Mid Term Review of National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2008-2013

 The difficulties in the Irish economy form the main backdrop to implementation of the
National Access Plan since publication in July 2008. The ongoing social and economic
challenges we currently face have been well-documented, and although other developed
countries throughout the world are facing similar challenges, our circumstances as a small
island with an open economy, along with the consequences of imprudent lending and
speculation practices in the majority of our main banks have made the road to recovery
particularly challenging.

http://www.hea.ie/en/Publications#2011

New Sustainable Design & Research in Engineering and the Built Environment Journal Launched

A new engineering journal has been launched The SDAR* journal is published by CIBSE Ireland and the School of Electrical Engineering (SEES) in DIT. It is supported by Airtricity and produced by Pressline Ltd. 

 The journal is a result of continuing collaboration between the professional organisations, industry and academia. It emphasises the need to move from ideologically based sustainable engineering to  proven low energy solution solutions. It is a vehicle to increase research in engineering to meet the modern challenges posed. There is a strong spine of proven industry solutions as well as well as significant and worthy contributions from students, graduates and researchers in academia. All papers are heavily evidence based with deep analysis and critical reflection. They are peer reviewed by an expert reviewing panel. The intention of CIBSE is to increase applied research in the industry whilst taking the fear out of the word  research for working engineers and companies. The intention for SEES is to provide opportunities for research students to gain access to data and link with the industry experts in this field to enhance the quality of their programmes and research in engineering of the built environment.
Available Online at:  http://eleceng.dit.ie/sdar/ 

Almost a quarter of people aged 16-74 in the EU 27 have never used the Internet

Internet access and use in 2011:
For many people today it seems difficult to live without the internet, however a decreasing, but still non-negligible, part of the EU population has never used it. In the EU27, almost three quarters of households had access to the internet in the first quarter of 2011, compared with almost half in the first quarter of 2006. The share of households with broadband internet connections more than doubled between 2006 and 2011, to reach 68% in 2011 compared with 30% in 2006. During the same period, the share of individuals aged 16-74 in the EU27 who had never used the internet decreased from 42% to 24%.
 http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/eurostat/home/

NUI Maynooth Neuroscientist discovers link between ADHD and the ciradian body clock

Dr. Coogan, a neuroscientist based at the Department of Psychology NUI Maynooth, has published the results of a study linking Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adults to the circadian rhythm, commonly referred to as the body clock.  The study shows a direct link between the 24 hour body clock and the symptoms of ADHD.  It opens the door for a possible therapy for the condition, currently usually managed by an expensive medication regime.

http://communications.nuim.ie/press/06122011.shtml

 Baird, A. L., Coogan, A. N., Siddiqui, A., Donev, R. M., & Thome, J. (2011). Adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is associated with alterations in circadian rhythms at the behavioural, endocrine and molecular levels. Mol Psychiatry. doi: http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/mp2011149a.html

Emerald Engineering eJournal Collection

 The Emerald Engineering eJournal Collection comprises online access to the abstracts and full text of all the journals within Emerald’s engineering, materials science and technology portfolio. Sixteen of the journals in the Emerald Engineering eJournal Collection are listed in Thomson Scientific (formerly ISI) and unique in their field with authors and subscribers from some of the world’s leading institutions and organizations.

 http://www.emeraldinsight.com/products/eng/database.htm