Digital Commons Network^™

Generation Of A Fully Human Scfv That Binds Tumor-Specific Glycoforms, Zhongpeng Lu, Kalika Kamat, Blake P. Johnson, Catherin C. Yin, Nathalie Scholler, Karen L. Abbott

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Tumor-specific glycosylation changes are an attractive target for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Periostin is a glycoprotein with high expression in many tumors of epithelial origin including ovarian cancer. Strategies to target the peptide portion of periostin as a diagnostic or therapeutic biomarker for cancer are limited due to increased expression of periostin in non-cancerous inflammatory conditions. Here, we have screened for antibody fragments that recognize the tumor-specific glycosylation present on glycoforms of periostin containing bisecting N-glycans in ovarian cancer using a yeast-display library of antibody fragments, while subtracting those that bind to the periostin protein with glycoforms …

Heavy-Atom-Free Bodipy Photosensitizers With Intersystem Crossing Mediated By Intramolecular Photoinduced Electron Transfer, Mikhail Filatov

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Organic photosensitizers possessing efficient intersystem crossing (ISC) and forming long-living triplet excited states, play a crucial role in a number of applications. A common approach in the design of such dyes relies on the introduction of heavy atoms (e.g. transition metals or halogens) into the structure, which promote ISC via spin–orbit coupling interaction. In recent years, alternative methods to enhance ISC have been actively studied. Among those, the generation of triplet excited states through photoinduced electron transfer (PET) in heavy-atom-free molecules has attracted particular attention because it allows for the development of photosensitizers with programmed triplet state and fluorescence quantum …

Drinking Wine And Saving Ancient Steep Vineyards: Interview With Winemaker Martin Müllen (Mosel), Anke Klitzing

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I spoke with winemaker Martin Müllen about the challenges and rewards of cultivating and maintaining the ancient steep vineyards along the Mosel river, which yield amazingly complex Riesling wines and have been renowned for centuries.

Effectiveness Of Prescribed Fire To Re-Establish Sagebrush Steppe Vegetation And Ecohydrologic Function On Woodland-Encroached Sagebrush Reangelands, Great Basin, Usa: Part Ii: Runoff And Sediment Transport At The Patch Scale, Sayjro K. Nouwakpo, Christopher Jason Williams, Frederick B. Pierson, Mark A. Weltz, Patrick R. Kormos, Osama Z. Al-Hamdan

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Woody species encroachment into herbaceous and shrub-dominated vegetations is a concern in many rangeland ecosystems of the world. Arrival of woody species into affected rangelands leads to changes in the spatial structure of vegetation and alterations of biophysical processes. In the western USA, encroachment of pinyon (Pinus spp.) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) tree species into sagebrush steppes poses a threat to the proper ecohydrological functioning of these ecosystems. Prescribed fire has been proposed and used as one rangeland improvement practice to restore sagebrush steppe from pinyon-juniper encroachment. Short-term effects of burning on the ecohydrologic response of these systems …

The Effect Of Calcium Alginate Entrapment On The Stability Of Novel Lipases From P. Reinekei And P. Brenneri, Priyanka Priyanka, Gemma K. Kinsella, Gary T. Henehan, Barry J. Ryan

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The high cost of soluble enzymes can limit their use for commercial and industrial purposes. Immobilization can enhance enzyme reusability, thereby reducing product isolation costs and overcoming this economic barrier. In the current study, two novel, purified lipases from Pseudomonas sp. (Pseudomonas reinekei and Pseudomonas brenneri) were entrapped in a calcium alginate matrix, with the aim of simultaneously enhancing enzyme reusability and stability. Following entrapment, the retained activity of the enzyme-alginate composite was verified by an enzymatic hydrolysis reaction of a p-nitrophenol palmitate substrate. The effect of the enzyme-alginate entrapment against various physiochemical parameters such as pH, temperature, metal ions, …

Seaweeds As Nutraceuticals For Health And Nutrition, Emer Shannon, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

