Latest news with #DublinCityUniversity
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
The surprising reason cabin crew seatbelts are different from yours
At the end of a flight, it's common to hear the pilot giving the cabin crew a time countdown – usually between 10 and 20 minutes before landing. As you descend, you might be watching the city lights below get closer and closer, or even nosying at the stewards preparing to deplane. And when they sit down in the final moments of the journey, you may also end up wondering why their seatbelts look different to yours. While passengers simply need to buckle across their laps, flight attendants have extra, sturdier straps across their chest to take care of. The reason for this has long troubled travellers, so much so that it's made it onto countless Reddit threads. Under r/NoStupidQuestions, @MAJOR_ZEN previously asked 'why do flight attendants have the cross-body 'X' seat belt on their seats, whereas passengers only get the horizontal ones across the waist?' Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. In the comments section, former cabin crew member @wishiwasyou333 recalled working on smaller 50-seater jet where their 'jump seat wasn't bolted to the aircraft other than the rails attached to pull it out of its compartment.' 'We needed the extra harness because that thing was bouncy as hell on a normal takeoff and landing, along with much less padding than the passenger butts got,' they explained. 'When s*** hits the fan, you absolutely want the flight attendants to be safe.' 'You're expendable, the flight attendants are not,' added @diemos09, while @dyne0mite86 said: 'They're more valuable than you or the luggage.' Over on r/askscience, @WATErWouldBeNice posed a slightly different question: Why don't all plane seats use three-point belts like cars? 'Seatbelts on planes are primarily a protection against turbulence,' @HobbesNJ responded, claiming keeping 'passengers in their seats is the main goal' – and there aren't typically 'any circumstances' in the air where 'the problem is forward momentum.' Aviation expert and professor of aviation management at Dublin City University, Marina Efthymiou, tells Metro that it's actually a 'matter of a trade-off between comfort and safety.' As Marina explains, passengers likely 'wouldn't keep their seatbelts on if they were like the ones cabin crew wear. And, in case of an emergency, they wouldn't be able to get them off fast enough during evacuations.' The seats themselves are also different, and since 'cabin crew seats are in spaces that do not offer any additional protections, the belt provides more stability.' 'The main factors in the difference between seatbelts is ease of use, and speed of evacuation,' she concludes. Since the job of cabin crew is to keep passengers comfortable as well as safe, they have a few tricks up their sleeves to help particularly nervous flyers. More Trending 37-year-old Meryl Love, who is a flight attendant for an international airline, previously told Metro that she has a special trick to help calm peoples' nerves. 'I know that the passengers will be looking at me, to see how I react – especially if the turbulence is bad enough that the cabin crew have to take their seats,' she shared. 'So, I plaster on a huge fake smile on my face. I'll pretend to laugh at a joke, and basically just look really happy. It's a whole routine, and it seems to work.' Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: I always play 'check-in chicken' on flights – it works a treat MORE: Could London be the next city to introduce a tourist tax? MORE: UK airport gets new TUI flights to quirky European capital dubbed the 'city of baths'
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
Student who did not do the Leaving Cert now sets sights on being a heart surgeon
With the Leaving Cert beginning in just a few days, we are hearing from some of the young people who took alternative paths to the CAO points race. The first of these is a university student from Dublin who did not sit the Leaving Cert but has set his sights on achieving their dream of becoming a heart surgeon. 20-year-old Liam Nugent has wanted to be a doctor since he was a child. But when he was unable to sit his Leaving Cert due to missing so much school, he feared that dream had slipped away. Liam is autistic and has a chronic anxiety disorder which made attending school very difficult for him. "Secondary school for me was terrible," he explained. "I think the structure of school was part of it, it's so rigid and it's about learning in a specific way, when there's a million different ways to learn." When he realised he would not be sitting his exams, he worried about what other people would think of him, and how it could impact his career aspirations. "I was worried people would think I was stupid, I felt like a failure to be honest," he said. "I was told it wasn't realistic for me to get into college or university. It was a difficult time for me to figure out what I was going to do with my life because I really just wanted to be a doctor." Liam's parents helped him to find a path to where he wanted to be. It began with being accepted into a pre-university science PLC course at Greenhills Community College. "It was a fresh start, I got to meet new people and get educated in things I'm really interested in," Liam said. He has just completed second year studying Biotechnology at Dublin City University, and has his next steps mapped out. "So, it's four years in biotech, then four years of graduate entry medicine, then a two-year residency, and then eight years doing the surgery course in RCSI," he explained. "People are like, 'This is a crazy commitment.' But when you want something, it's not, really. This is what I want, and this is the pathway." Liam shared a piece of advice to students ahead of their exams: "If you want to do it, you can do it. There is a route in, no matter what other people say.
