compromised in HSE hospitals. No change in adverse outcomes was reported across all units surveyed before, during and after the attack. Normal access to emails in sites that were impacted ranged from days at a minimum to 6 weeks in the worst affected centers. Normal access to radiology and lab tests took on average 26 and 32 days respectively. Conclusions: A significant issue highlighted by the cyber-attack was the lack of redundancy in the IT systems used throughout Irish hospitals on a daily basis and a lack of a plan when these systems fail. Of the 10 sites surveyed, 2 had a preparedness plan in place prior to the attack, both of these private institutions. Of the 8 institutions where no plan was in place only 3 now have or are putting a plan in place, no plan is in place in the 5 remaining sites. At this time one HSE hospital has been subject to a repeat ransomware attack and patient data from another has been released on the dark web. Reviewing the impact of the cyber attack on CTI highlights the usefulness of preparedness, with units that had a plan in place prior to the attack least affected overall.

The Discursive Context of Forest in Land Use Documents

The term forest can signify many different physical realities. However, discourse analysis of Irish National and European Union forestry-related documents indicates ambiguity around this term is often cultivated rather than clarified. We argue here that policy language often embraces the multiple potential affordances within the term forest as a means of discursively bridging contradictions between economic and conservation goals. While this technique increases the readability and acceptability of such documents by diverse user groups and government bodies, it mutes the on-the-ground tensions of what forests mean for locals. Moreover, cultivating ambiguity favors the status quo through circumventing points of contradiction and shifting the work of interpretation and application of such documents to those on-the-ground, therefore perpetuating existing power differentials. As forests are central to resource management and responses to climate change, addressing this tendency is crucial to finding meaningful and place-specific environmental solutions.

Molecular Evidence of Emerged Pulmonary Lophomoniasis due to Lophomonas blattarum among Hospitalized Patients in Southwestern Iran: A National Registry-Based Study.

Objectives Lophomonas protozoan is an emerging pathogen transmitted through arthropods such as cockroaches. Lophomoniasis is still a mysterious disease with many unknown epidemiological aspects. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of lophomoniasis among patients who were hospitalized in Hajar Hospital, Shahrekord, southwestern Iran, using a conventional PCR technique. Methods In this retrospective study, 132 frozen bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) specimens from patients with respiratory disorders hospitalized in Hajar Hospital, Shahrekord district, southwestern Iran, were analyzed during 2020-2021. Samples are referred to the Iranian National Registry Center for Lophomoniasis (INRCL), Mazandaran Province, Northern Iran, for detecting Lophomonas spp. infection by a conventionally small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) PCR test. Results A total of 132 frozen BALF specimens were examined, 36 (27.3%) tested Lophomonas spp. positive using the conventional PCR technique. Also, based on sequencing data and blast analysis, the presence of L. blattarum species was confirmed. The average age of Lophomonas spp.‐ positive patients was 67.02 ± 15.14 years. Out of the 36 positive subjects, 63.9% were male and 36.1% female. Male and Lophomonas infection had a significant correlation (p=0.001). Our findings revealed that L. blattarum infected nonsmokers more than smokers (p=0.001). The most common underlying disease was also bronchitis Conclusion Our results showed, for the first time, that pulmonary lophomoniasis caused by L. blattarum is a common and emerging disease in the study area, southwestern Iran. Furthermore, our findings support the use of the PCR test to detect Lophomonas infection in archived frozen clinical samples.

Application of a composite scoring protocol to identify factors that contribute to the risk of overweight and obesity in Irish children.

SummaryBackgroundInvestigations into the main drivers of childhood obesity are vital to implement effective interventions to halt the global rise in levels. The use of a composite score may help to identify children most at risk of overweight/obesity.ObjectivesTo investigate the cumulative impact of factors associated with overweight/obesity risk in children.MethodsData were analysed from the Irish National Children's Food Survey II which included 600 children, aged 5–12‐years. The risk factors examined included social class, parental, early life, lifestyle, and dietary components. A composite score was calculated which ranged from 0 (no risk factors for overweight/obesity) to 4 (4 risk factors for overweight/obesity).ResultsIn model 1 (%BF) the four factors associated with overweight/obesity risk were having a parent with overweight/obesity (odds ratio 3.1; 95% confidence interval 1.9–4.8), having a high birth weight of ≥4 kg (2.5; 1.6–3.9), being from a low social class (2.3; 1.4–3.8) and low physical activity (1.9; 1.2–2.8). Children who scored 3–4 points on the composite score had a 10‐fold (10.0; 4.2–23.9) increased risk of overweight/obesity compared to those with 0 points, a sevenfold (7.2; 3.9–13.5) increased risk compared to those with 1 point and a threefold (2.6; 1.4–4.8) increased risk compared to those with 2 points, with similar results observed in model 2 (BMI).ConclusionThe use of a composite score is a beneficial means of identifying children at risk of overweight/obesity and may prove useful in the development of effective interventions to tackle childhood obesity.