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Throughout human history, seaweeds have been used as food, folk remedies, dyes, and as mineral-rich fertilisers. Seaweeds as nutraceuticals or functional foods with dietary benefits beyond their fundamental macronutrient content are now a major research and industrial development concept. The occurrence of dietary and lifestyle related diseases, notably type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, and metabolic syndrome has become a health epidemic in developed countries. Global epidemiological studies have shown that countries where seaweed is consumed on a regular basis have significantly fewer instances of obesity and dietary-related disease. This review outlines recent developments in seaweed applications for human health from …

Cold Atmospheric Plasma Induces Accumulation Of Lysosomes And Caspase-Independent Cell Death In U373mg Glioblastoma Multiforme Cells, Gillian Conway, Zhonglei He, Ana L. Hutanu, George P. Cribaro, Eline Manaloto, Alan Casey, Damien Traynor, Vladimir Milosavljevic, Orla Howe, Carlos Barcia, James T. Murray, Patrick Cullen, James Curtin

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Room temperature Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) has shown promising efficacy for the treatment of cancer but the exact mechanisms of action remain unclear. Both apoptosis and necrosis have been implicated as the mode of cell death in various cancer cells. We have previously demonstrated a caspase-independent mechanism of cell death in p53-mutated glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells exposed to plasma. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in caspase-independent cell death induced by plasma treatment. We demonstrate that plasma induces rapid cell death in GBM cells, independent of caspases. Accumulation of vesicles was observed in plasma …

The Statistical Optimisation Of Recombinant Β-Glucosidase Production Through A Two-Stage, Multi-Model, Design Of Experiments Approach, Albert Uhoraningoga, Gemma K. Kinsella, Jesus Maria Frias, Gary T. Henehan, Barry J. Ryan

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β-glucosidases are a class of enzyme that are widely distributed in the living world, with examples noted in plants, fungi, animals and bacteria. They offer both hydrolysis and synthesis capacity for a wide range of biotechnological processes. However, the availability of native, or the production of recombinant β-glucosidases, is currently a bottleneck in the widespread industrial application of this enzyme. In this present work, the production of recombinant β-glucosidase from Streptomyces griseus was optimised using a Design of Experiments strategy, comprising a two-stage, multi-model design. Three screening models were comparatively employed: Fractional Factorial, Plackett-Burman and Definitive Screening Design. Four variables …

Pka, Caspase 1 And Hsp40 Induced Apoptosis Under Fungi Starvation, Tobiloba Sojinrin, Kangze Liu, Daxiang Cui, James Curtin, Furong Tian

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To investigate the influence of starvation on the biochemical response of Aspergillus niger. The biochemical impact of starvation was determined by morphological observation, immunofluorescent analysis, High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and western blot over 8 days. Results showed that starvation can inhibit fungi survival rate in a time-dependent manner. A. niger exhibited active responses to starvation such as secretion of some 40 kDa proteins to manage changes in water balance. Conidiophores disintegrated from lack of nutrient. The immunofluorescent analysis demonstrated elevated ROS accumulation in starved cells (PA. niger growth by inducing cell apoptosis.

Near-Complete Genome Sequences Of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Indiana Laboratory Strains Hr And T1026r1 And Plaque Isolates 22-20 And 22-25, Thomas M. Russell, Evan E. Santo, Lisa Golebiewski, Nathan S. Haseley, Maureen Ferran

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We report four near-complete genome sequences of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) Indiana obtained with Sanger and Illumina next-generation sequencing, namely, laboratory strains HR (heat resistant) and T1026R1 and isolates 22-20 and 22-25. Previously, only the M gene of these viruses had been sequenced, and these sequences were not deposited in GenBank.