RTÉ News
6 days ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
Can dogs help to predict epileptic seizures?
Analysis: New research combining a dog's natural instincts with technology might help people with epilepsy by predicting seizures Dogs have long held a special place in Irish life, not just as loyal companions, but as trusted protectors of our homes, families and livestock. Their protective instinct is one of the earliest reasons humans formed bonds with them. Their importance goes back centuries featuring in tales of Fionn MacCumhaill and his dogs Bran and Sceólang. They were noble, wise, and fiercely loyal hounds, often sensing danger before it arrived and intervening to save lives. Today, while most dogs are no longer fending off wolves, their protective instincts remain strong. Some even find a vocation as service dogs extending their role to emotional and physical protection, guiding the visually impaired, alerting people to medical emergencies and providing support to those with PTSD or anxiety. This deep-rooted role of dogs as protectors has inspired new research, looking at how a dog's natural instincts, combined with technology might help people with epilepsy by predicting seizures and enabling faster intervention. Why predicting seizures matters More than 45,000 people in Ireland live with epilepsy, about one person in every hundred. Each year, Ireland records over 130 epilepsy-related deaths, some linked to a condition called sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). For some, medication effectively controls seizures. For others, seizures can happen without warning, disrupting daily life and posing serious safety risks. While some people experience early warning signs in the form of a type of seizure, commonly called auras, others receive no advance notice. For those who do sense them, auras offer valuable time to seek safety or alert others. But what if someone, or something, could detect a seizure even earlier and more reliably? That question is at the heart of the PAWSENSE (Paws Assisting with Sensors for Epilepsy Needs and Safety) research project. This project, led by the Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics at Dublin City University, explores whether seizure-alert assistance dogs, equipped with wearable technology, can help detect and alert to seizures before they happen. The science behind the sniff The concept rests on a growing body of research suggesting that dogs can detect seizures before they occur by picking up on subtle changes in human scent. These changes involve volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are released through our breath, skin, sweat, and other bodily fluids. Everyone's VOC profile is unique, and research indicates it may change prior to a seizure. Studies from Florida International University and Canine Assistants have shown that specially trained dogs can detect these changes up to an hour in advance of a seizure. Research by Dr. Neil Powell and a team at Queen's University Belfast found that even untrained pet dogs exhibit unusual behaviour, such as nudging, barking or pawing, when their owner is about to have a seizure. What dogs can do with smell is extraordinary. While humans have around five million scent receptors in their noses, dogs can have up to 300 million, depending on the breed. Dogs can layer scents, the way humans might hear individual instruments in an orchestra. This allows them to pick up a specific odour, like a pre-seizure VOC, even in a crowded, noisy, or chaotic environment. Dog collar motion sensors While previous efforts focused solely on training dogs to detect and alert to seizures, this research adds a vital second layer with a sensor-equipped dog collar. When the dog detects the scent associated with an oncoming seizure, it responds with a specific trained alert behaviour, such as spinning. This alerts to the person that a seizure is imminent. From Insider Science, how dogs sniff out seizures The dog wears a collar with motion sensors that track the alerting spin behaviour. When the collar detects this movement, it can automatically send an alert to a family member, friend or other designated contact, along with the GPS location of the person who is about to have a seizure. This advance notice gives the individual time to get to safety and allows others to step in and provide support. Safeguarding dogs in research The idea of dogs playing a role in medical detection is not new. They have been studied in contexts ranging from cancer detection to hypoglycaemia alerts. However, epilepsy poses distinct challenges as seizures often happen silently