Life Sciences Commons^™

Monitoring And Modelling The Dynamics Of The Cellular Glycolysis Pathway: A Review And Future Perspectives, Nitin Patil, Hugh Byrne, Orla L. Howe, Paul A. Cahill

Articles

Background

The dynamics of the cellular glycolysis pathway underpin cellular function and dysfunction, and therefore ultimately health, disease, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Evolving our understanding of this fundamental process and its dynamics remains critical.

Scope of review

This paper reviews the medical relevance of glycolytic pathway in depth and explores the current state of the art for monitoring and modelling the dynamics of the process. The future perspectives of label free, vibrational microspectroscopic techniques to overcome the limitations of the current approaches are considered.

Major conclusions

Vibrational microspectroscopic techniques can potentially operate in the niche area of limitations of other …

Food Neophobia Across The Life Course: Pooling Data From Five National Cross-Sectional Surveys In Ireland, Daniel Hazley, Mairead Stack, Janette Walton, Breige A. Mcnulty, John Kearney

Articles

Food neophobia describes a reluctance to eat novel foods. Levels of food neophobia vary throughout life and are thought to peak in childhood. However, the trajectory of food neophobia across the life course is not fully clear. Using data from five national cross-sectional surveys in Ireland we explored levels of food neophobia in males and females aged 1–87 years. In addition, we assessed the influence of sociodemographic factors, breastfeeding and parental food neophobia on food neophobia. Food neophobia was measured using the Food Neophobia Scale in adults and adolescents and with the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire in preschool and school …

In Vivo Activity Of Metal Complexes Containing 1,10-Phenanthroline And 3,6,9-Trioxaundecanedioate Ligands Against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Infection In Galleria Mellonella Larvae, Megan O'Shaughnessy, Magdalena Piatek, Pauraic Mccarron, Malachy Mccann, Michael Devereux, Kevin Kavanagh, Orla L. Howe

Articles

Drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa is rapidly developing resulting in a serious global threat. Immunocompromised patients are specifically at risk, especially those with cystic fibrosis (CF). Novel metal complexes incorporating 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) ligands have previously demonstrated antibacterial and anti-biofilm effects against resistant P. aeruginosa from CF patients in vitro. Herein, we present the in vivo efficacy of {[Cu(3,6,9-tdda)(phen)₂]·₃H₂O·EtOH}_n (Cu-tdda-phen), {[Mn(3,6,9-tdda)(phen)₂]·₃H₂O·EtOH}_n (Mn-tdda-phen) and [Ag₂(3,6,9-tdda)(phen)₄]·EtOH (Ag-tdda-phen) (tddaH₂ = 3,6,9-trioxaundecanedioic acid). Individual treatments of these metal-tdda-phen complexes and in combination with the established antibiotic gentamicin were …

Enzymatic In-Situ Transesterification Of Neutral Lipids From Simulated Wastewater Cultured Chlorella Emersonii And Pseudokirchneriella Subcapitata To Sustainably Produce Fatty Acid Methyl Esters, Priyanka Priyanka, Gemma K. Kinsella, Gary Henehan, Barry J. Ryan

Articles

Alternative, more sustainable and environmentally positive, sources of energy are one of the current global challenges. One approach to achieving more sustainable sources of energy is to use waste from one system as a raw material for energy production, following the circular biosystem philosophy. This study successfully adopted this approach whereby microalgae strains Chlorella emersonii and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata were bioprospected and metabolically engineered in simulated wastewater supplemented with glucose to produce neutral lipids. Using a two-step cultivation approach neutral lipid content was enhanced in Chlorella emersonii and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata biomass. Via in-situ transesterification, these neutral lipids were subsequently bioconverted to …

Methylxanthines Inhibit Primary Amine Oxidase And Monoamine Oxidase Activities Of Human Adipose Tissue, Wiem Haj Ahmed, CéCile Peiro, Jessica Fontaine, Barry J. Ryan, Gemma K. Kinsella, Jeff O’Sullivan, Jean-Louis Grolleau, Gary T.M. Henehan, Christian CarpéNé