Effect Of Fermentation On Enhancing The Nutraceutical Properties Of Arthrospira Platensis (Spirulina), Elena Demarcocastro, Emer Shannon, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

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Abstract:Arthrospira platensis(spirulina), a filamentous fresh-water planktonic cyanobacterium,possesses diverse biological activities and a unique nutritional profile, due to its high contentof valuable nutrients. This study aimed to further improve the bioactive profile of spirulina, byfermenting it with the lactic acid bacteriumLactobacillus plantarum.In vitrocomparison of thetotal phenolic content (TPC), C-phycocyanin, free methionine, DPPH radical scavenging capacity,ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and proteinfragmentation via SDS-PAGE in untreated versus 12 to 72 h fermented spirulina is reported here.After 36 h fermentation, TPC was enhanced by 112%, FRAP by 85% and ORAC by 36%. After 24 h,the DPPH radical scavenging …

Long-Term Evidence For Fire As An Ecohydrologic Threshold-Reversal Mechanism On Woodland-Encroached Sagebrush Shrublands, Christopher Jason Williams, Frederick B. Pierson, Sayjro K. Nouwakpo, Patrick R. Kormos, Osama Z. Al-Hamdan, Mark A. Weltz

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Encroachment of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) shrublands by pinyon (Pinus spp.) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) conifers (woodland encroachment) induces a shift from biotic‐controlled resource retention to abiotic‐driven loss of soil resources. This shift is driven by a coarsening of the vegetation structure with increasing dominance of site resources by trees. Competition between the encroaching trees and understory vegetation for limited soil and water resources facilitates extensive bare intercanopy area between trees and concomitant increases in run‐off and erosion that, over time, propagate persistence of the shrubland‐to‐woodland conversion. We evaluated whether tree removal by burning can decrease late‐succession woodland …

Effective Knowledge Transfer During Biopharmaceutical Technology Transfer - How Well Do We Do It?, Martin J. Lipa, Paige Kane, Anne Greene

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Author’s Note: This is the author’s submitted manuscript which has subsequently been published in the Journal of Validation Technology (www.ivtnetwork.com, Volume 25, Issue 4 – August 2019).

While knowledge management (KM) has been widely applied in other sectors, the international biopharmaceutical sector has struggled with the meaningful and sustained application of effective KM practices. This is evident even though KM has been highlighted in regulatory guidance for over 10 years, and the positive business impact of KM is well recognized in other sectors. This paper focuses on the topic of KM as applied to biopharmaceutical technology transfer, introducing …

Urban Aerobiological Risk Mapping Of Ornamental Trees Using A New Index Based On Lidar And Kriging: A Case Study Of Plane Trees, Raúl Pecero-Casimiro, Santiago Fernández-Rodríguez, Rafael Tormo-Molina, Alejandro Monroy-Colín, Inmaculada Silva-Palacios, Juan Pedro Cortés-Pérez, Ángela Gonzalo-Garijo, J. M. Maya-Manzano

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Ornamental trees bring benefits for human health, including reducing urban pollution. However, some species, such as plane trees (Platanus sp.), produce allergenic pollen. Consequently, urban maps are a valuable tool for allergic patients and allergists, but they often fail to include variables that contribute to the “building downwash effect”, such as the width and shape of streets and the height of buildings. Other factors that directly influence pollen dispersion (slopes and other geographical features) also have not traditionally been discussed. The LiDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) technique enables one to consider these variables with high accuracy. This work proposes …

Effect Of Cold Plasma On Polyphenol Oxidase Inactivation In Cloudy Apple Juice And On The Quality Parameters Of The Juice During Storage., A.E. Illera, S. Chaple, M.T. Sanz, S. Ng, P. Lu, J. Jones, E. Carey, Paula Bourke

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Direct cold plasma treatment has been investigated as an alternative non-thermal technology as a means of maintaining and improving quality of fresh cloudy apple juice. Process variables studied included type of plasma discharge, input voltage and treatment time on polyphenol oxidase (PPO) inactivation. Spark discharge plasma at 10.5 kV for 5 min was the best treatment, with near total inactivation of PPO achieved, although good PPO inactivation was also recorded using shorter treatment times. Residual activity (RA) of PPO was 16 and 27.6% after 5 and 4 min of treatment respectively. This PPO inactivation was maintained throughout the storage trials, …