and without warning, which demands both fast and reliable alert systems. Training the dogs and carefully matching them to individuals is critical. Although seizure alert dogs are not currently available through Dogs for the Disabled, they are managing the matching, training and ongoing support for the dogs as part of this research. Dogs have spent thousands of years watching over us and it important that the same is done for them. What science is beginning to measure, dogs have long been able to sense 'Not a silver bullet' Wearable technology has made significant strides in detecting certain types of seizures, but its ability to reliably predict seizures is still limited. Combining technology with dogs' scent detection capabilities may offer a more adaptive and reliable solution, but PAWSENSE is not a silver bullet. It is a multidisciplinary effort addressing a complex issue with nuance and care. If successful, this model could be adapted internationally, or even applied to other conditions where behavioural or scent cues signal health events. Crucially, the project acknowledges the emotional toll epilepsy takes. A dependable alert system might not stop seizures from happening, but it can still make a big difference. Just knowing that a warning will come, and that help is on the way, may ease anxiety and bring peace of mind, helping people feel safer and more confident in their daily lives. The question remains however, can such a system become broadly accessible through public healthcare, or will it remain a niche, privately supported tool? What science is beginning to measure, dogs have long been able to sense. This research provides a glimpse into how we might learn from nature to shape the healthcare tools of tomorrow.
RTÉ News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Behind the music - Let's Be Frank
Experimental jazz act and Frank Sinatra covers band Let's Be Frank have released their debut single, a cover of Fly Me To The Moon. We asked led singer James Gallen the BIG questions . . . The band was founded in November 2023 by Dublin City University jazz students and they are "on a mission to rekindle the soul of the Rat Pack era, delivering fresh takes on Sinatra classics with youthful energy, and sharp arrangements". "Our goal is to capture the elegance and swagger of Sinatra, but give it a heartbeat that feels relevant today," says James. Tell us three things about yourself . . . I'm a 20-year-old singer/songwriter and Jazz music is my happy place. Great to sing with the band Let's be Frank, we're all Jazz and Contemporary Music students at Dublin City University and we bring a fresh take on classic Sinatra tunes and everything Jazz in between. The band members are Joey Leamy, Theo Johnson, Sean Crehan and Jarlath Byrne and we love what we do! I'm happy to be stepping in to a career in music. We've released the first single from our upcoming first album Let's Be Frank, which we had a privilege of recording with Stu Gray at Jealoustown Studios, with mastering by the great Billy Farrell. How would you describe your music? A modern uplift on the great classics of the 1950s and 60s. Frank Sinatra, Chet Baker and, in terms of vocals, I'm a big fan of Mel Tormè. With this mix, you've got an exceptional baritone, a world-class trumpeter and a distinct voice of velvet that stood out of its time. What was the first gig you ever went to? I'd love to say it was Sinatra, but I wasn't around when he was singing in his prime! I believe Take That at Croke park was my first gig - great melodies but not sure that's my thing (but thanks to parents for the ticket!). What was the first record you ever bought? Frank Sinatra's Watertown album from 1970. Really, this is my favourite album to date. It tells a wonderful story in just ten tracks and, in many ways, is a forgotten masterpiece. If you've any interest in hearing a unique music offering I recommend you give it a listen. What's your favourite song right now? I Would be in Love Anyway from Watertown. Our upcoming first album will include our own interpretation of that song. Favourite lyric of all time? "Can't you see that you're leading me on, But it's just what I want you to do, Don't you notice how hopelessly I'm lost, Thats why I'm following you" - Misty by the pianist Erroll Garner, 1954. If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be? It has got to be Autumn Leaves by Joseph Kosma (1945), which is an English version of an older French song, Les Feuilles Mortes (The Dead Leaves). It's really the go-to song for anyone with a love of jazz music, and it's such good fun to improvise as a singer. Where can people find your music/more information? You can visit our website or you can visit our Instagram at @_lets_be_frank_band_.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Transplant patient's plan for mortgage, marathon, marriage and Master's after op
