Doctoral College
Summary
Within Europe, all member states are required to define and implement the Near Zero Energy Building (NZEB) standard for all new buildings from 2020 on. The EU requires member states to ensure that each country’s NZEB standard is not undermined by performance gaps between theoretical and actual use, and by poor indoor environmental quality. This provides challenges for all stakeholders, from those writing the building regulations, through to the architects, engineers, developers and tradespeople and ultimately to the owners of the dwellings built to these new standards.
In November 2019, Part L of the building regulations in Ireland for dwellings was updated to implement the NZEB standard, but is this fit for purpose, does it address the EU’s concerns about energy performance gaps and indoor air quality, and is the industry prepared to deliver the new regulations along with complimentary regulations such as the Smart Readiness Indicator? Thus there is a
Summary
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has risen dramatically during recent decades and there is an urgent need to develop new approaches for therapeutic treatment that provide a combination of benefits, with fewer side effects and better patient outcomes. When diabetes is not managed, it can lead to serious complications including cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, blindness, kidney disease and premature mortality. CVD is a major cause of death and disability in diabetes, accounting for 52% of fatalities in those with type 2 diabetes.
New treatments are necessary due to the increasing prevalence of diabetes and its complications. In recent years, therapies that target the actions of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) which stimulate insulin secretion through activation of beta cell G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been successful. This has resulted in substantial interest in targeting other islet GPCRs for diabetic therapies [1-3]. GPCRs are a superfamily of transmembra
Doctoral College
Summary
Reflecting the global popularity of gambling among young people, youth participation in football betting has risen exponentially across sub-Saharan Africa in recent years. This has been facilitated by the spread and prevalence of mobile technology; the widespread popularity of football aided by satellite media broadcasting; weak macro-level regulatory regimes; and a recognition by the sports betting industry that African youth constitute a potentially lucrative market. In keeping with wider concerns around the profound harms that frequently accompany gambling, the prevalence of sports betting has been cited as one of the most pressing public health and societal issues on the African continent.