Articles

Abstract: Background: Methylxanthines including caffeine and theobromine are widely consumed compounds and were recently shown to interact with bovine copper-containing amine oxidase. To the best of our knowledge, no direct demonstration of any interplay between these phytochemicals and human primary amine oxidase (PrAO) has been reported to date. We took advantage of the coexistence of PrAO and monoamine oxidase (MAO) activities in human subcutaneous adipose tissue (hScAT) to test the interaction between several methylxanthines and these enzymes, which are involved in many key pathophysiological processes. Methods: Benzylamine, methylamine, and tyramine were used as substrates for PrAO and MAO in homogenates …

Breastfeeding Practices 2008–2009 Among Chinese Mothers Living In Ireland: A Mixed Methods Study, Qianling Zhou, Katherine Younger, Tanya M. Cassidey, Wenyi Wang, John Kearney

Articles

Background

Migration to another country has a potential influence on breastfeeding practices. A significant difference in breastfeeding rates between Irish nationals and non-nationals has been reported. This study was conducted to explore breastfeeding practices of the Chinese in Ireland, one of the largest Irish ethnic groups, and to explore the influence of living in Ireland on breastfeeding practices. This is the first and the only migration study so far on breastfeeding practices among the Chinese in Ireland.

Methods

A sequential explanatory mixed methods approach was adopted. The first phase was a cross-sectional self-administered retrospective mailed survey, to explore breastfeeding practices …

Nutrition, Behavior Change And Physical Activity Outcomes From The Pears Rct—An Mhealth-Supported, Lifestyle Intervention Among Pregnant Women With Overweight And Obesity, Kate M. Ainscough, Eileen C. O'Brien, Karen L. Lindsay, Maria A. Kenneally, Elizabeth J. O'Sullivan, Orna A. O'Brien, Mary Mccarthy, Giuseppe De Vito, Fionnuala M. Mcauliffe

Articles

Background: Diet quality and physical activity positively impact pregnancy outcomes among women with obesity, but successful lifestyle interventions require intense clinician time. We aimed to investigate the impact of a behavioral-lifestyle intervention (PEARS) supported by a smartphone app among pregnant women with overweight and obesity, on nutrient intake, behavioral stage-of-change and physical activity.

Methods: Pregnant women (BMI 25–39.9 kg/m2, measured, n = 565) were randomized at 15.6 weeks' gestation to the intervention (n = 278), or a control group (n = 287) (ISRCTN29316280). The intervention was grounded in behavior-change theory. Participants received nutrition (low glycaemic index and healthy …

Microfluidics In Haemostasis: A Review, Heta Jigar Panchal, Nigel Kent, Andrew Knox, Leanne Harris

Articles

Haemostatic disorders are both complex and costly in relation to both their treatment and subsequent management. As leading causes of mortality worldwide, there is an ever-increasing drive to improve the diagnosis and prevention of haemostatic disorders. The field of microfluidic and Lab on a Chip (LOC) technologies is rapidly advancing and the important role of miniaturised diagnostics is becoming more evident in the healthcare system, with particular importance in near patient testing (NPT) and point of care (POC) settings. Microfluidic technologies present innovative solutions to diagnostic and clinical challenges which have the knock-on effect of improving health care and quality …

Cu(Ii) Phenanthroline-Phenazine Complexes Dysregulate Mitochondrial Function And Stimulate Apoptosis, Garret Rochford, Zara Molphy, Kevin Kavanagh, Malachy Mccann, Michael Devereux, Andrew Kellett, Orla L. Howe

Articles

Herein we report an in-depth study on the cytotoxic mechanism of action of four developmental cytotoxic copper(II) complexes: [Cu(phen)2]2+ (Cu-Phen); [Cu(DPQ)(Phen)]2+ (Cu-DPQ-Phen); [Cu(DPPZ)(Phen)]2+; and [Cu(DPPN)(Phen)]2+ (where Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, DPQ = dipyrido[3,2-f:20,30-h]quinoxaline, DPPZ = dipyrido[3,2-a:20,30-c]phenazine, and DPPN = benzo[i]dipyrido[3,2-a:20,30-c]phenazine). This complex class is known for its DNA intercalative properties and recent evidence—derived from an in vivo proteomic study—supports the potential targeting of mitochondrial function. Therefore, we focused on mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis related to cytotoxic activity and the potential impact these agents have on mitochondrial function. The Cu(II) complexes demonstrated superior activity regardless of aromatic extension within the phenazine ligand to the …