A woman who has had two kidney transplants after a lifetime of ill-health is now set for this weekend's mini marathon in Dublin. Jessie Doyle, 29, is not only in training for the big run on Sunday – she has also bought a house, is planning her marriage and finishing her university Master's degree. Jessie has revealed her mortgage, marathon, marriage and Master's schedule to highlight the crucial work of the Irish Kidney Association (IKA). She said: 'It's a full-circle moment. For so long, I couldn't plan for the future. Now I'm doing it all at once by running, graduating and getting married. I spent years being sick, staring out the hospital window, wishing I could just be outside walking. Now, I have that freedom, and I want to use it.' This June Bank Holiday Weekend, Jessie, who is from Westmeath but now lives in Santry, Co Dublin, takes on the Vhi Women's Mini Marathon for the very first time. A spokesperson for the IKA said Jessie's story is a 'powerful symbol of resilience and gratitude' that was made 'possible by her donors' and two kidney transplants. Despite years of illness and fatigue and unexplained symptoms, it was not until Jessie was 17 years old that she was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. The Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore in Offaly confirmed the chronic kidney disease and revealed that her kidney function had dropped to 30 per cent. The next 12 years were filled with illness, dialysis treatment, her first kidney transplant at age 20 in 2016 and her second at age 27 in 2023. Jessie said: 'In school, I was often seen as an anxious child who was always unwell. It wasn't until I went to the doctor with abdominal pain that they discovered high protein levels in my urine which pointed towards kidney problems. I was still in school, doing my Leaving Cert. It was a really tough time. It was very isolating. I missed months of school, couldn't go out with friends, and often felt like nobody understood what I was going through. 'For my 18th birthday celebration, I had one drink and went home to bed as I was feeling exhausted. I started dialysis after completing my Leaving Cert and by then my kidney function had fallen to 12 per cent.' Hospital dialysis meant Jessie delayed university and registered to go on the kidney transplant waiting list. After her first transplant, Jessie said it took 'three weeks for the donor kidney to begin working properly and I gradually began to feel energised'. She added: 'I felt like a different person.' After putting her life on hold for dialysis, Jessie was finally able to go to university to study Multimedia at Dublin City University (DCU). She also completed a Master's degree in Climate Change, Policy and Media – but her kidney function began to deteriorate in 2021. Jessie said: 'It was devastating to be back on dialysis. My renal consultant told me I could be waiting for up to four years for another transplant. 'It was a huge blow. I had only been on dialysis for four weeks. Then, that same evening, I received the call, there was a perfect match for me. I couldn't believe it, that my wait on the transplant list was so short.' Jessie's second transplant was successful. Unlike the first, the kidney began functioning immediately and she was discharged from hospital in just five days. She is now planning her future with her fiancé Aaron Hoey and the couple have just bought a house and are preparing for their wedding on September 6. A few weeks later, Jessie will graduate with her second Master's degree, this one in Visual Communications from TU Dublin. A spokesperson for the IKA said: 'Taking part in the VHI Mini Marathon is a powerful symbol of everything Jessie has fought to overcome. With her health restored, she is not only stepping up to the start line in Dublin city centre, she's also planning for two big events this September - her wedding in Kilkenny and to graduate with her second Master's from college.' There are over 2,500 people in Ireland receiving dialysis treatment and over 500 of them are on a waiting list for a kidney transplant. More information on the Irish Kidney Association is available on its website. Jessie told potential donors: 'You don't just give someone an organ, you give them their life back. I wouldn't be here without my donors. It's the most selfless act imaginable. I remain eternally grateful to my donors' families.'
