Stephen Thornhill

We demonstrated that an electronic field-effect transistor (FET) can be made from patterned monolayer or bilayer graphene nanoribbons. The FET performance can be achieved regardless of structural defects (either edge defects or topological defects). The I-V characteristics of resulting FETs are similar to those made from single-walled carbon nanotubes. This one-dimensional functional device is very useful for future nanoscale electronics.

BACKGROUND: Undernutrition is a significant challenge in Ethiopia, where limited dietary diversity and widespread micronutrient deficiencies affect millions, especially women of reproductive age. Although much research has explored dietary gaps and practices, the impact of the food environment (FE) on diet quality remains understudied. This study examines how FE factors influence dietary quality, using a food systems approach to inform sustainable nutrition policies. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 1,828 households was utilized to assess women's dietary quality using Poisson regression, with food environment (FE) components and socioeconomic variables predicting four indicators: women's diet diversity score (WDDS), fruit and vegetable score (FVS), global dietary quality score (GDQS), and household diet diversity score (HDDS). RESULTS: Dietary diversity was low, with fewer than 20% of women meeting the minimum recommendation; however, improvement was observed with higher quality food environments (FE). Starchy staples dominated consumption across all FE, while pulses and dark green leafy vegetables increased in households with medium and high FE. Low household dietary diversity (average 6.23) and a GDQS of 20.7 (far below the maximum of 49) indicate widespread deficiency. Poisson regression (adjusted for socioeconomic covariates) showed that a high FE score significantly predicted better diet quality compared to a low FE score: 27% higher WDDS (exp(β) = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.22-1.32, p < 0.001), 43% higher FVS (exp(β) = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.33-1.54, p < 0.001), 5% higher GDQS (exp(β) = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02-1.08, p < 0.001), and 48% higher HDDS (exp(β) = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.43-1.54, p < 0.001). The results demonstrate consistent and significant associations between higher food environment (FE) scores and improved diet quality across all four dietary metrics. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the critical influence of food environments-encompassing market food diversity, physical access (e.g., food availability), economic access (e.g., affordability), and supportive infrastructure (e.g., roads, transportation, financial services)-on improving dietary quality among Ethiopian women and household food security. High food prices, socioeconomic disparities, and regional variations limit access to nutrient-rich foods (e.g., fruits, vegetables, animal-sourced products), particularly for low-income households. To enhance dietary quality and health outcomes, policymakers should prioritize interventions that expand diverse food markets, strengthen rural infrastructure (roads, transportation), and improve affordability through targeted economic support and price stabilization, ensuring equitable access to nutritious foods. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

ABSTRACT Food insecurity and inadequate dietary diversity worsen undernutrition in Ethiopia, hindering progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals and the Seqota Declaration's objective to eliminate hunger and chronic undernutrition by 2030. This study investigates the prevalence and causes of household food insecurity and dietary diversity among pregnant and lactating women (PLW) in the Seqota Declaration pilot woredas of the Tekeze River basin, situated in the Amhara and Tigray regions. A cross‐sectional survey conducted from March to April 2018 sampled 2036 households across 13 Seqota Declaration woredas. Food insecurity was assessed using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and the Months of Adequate Household Food Provisioning (MAHFP) scale. Women's Dietary Diversity Score (WDDS) was evaluated for 642 PLW. Logistic and Poisson regression models identified predictors of food insecurity and dietary diversity, respectively. More than half of households in Tigray (55.0%) and Amhara (59.5%) experienced moderate to severe food insecurity. Only 7% of pregnant and lactating women (PLW) in Tigray and 10% in Amhara met the minimum dietary diversity requirements. Older household heads and those with lower wealth status faced a higher risk of food insecurity. Increased livestock ownership, improved land and water management practices, and greater production diversity were linked to lower odds of food insecurity. A larger land size (adjusted incidence rate ratio (AIRR) 1.04 per hectare, p = 0.017) and higher wealth status (AIRR 1.19 for the wealthiest quintile (Q5), p = 0.043; AIRR 1.17 for Q4, p = 0.044) improved Women's Dietary Diversity Score (WDDS). Seqota Declaration interventions should prioritize asset building, crop diversification, and improved land and water management to increase food security and dietary diversity. More research is needed to determine how market food availability, affordability, and recent events, such as conflicts and droughts, impact these predictors.

This paper will explore the implementation of an innovative masters' programme in rural development, a partnership between University College Cork and universities in Ethiopia, which is undergoing an expansion process. It will reflect on the experiences, difficulties, opportunities, and occasionally unexpected outcomes that such partnerships and initiatives present. The programme, begun as a partnership between University College Cork's Department of Food Business and Development and Mekelle University in Ethiopia, is run as a part-time degree, with periods of intensive teaching several times a year, teaching being shared by the two participating universities. It is attractive to both statutory and non-governmental organisations as throughout the programme, participants can continue to work in their own institutions, while much of the course- work involves reflection on the participants' own work. July 2009 saw the graduation of a second cohort of twenty students, and October 2009 will see two new cohorts commence, in Mekelle and Hawassa Universities. Two other universities in Ethiopia have expressed interest in the programme. The expansion to a second Ethiopian university at Hawassa contributes to a national strategy to enhance the capacities of experienced practitioners in the area of rural development across Ethiopia, a strategy determined by the Ethiopian government, and supported by organisations such as Irish Aid and the World Bank. The enhanced capacities of recent MSc graduates have been well recognised within their organisations, reflected in the continued and increased participation of these organisations in the programme. A critical component of the programme is the development of academic capacity within each of the partner universities, which has seen a parallel PhD programme emerge to create this capacity.