Neuroinflammatory Consequences of Rhinovirus Infection in Human Epithelial and Neuronal Models.

Introduction: Rhinovirus (RV) is the leading cause of exacerbations of lung disease. A sensory neuronal model, derived from human dental pulp stem cells and differentiated into peripheral neuronal equivalents (PNEs), was used to examine RV's effects on airway sensory nerves. We investigated whether RV can directly infect and alter PNEs or whether it exerts effects indirectly via the release of mediators from infected epithelial cells.

The effectiveness of care bundles for preventing or reducing perineal trauma during childbirth: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Care bundles comprise of a set of evidence-based interventions that are combined and applied consistently during each care episode. Recently, care bundles for perineal protection during childbirth have been developed.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of perineal protection care bundles.

Factors associated with augmentation of labour with synthetic oxytocin: A cross-sectional study.

Background: While augmentation of labour with synthetic oxytocin is one of the most frequently performed childbirth interventions among women with spontaneous onset of labour, no prior research on this topic had been conducted in Ireland.

Aim: To identify the prevalence of and factors associated with augmentation of labour with synthetic oxytocin within the Irish context.

Methods: A cross-sectional study including data from 2,086 women who gave birth in one tertiary urban maternity hospital in Ireland in 2022 was conducted.

Distinct domains of LINGO1 control surface expression and biophysical properties of large conductance Ca- and voltage-activated potassium (BK) channels.

Large conductance Ca and voltage-activated K (BK) channels are ubiquitous ion channels that regulate a wide array of physiological process. Their functional diversity can be modulated by accessory proteins including a family of leucine-rich repeat and immunoglobulin-like domain-containing protein (LINGO) subunits that may control both the biophysical properties and surface trafficking of BK channels. By exploiting differences in the regulation of BK channels by LINGO1 and LINGO2 subunits we have taken a chimeric approach to dissect the role of distinct domains of these single transmembrane pass proteins.

Indoor and Outdoor Mobility Monitoring for People Living with Dementia: Improving Their Independent Activity by Integrating Open Interface Sensors.

People living with dementia often experience mobility challenges and social isolation, which can impede their ability to perform activities of daily living independently. This paper presents the design and deployment of an open-source software-based context-aware support system, e.g.

Progressive Release of Informational Materials for People Living with Dementia and Their Informal Carers.

We describe a process for selecting informational material for people living with dementia that is most appropriate for their stage of dementia. This material provides information on the disease, on ways of living with the disease, and on activities that may delay the progression of the disease, with a view to maintaining an individual's independent living at home. Informational material is suggested according to both an individual's overall clinical disease progression and progression along seven cognitive domain axes that contribute to the overall progression, for example 'working memory' performance or 'attention', with scores for these axes being derived from clinical judgement, from fixed and wearable sensors, or from performance when interacting with devices.

Unravelling the Role of Post-Junctional M2 Muscarinic Receptors in Cholinergic Nerve-Mediated Contractions of Airway Smooth Muscle.

It has long been recognised that airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) possess an abundance of M2 muscarinic receptors (M2Rs). However, the contribution of postjunctional M2Rs to contractions of airway smooth muscle (ASM) induced by the release of acetylcholine (ACh) from parasympathetic nerves was thought to be minimal. Instead, it was believed that these responses were exclusively mediated by activation of M3Rs.

Canine Prophylactic Gastropexy: A Cross-Sectional Study of Irish Veterinary Professionals' Attitudes and Current Practices.

Background: Prophylactic gastropexy reduces the occurrence of gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV) in dogs, but ethical concerns exist due to its invasiveness. Research on veterinary professionals' opinions of the procedure is lacking, with no data having been published either in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) or further afield. This study was designed to bridge this knowledge gap, by identifying current practices in the ROI and examining veterinary professionals' views of the procedure.

Evaluating the co-creation process in public health interventions: the PROSECO framework.

Objectives: To date, there is a lack of evaluation frameworks to guide the planning and conducting of the evaluation of co-creation in public health. This study aims to identify and set the components of the PROSECO framework (PROcesS Evaluation framework for CO-creation) to support the evaluation of co-creation processes in public health interventions.

Study Design: A multi-step, iterative approach combining the outcomes of two scoping reviews, expert validation, and design refinement.

ANO1 channels are expressed in mouse urethral smooth muscle but do not contribute to agonist or neurally evoked contractions.

Anoctamin-1 Ca-activated Cl channels (ANO1) are proposed to modulate contractility of urethra smooth muscle cells (USMC), but their cellular expression and contribution to agonist/neural evoked activity is unclear. ANO1 is implicated as a potential target to treat incontinence, thus this is an important issue to resolve. We sought to clarify roles of ANO1 in contractility of mouse USMC.

Improving Independent Living and Quality of Life for Dementia Patients with Open-Interface Sensor-Based Home Monitoring.

Living with dementia is a challenging journey for both those with dementia and their families. Besides memory loss and cognitive decline, persons with dementia often face challenges of independent living and loss of quality of life. To enhance and extend the period of independent living, an open-source software and commercial sensor-based home monitoring system is being developed.

Improving the Readability of Dementia Information Documents Using ChatGPT.

There is much information available on dementia, but information may not be written at an appropriate level for a lay reader. One aim of the CoDESIGN project is to simplify information available for those who have lower levels of literacy. We investigate the potential to simplify documents to reflect the literacy abilities of the reader.

An exploration of women's decision-making processes around accepting or declining vaccinations in pregnancy: A qualitative descriptive study.

Objective: To explore women's perceptions and experiences of accepting or declining vaccinations in pregnancy, and to identify factors that influence vaccination uptake.