From The Laboratory To The Vineyard—Evolution Of The Measurement Of Grape Composition Using Nir Spectroscopy Towards High-Throughput Analysis, Aoife Power, Vi Khanh Truong, James Chapman, Daniel Cozzolino

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Compared to traditional laboratory methods, spectroscopic techniques (e.g., near infrared, hyperspectralimaging)provideanalystswithaninnovativeandimprovedunderstandingofcomplex issuesbydeterminingseveralchemicalcompoundsandmetabolitesatonce,allowingforthecollection of the sample “fingerprint”. These techniques have the potential to deliver high-throughput options for the analysis of the chemical composition of grapes in the laboratory, the vineyard and before or during harvest, to provide better insights of the chemistry, nutrition and physiology of grapes. Faster computers, the development of software and portable easy to use spectrophotometers and data analytical methods allow for the development of innovative applications of these techniques for the analyses of grape composition.

Two-Dimensional Correlation Analysis Of Raman Microspectroscopy Of Subcellular Interactions Of Drugs In Vitro, Hugh Byrne, Franck Bonnier, Zeineb Farhane

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Two-dimensional (2D) correlation analysis is explored to data mine the time evolution of the characteristic Raman microspectroscopic signatures of the subcellular responses of the nucleoli of human lung cancer cells to the uptake of doxorubicin. A simulated dataset of experimental control spectra, perturbed with systematically time-dependent spectral changes, constituted by a short-term response which represents the initial binding of the drug in the nucleolus, followed by a longer term response of the organelle metabolism, is used to validate the analysis protocol. Applying 2D correlation analysis, the in phase, synchronous correlation coefficients are seen to contain contributions of both response profiles, …

Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis Of Therapeutic Solutions Using Raman And Infrared Spectroscopy, Alaa A. Makki, Franck Bonnier, Renaud Respaud, Fatma Chtara, Ali Tfayli, Clovis Tauber, Dominique Bertrand, Hugh Byrne, Elhadi Mohammed, Igor Chourpa

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Anticancer drugs are prescribed and administrated to an increasing number of patients on a daily basis. As a consequence, a number of concerns have been raised about the patient health and safety in the case that the drugs administered are not at the required concentration or even worse not the correct ones. Quality control of therapeutic solutions has therefore been extensively implemented in hospital environments, in order to avoid any failure in the intense workflow faced by administering pharmacists. In the present study, infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy have been employed for the analysis of 3 commercially available therapeutic solutions …

Raman Spectroscopic Analysis Of Saliva For The Diagnosis Of Oral Cancer: A Systematic Review, Genecy Calado, Isha Behl, Amuthachelvi Daniel, Hugh Byrne, Fiona Lyng

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Abstract Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, and new protocols for routine and early detection are required. Raman spectroscopy is an optical based method that can provide sensitive and non-invasive real time detailed information on the biochemical content of a sample like saliva, through the unique vibrations of its constituent molecules and this is sensitive to changes associated with disease. A comprehensive systematic review of the available scientific literature related to Raman spectroscopy of human saliva for diagnosis of OSCC was performed. The 785 nm laser line was most applied wavelength along with …

Raman Spectroscopy Of Blood Plasma Samples From Breast Cancer Patients At Different Stages., H. F. Nargis, H. Nawaz, A. Ditta, T. Mahmood, N. Rashid, M. Muddassar, M. I. Majeed, H. N. Bhatti, M. Saleem, K. Jilani, Franck Bonnier, Hugh Byrne

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Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy.

