The interest in hemp seed oil (HSO) and tea tree oil (TTO) in the medical and food industries is increasing. The current study compares their bioactivity to other plant oils, mainly focusing on hemp seed oils (HSOs) with various cannabidiol (CBD) contents. A DPPH assay was employed to evaluate the antioxidant activity. The antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella enteritidis was evaluated using time–kill, minimum inhibition concentration (MIC), and Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion methods. Tea tree oil showed significantly higher antimicrobial activity against S. enteritidis compared to E. coli and S. aureus (p < 0.05). The antioxitant activity range (lowest to highest) was sesame < vetiver < rosehip < tea tree < organic hemp < pure hemp < 5% CBD < vitamin C. Tea tree oil and 5% CBD showed antioxidant activity at IC50 of 64.45 μg/mL and 11.21 μg/mL, respectively. The opposing antimicrobial and antioxidant results for TTO and HSO indicate that these activities arise from different components within the oil compositions.

Peat soils, when drained and transformed for different land uses, can release pollutants such as nitrate and phosphate into nearby water bodies and ecosystems through ditch networks. However, there have been limited studies to ascertain the extent and impact of these nutrient releases under various peatland use types. A total of fifty-four water samples were collected between October 2021 and January 2022 from five industrial cutaway bogs, twenty-five grasslands, and twenty-four forest plantations. The water samples were subsequently examined for nitrate–nitrogen and phosphate–phosphorus using the HACH DR890 colorimeter. This study showed that the nitrate–nitrogen concentration of the discharge water ranged from 6.9 mg/L from forestry to 10.52 mg/L from grassland. The phosphate–phosphorus concentration ranged from 0.43 mg/L from forestry to 0.78 mg/L from grassland. The nitrate–nitrogen and phosphate–phosphorus concentrations in the drainage channel exhibited by the grassland and the cutover did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). Upon comparing the results obtained with the established safety limits set by the European Union (EU) and World Health Organization (WHO), it was observed that phosphate–phosphorus and nitrite–nitrogen concentration in the surface water (specifically, discharge water) exceeded the permissible threshold concentrations in surface water. The nutrient pollution index revealed that the discharge water from the ditch networks across the studied peatland use type was highly polluted, with a trend following the order of grassland > cutover > forestry. These results are in line with the broader issue of excessive nutrient inputs in freshwater ecosystems, which can lead to eutrophication. This study promotes sustainable water resources and peatland management practices by determining nitrate–nitrogen and phosphate–phosphorus concentrations in discharge water from ditch networks associated with different peatland use types: grassland, forestry, and cutover. This research emphasizes the critical need for sustainable peatland management to improve water quality in the river basin districts under the Water Framework Directive.

This chapter provides a narrative of the key policies, initiatives and actions that have transformed both the landscape of gender equality in Higher Education in Ireland, and the role of gender equality in research policy and public engagement in STEM over the last decade. It aims to provide leaders committed to gender equality with examples of good practice within the EU-Irish context. The first part of the chapter focuses on the EU gender equality strategies for Higher Education. It explains the review of gender equality undertaken by the Irish Higher Education Authority (HEA), the significant findings, and the National Gender Action Plan designed to address the issues identified. It contains examples of high-level initiatives implemented to deliver on key actions. These include centres of excellence for Gender Equality, and affirmative actions taken to address imbalance at senior levels in the Irish Higher Education system. It also provides an account of Irish participation in the UK Advance Higher Education (Advance HE) gender supports including the women’s leadership programme ‘Aurora’, and the ‘Athena SWAN’ charter that provides an accreditation framework for auditing, supporting and transforming gender equality in Higher Education Institutions. For context, some examples of implementing these in an Irish Institution are provided. The chapter then reviews the gender equality strategies and policies of the main research funding organisations in Ireland, namely Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), and the Irish Research Council (IRC). It indicates how gender equality manifests in achieving gender balance in the Irish research community; and in funding applications and consequently in research design to embed the gender element. It also provides an overview of recent national studies carried out to analyse the Irish public’s perceptions and awareness of STEM in society, and factors leading to career and study choices by young Irish people. It signposts to the recent actions to address gender equality provided under SFI’s remit for public engagement in STEM.

This chapter provides an account of the journey taken by the College of Sciences and Health in Technological University Dublin over an eleven-year period, from 2010 to 2021, as it sought to address the challenges of gender inequality in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) disciplines. The start and end points for the journey are marked by the formation of the College and its eventual replacement following a reorganisation of the Higher Education landscape in Ireland and a structural reorganisation at University level. This chapter draws upon the authors’ collective experience of leadership within the managerial structures of the College and the University, and leadership on specific initiatives, to illustrate how consideration of gender equality and inequality featured within the journey taken by the College over this period of time. The chapter applies a broad lens to analyse the gender profile of the College’s people and practices, including its planning, its operational management, its leadership, its staff profile and its student cohorts over the eleven-year period. The chapter also focusses more narrowly on a set of specific initiatives undertaken within the College or across the University which impacted upon the College. Collectively, the two perspectives demonstrate how a STEM College evolved over an extended period of time, shaped by cultural changes and challenges and bolstered by initiatives that targeted the areas of greatest challenge. This eleven-year snapshot provides insight into a journey that has built momentum and has potential to continue into the future. The story communicated in this chapter will be of value to Higher Education leaders and practitioners that wish to learn from this experience and interpret the approach set out in this chapter for their own local context.

A recent report has identified several challenges and barriers from the employer perspective that can limit their ability to engage with work-placement (Jackson, Rowbottom, Ferns, & McLarend, 2017). These include a lack of shared understanding between the University and Industry of what is involved in work-placement; misalignment between employer and university expectations on the purpose and nature of the placement experience, especially what constitutes a quality placement and how this can be achieved; and ability to locate a suitable student. Additionally, not being approached by Universities and/or access to relevant University staff who arrange work-placements can be problematic. For unstructured work-placements, identifying suitable projects for students to undertake was found to be a considerable challenge. Recommendations to the University to reduce such barriers centre around developing collaborative relationships. In Ireland, specific guidelines to facilitate quality work-placement have been compiled in the ‘Roadmap for Academic-Employment Partnerships (REAP) Work-placement in Third Level-Programmes’ report (Sheridan & Linehan, 2011), and focus mainly on communications, learning agreements, mentoring practices, student selection processes, reflection on practice, and assessment and feedback mechanisms. This paper will set out how the recommendations of the REAP report for work-placement were realised in TU Dublin Food related programmes, and the important role that technology played in this process.