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BY EXAMINING PROCESSES AND EVENTS THAT HAVE INFLUENCED THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHITENESS, THIS ESSAY CONSIDERS SOME OF THE WAYS IT BECOMES BOTH VISIBLE AND MEANINGFUL TO WHITES, PARTICULARLY YOUNG WHITE COLLEGE STUDENTS. IT DISCUSSES THE INFLUENCE OF IDENTITY POLITICS ON THE RAISING OF WHITES' CONSCIOUSNESS. IT THEN ARGUES THAT THE POLITICAL AND CULTURAL MOBILIZATION OF RACIALLY DEFINED MINORITIES HAS FORCED YOUNG WHITES TO THINK ABOUT WHO THEY ARE RACIALLY IN RELATION TO OTHER RACIAL GROUPS. IT THEN CONTENDS THAT THE DECLINE OF ETHNICITY AMONG LATER-GENERATION WHITES HAS CREATED AN IDENTITY VACUUM. FINALLY, IT CONNECTS THESE TRENDS TO THE RIGHT'S ATTEMPT TO RECONSTRUCT WHITE AS A NONRACIST CULTURAL IDENTITY.

In November 2014, the European Union (Member Organization) (EU) published a new Regulation to address invasive alien species (IAS) and protect biodiversity. This Regulation entered into force across the EU in January 2015. Its aim is to "prevent the introduction of, control or eradicate alien species which threaten ecosystems, habitats or species". In an effort to provide focus to the Regulation prior to its publishing and to identify the major issues relating to IAS in Europe (28 countries of the EU and other European countries), the views of invasive species experts from around the world were sought. These were consolidated at an international conference (Freshwater Invasives – Networking for Strategy [FINS]) that was held in Ireland in April 2013. A major outcome from this meeting of experts was the production of the "Top 20" IAS issues that relate primarily to freshwater habitats but are also directly relevant to marine and terrestrial ecosystems. This list will support policy-makers throughout the EU as preparations are made to implement this important piece of legislation. A further outcome from the conference was the formation of an expert IAS advisory group to support EIFAAC in its work on invasive species.

Yes ; Personalised nutrition (PN) has the potential to reduce disease risk and optimise health and performance. Although previous research has shown good acceptance of the concept of PN in the UK, preferences regarding the delivery of a PN service (e.g. online v. face-to-face) are not fully understood. It is anticipated that the presence of a free at point of delivery healthcare system, the National Health Service (NHS), in the UK may have an impact on end-user preferences for deliverances. To determine this, supplementary analysis of qualitative data obtained from focus group discussions on PN service delivery, collected as part of the Food4Me project in the UK and Ireland, was undertaken. Irish data provided comparative analysis of a healthcare system that is not provided free of charge at the point of delivery to the entire population. Analyses were conducted using the 'framework approach' described by Rabiee (Focus-group interview and data analysis. Proc Nutr Soc 63, 655-660). There was a preference for services to be led by the government and delivered face-to-face, which was perceived to increase trust and transparency, and add value. Both countries associated paying for nutritional advice with increased commitment and motivation to follow guidelines. Contrary to Ireland, however, and despite the perceived benefit of paying, UK discussants still expected PN services to be delivered free of charge by the NHS. Consideration of this unique challenge of free healthcare that is embedded in the NHS culture will be crucial when introducing PN to the UK.

Globally, Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are considered to be one of the major threats to native biodiversity, with the World Conservation Union (IUCN) citing their impacts as 'immense, insidious, and usually irreversible'. It is estimated that 11% of the c. 12,000 alien species in Europe are invasive, causing environmental, economic and social damage; and it is reasonable to expect that the rate of biological invasions into Europe will increase in the coming years. In order to assess the current position regarding IAS in Europe and to determine the issues that were deemed to be most important or critical regarding these damaging species, the international Freshwater Invasives - Networking for Strategy (FINS) conference was convened in Ireland in April 2013. Delegates from throughout Europe and invited speakers from around the world were brought together for the conference. These comprised academics, applied scientists, policy makers, politicians, practitioners and representative stakeholder groups. A horizon scanning and issue prioritization approach was used by in excess of 100 expert delegates in a workshop setting to elucidate the Top 20 IAS issues in Europe. These issues do not focus solely on freshwater habitats and taxa but relate also to marine and terrestrial situations. The Top 20 issues that resulted represent a tool for IAS management and should also be used to support policy makers as they prepare European IAS legislation.

Ireland, being an island situated on Europe's western seaboard, has a fewer number of native species than mainland European Union Member States (MS). Increased numbers of vectors and pathways have reduced the island's biotic isolation, increasing the risk of new introductions and their associated impacts on native biodiversity. It is likely that these risks are greater here than they are in continental MSs, where the native biodiversity is richer. A horizon scanning approach was used to identify the most likely invasive alien species (IAS) (with the potential to impact biodiversity) to arrive on the island of Ireland within the next ten years. To achieve this, we used a consensus-based approach, whereby expert opinion and discussion groups were utilised to establish and rank a list of 40 species of the most likely terrestrial, freshwater and marine IAS to arrive on the island of Ireland within the decade 2017–2027. The list of 40 included 18 freshwater, 15 terrestrial and seven marine IAS. Crustacean species (freshwater and marine) were taxonomically dominant (11 out of 40); this reflects their multiple pathways of introduction, their ability to act as ecosystem engineers and their resulting high impacts on biodiversity. Freshwater species dominated the top ten IAS (seven species out of ten), with the signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) highlighted as the most likely species to arrive and establish in freshwaters, while roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) (second) and the warm-water barnacle (Hesperibalanus fallax) (fifth), were the most likely terrestrial and marine invaders. This evidence-based list provides important information to the relevant statutory agencies in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to prioritise the prevention of the most likely invaders and aid in compliance with legislation, in particular the EU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (EU 1143/2014). Targeted biosecurity in both jurisdictions is urgently required in order to manage the pathways and vectors of arrival, and is vital to maintaining native biodiversity on the island of Ireland.