Design: A qualitative descriptive interview-based study.

Setting: The maternity unit of a rural hospital in the Republic of Ireland.

Layer-by-layer assembly of tetra-Mn-containing 30-tungsto-4-phosphate, [M(HO)(PWO)] (M = Mn and Mn) with AuNps-MWCNT: electrochemical detection of iodate.

This study demonstrates the Layer-by-Layer (LbL) approach to assemble the sandwich structured [M(HO)(PWO)] (M = Mn and Mn) polyoxometalates (POMs) with gold nanoparticles (AuNps) decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) on a carbon electrode. Polyethylenimine has been employed as a base layer prior to the deposition of the AuNps-MWCNT and POM. The multi-layered modified electrodes [AuNps-MWCNT/Mn(PW)] and [AuNps-MWCNT/Mn(PW)] have been characterised using electrochemical and surface techniques.

Midwives' views and experiences of maternity care during COVID-19 in Ireland: A qualitative descriptive study.

Objective: To explore and describe midwives' views and experiences of maternity care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland.

Design: A qualitative descriptive study involving semi-structured interviews to gather data was undertaken. Interviews, which were held between September 2022 and January 2023, were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim.

The effectiveness of mHealth mindfulness interventions on perinatal psychological health: a systematic review.

Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) delivered via mobile health (mHealth) platforms have gained attention for improving perinatal psychological health. This review systematically examines the effectiveness of mHealth MBIs in improving perinatal psychological outcomes, including stress, anxiety and depression, with a secondary focus on safety, engagement, acceptability and dropout rates. A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Scopus, ACM Digital Library and IEEE Xplore, along with grey literature, for English-language journal articles from inception until July 2024.

The relationship between the 1200 m shuttle test and 40 m sprint test performance and distances covered in English Premier League matches: A retrospective two season study.

To identify a relationship between the 1200 m shuttle test and 40 m sprint test performance with distances covered at varying intensities in English Premier League (EPL) matches. A squad (n = 21) of full-time professional 1 team male football players (age 29.8 ± 3.

Advancing our Understanding of the Urothelium and Lamina Propria, Hormone Receptors, Vascular Supply, and Sensory Aspects of the Female Human Urethra.

Objective: Urinary continence is important for women's health and wellbeing. The female urethra has been understudied and mechanisms of continence remain poorly understood. Our objective is to provide a summary of current knowledge of the epithelium and lamina propria, hormone receptors, vascular supply, and sensory aspects of the female urethra and highlight continued gaps in knowledge.

Dementia-related needs through the lens of social robotics: a scoping review protocol.

Social robotics, a hybrid discipline that combines robotics with social sciences, has been receiving substantial investments from governments due to the ongoing challenges posed by ageing populations worldwide. Dementia is a neurodegenerative syndrome that requires long-term care and has therefore become an important area for social robotics. The scientific literature has many reports on the "needs" associated with the dementia care ecosystem; however, only a small portion of those needs are currently translated to discussions on social robots.

Unsupervised Assessment of Frailty Status Using Wearable Sensors: A Feasibility Study among Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Objectives: This study examined whether community-dwelling older adults can independently capture wearable sensor data that can be used to classify frailty status.

Methods: Fifty-one older adults (age 77.5 ± 8.

Accounting for model parameter uncertainty provides more robust projections of dissolved organic carbon dynamics to aid drinking water management.

Changes in climate and human behaviour impact catchment hydrology and the export of nutrients including dissolved organic carbon (DOC), with consequences for drinking water supply. In this study, we projected future river discharge and DOC dynamics under three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (i.e.

Virtual laboratories complement but should not replace face-to-face classes: perceptions of life science students at Dundalk Institute of Technology, Ireland.

Virtual laboratories (VLs) enable students to experiment, analyze data, or interact with digital content in a nonphysical space. VLs include simulations, electronic notebooks, videos, and augmented reality. As part of the "VL Project," comprising five academic institutions in Ireland, we sought to determine how VLs might enhance practical learning in undergraduate life science students at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT).

K7 channels modulate tension and calcium signaling in mouse corpus cavernosum.

Adrenergic stimulation induces contractions in the corpus cavernosum smooth muscle (CCSM), which are important in maintaining penile flaccidity. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of K7 channels in regulating contractions and their underlying Ca signals in mouse CCSM. Quantitative PCR revealed transcriptional expression of and genes in the whole CCSM, with as the most highly transcribed K7-encoding gene.

Role of voltage-gated Ca channels and Ano1 Ca-activated Cl channels in M2 muscarinic receptor-dependent contractions of murine airway smooth muscle.

Cholinergic tone is elevated in obstructive lung conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, but the cellular mechanisms underlying cholinergic contractions of airway smooth muscle (ASM) are still unclear. Some studies report an important role for L-type Ca channels (LTCC) and Ano1 Ca-activated Cl channels (CACC) in these responses, but others dispute their importance. Cholinergic contractions of ASM involve activation of M3Rs, however, stimulation of M2Rs exerts a profound hypersensitization of these responses.

Ca²⁺ signaling in myenteric interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC-MY) and their role as conditional pacemakers in the colon.

Interstitial cells of Cajal in the plane of the myenteric plexus (ICC-MY) serve as electrical pacemakers in the stomach and small intestine. A similar population of cells is found in the colon, but these cells do not appear to generate regular slow wave potentials, as characteristic in more proximal gut regions. Ca handling mechanisms in ICC-MY of the mouse proximal colon were studied using confocal imaging of muscles from animals expressing GCaMP6f exclusively in ICC.