Numerically Modelling Time And Dose Dependent Cytotoxicity, Hugh Byrne, Marcus A. Maher

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Dose-response curves are fundamental tools of in vitro toxicology, extensively employed in toxicant or drug screening. They are expressed by a variety of end-points and assays, measured at different time-points in a choice of cell-lines, but are typically quantified only using the mean concentration for 50% response (e.g. drug efficacy or pathway inhibition) as an indicator of overall effect. However, the response is the result of a complex and dynamic cascade of events which occur between the initial exposure and the measured end-point, and the characteristic rates of the contributing stages govern the dose response and ultimately the measured characteristic …

Principal Components Analysis Of Raman Spectral Data For Screening Of Hepatitis C Infection, A. Dita, H. Nawaz, T. Mahmood, M. Tahir, N. Rashid, Muhammad Mudassar, A.A.H. Alsaadi, Hugh Byrne

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In the current study, Raman spectroscopy is employed for the identification of the biochemical changes taking place during the development of Hepatitis C. The Raman spectral data acquired from the human blood plasma samples of infected and healthy individuals is analysed by Principal Components Analysis and the Raman spectral markers of the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection are identified. Spectral changes include those associated with nucleic acidsat720 cm−1, 1077 cm−1 1678 (CO stretching mode of dGTP of RNA), 1778 cm−1 (RNA), with proteins at 1641 cm−1(amide-I), 1721 cm−1(CC stretching of proteins) and lipids at 1738 cm−1(CO of ester group in …

On The Use Of Vibrational Spectroscopy And Scanning Electron Microscopy To Study Phenolic Extractability Of Cooperage Byproducts In Wine, Berta Baca‑Bocanegra, Julio Nogales‑Bueno, Brian Gorey, Francisco José Heredia, Hugh Byrne, José Miguel Hernández‑Hierro

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Wood is an important source of phenolic compounds, which can be transferred to wine during aging process, improving its properties, from an organoleptic point of view. Therefore, understanding and optimizing the extractability of phenolic compounds from wood are crucial in the oenological field. The structural composition of oak wood samples has been evaluated using Raman and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR–FTIR) spectroscopies, and their main spectral features have been linked to phenolic compound extractabilities, as measured by classic chemical analyses. To support the analysis, microscopic images of the samples were also recorded using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The …

Interpreting And Reporting Principal Component Analysis In Food Science Analysis And Beyond, D. Cozzolino, A. Power, J. Chapman

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Principal component analysis (PCA) is one of the most widely used data mining techniques in sciences and applied to a wide type of datasets (e.g. sensory, instrumental methods, chemical data). However, several questions and doubts on how to interpret and report the results are still asked every day from students and researchers. This brief communication is inspired in relation to those questions asked by colleagues and students. Please note that this article is a focus on the practical aspects, use and interpretation of the PCA to analyse multiple or varied data sets. In summary, the application of the PCA provides …

Predicting Quality Attributes And Waste Of Strawberry Packed Under Modified Atmosphere Throughout The Cold Chain, Kompal Johsi, Brijesh Tiwari, Patrick Cullen, Jesus Maria Frias

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Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) is used commercially to extend the shelf life of strawberries. The attainment of desired gas (O2, CO2) concentrations inside MAP relies on the product respiration and the mass transfer through packaging and will affect the quality. The objective of this work is to build a mathematical model for strawberries to assess the effect of the uncertainties on headspace gas concentration and quality: 1) cold chain related temperature and relative humidity variations and 2) variability associated to product respiration and quality based on literature. Weight loss was more influenced by the cold chain storage conditions (temperature and …

Spent Coffee Waste As A Potential Media Component For Xylanase Production And Potential Application In Juice Enrichment, Rajeev Ravindran, Gwilym Williams, Amit Jaiswal

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In this study, spent coffee waste (SCW) was used as the sole carbon source for xylanase production in solid state fermentation mode using Aspergillus niger. A Box–Behnken design was constructed using three parameters viz. temperature, initial moisture content, and log number of sporestodeterminetheoptimalfermentationcondition. Thebestfermentationconditionsforxylanase productionwerefound to beincubation at30◦Cwith aninitial moisture contentof 70%and usingan inoculum of 6.5×106 spores/g of dry SCW. Furthermore, the design of experiments revealed that maintaining a medium composition of 0.2 g of yeast extract, 0.04 g of K2HPO4, and 0.03 g of MgSO4 increased xylanase production. Under optimised solid-state fermentation conditions an enzyme activity of 6495.6 IU/g …

Efficacy Of Cold Plasma Functionalised Water For Improving Microbiological Safety Of Fresh Produce And Wash Water Recycling, Apurva Patange, Peng Lu, Daniela Boehm, Patrick Cullen, Paula Bourke

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Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) is an effective method for microbiological decontamination. This study evaluated an alternative water-based decontamination approach for inactivation of bacterial population from fresh produce and in the wash water generated from fresh produce washing. The study characterised ACP inactivation of attached Listeria innocua and Pseudomonas fluorescens inoculated on lettuce in comparison to chlorine treatment. P. fluorescens was sensitive to ACP treatment and was reduced below detection limit within 3 min of treatment. L. innocua population was reduced by ∼2.4 Log10 CFU/g after 5 min of treatment; showing similar inactivation efficacy to chlorine treatment. The microbial load in …

Tmem203 Is A Binding Partner And Regulator Of Sting-Mediated Inflammatory Signaling In Macrophages, Yang Li, Sharmy J. Jmes, David H. Wylie, Claire Wynne, Agnes Czibula, Ahmed Bukhari, Katherine Pye, Seri Musfirah Bte Mustafah, Roberta Fajka-Boja, Adrienn Angyal, Zoltan Hegedus, Adrian V.S. Hill, Catherine A. Jefferies, Heather L. Wilson, Zhang Yongliang, Endre Kiss-Toth

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Regulation of IFN signaling is critical in host recognition and response to pathogens while its dysregulation underlies the pathogenesis of several chronic diseases. STimulator of IFN Genes (STING) has been identified as a critical mediator of IFN inducing innate immune pathways, but little is known about direct coregulators of this protein. We report here that TMEM203, a conserved putative transmembrane protein, is an intracellular regulator of STING-mediated signaling. We show that TMEM203 interacts, functionally cooperates, and comigrates with STING following cell stimulation, which in turn leads to the activation of the kinase TBK1, and the IRF3 transcription factor. This induces …

Measuring The Impact Of Oesophagectomy On Physical Functioning And Physical Activity Participation: A Prospective Study, E.M. Guinan, A.E. Bennett, Suzanne Doyle, Luke O'Neill, J. Gannon, G. Foley, J.A. Elliott, J. O'Sullivan, J.V. Reynolds, J. Hussey

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Background: Oesophagectomy remains the only curative intervention for oesophageal cancer, with defined nutritional and health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) consequences. It follows therefore that there is a significant risk of decline in physical wellbeing with oesophagectomy however this has been inadequately quantified. This study prospectively examines change in physical functioning and habitual physical activity participation, from presurgery through 6-months post-oesophagectomy. Methods: Patients scheduled for oesophagectomy with curative intent were recruited. Key domains of physical functioning including exercise tolerance (six-minute walk test (6MWT)) and muscle strength (hand-grip strength), and habitual physical activity participation, including sedentary behaviour (accelerometry) were measured presurgery (T0) …

The Abundance Of Akkermansia Muciniphila And Its Relationship With Sulphated Colonic Mucins In Health And Ulcerative Colitis, Helen Earley, Grainne Earley, Aine Balfe, J. Calvin Coffey, Desmond C. Winter, Ronan O'Connell

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Akkermansia muciniphila utilises colonic mucin as its substrate. Abundance is reduced in ulcerative colitis (UC), as is the relative proportion of sulphated mucin in the mucus gel layer (MGL). It is unknown if these phenomena are related, however reduced sulphated mucins could contribute to reduced abundance, owing to a lack of substrate. The aim of this study was to quantify A. muciniphila within the MGL and to relate these findings with markers of inflammation and the relative proportion of sulphomucin present. Colonic biopsies and mucus brushings were obtained from 20 patients with active UC (AC), 14 with quiescent UC (QUC) …