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

Articles

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 …

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

Articles

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 …

Biological Membranes In Ev Biogenesis, Stability, Uptake, And Cargo Transfer: An Isev Position Paper Arising From The Isev Membranes And Evs Workshop, Ashley E. Russell, Alexandra Sneider, Kenneth W. Witwer, Paola Bergese, Suvendra N. Bhattacharyya, Alexander Cocks, Emanuele Cocucci, Uta Erdbrugger, Juan M. Falcon-Perez, David W. Freeman, Thomas M. Gallagher, Shuaishuai Hu, Yiyao Huang, Steven M. Jay, Shin-Ichi Kano, Gregory Lavieu, Aleksandra Leszczynska, Alicia M. Llorente, Quan Lu, Vasiliki Mahairaki, Dillon C. Muth, Nicole Noren Hooten, Matias Ostrowski, Ilaria Prada, Susmita Sahoo, Tine Hiroth Schoyen, Lifu Sheng, Deanna Tesch, Guillaume Van Niel, Roosmarijn E. Vandenbroucke, Frederik J. Verweij, Ana V. Villar, Marca Wauben, Hang Yin, David Raul Francisco Carter, Pieter Vader

Articles

Paracrine and endocrine roles have increasingly been ascribed to extracellular vesicles (EVs) generated by multicellular organisms. Central to the biogenesis, content, and function of EVs are their delimiting lipid bilayer membranes. To evaluate research progress on membranes and EVs, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) conducted a workshop in March 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, bringing together key opinion leaders and hands-on researchers who were selected on the basis of submitted applications. The workshop was accompanied by two scientific surveys and covered four broad topics: EV biogenesis and release; EV uptake and fusion; technologies and strategies used to study …

Disarming Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Virulence By The Inhibitory Action Of 1,10-Phenanthroline-5,6-Dione- Based Compounds: Elastase B (Lasb) As A Chemotherapeutic Target, Anna Clara M. Galdino, Livia Vigano, Aleaxandre A. De Castron, Elaine F.F; Da Cunha, Thais P. Mello, Larissa M. Mattos, Marcos D. Pereira, Mary Hunt, Megan O'Shaughnessy, Orla L. Howe, Michael Devereux, Malachy Mccann, Teodorico C. Ramalho, Marta H. Branquinha, André L.S. Santos

Articles

negative pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and this enzyme orchestrates several physiopathological events during bacteria-host interplays. LasB is considered to be a potential target for the development of an innovative chemotherapeutic approach, especially against multidrug-resistant strains. Recently, our group showed that 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione (phendione), [Ag(phendione)2]ClO4 (Ag-phendione) and [Cu(phendione)3](ClO4)2.4H2O (Cu-phendione) had anti-P. aeruginosa action against both planktonic- and biofilm-growing cells. In the present work, we have evaluated the effects of these compounds on the (i) interaction with the lasB active site using in silico approaches, (ii) lasB proteolytic activity by using a specific fluorogenic peptide substrate, (iii) lasB gene expression by real time-polymerase chain …

Visceral Adipose Tissue Modulates Radiosensitivity In Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma, Ann Marie Mongan, Niamh Lynam-Lennon, Suzanne Doyle, Rory Casey, Eibhlin Carr, Aoife Cannon, Melissa J Conroy, Graham P Pidgeon, Lorraine Brennan, Joanne Lysaght, John V. Reynolds, Jacintha O’Sullivan

Articles

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) is an exemplar model of obesity-associated cancer. Response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NA CRT) is a clinical challenge. We examined if visceral adipose tissue and obesity status alter radiosensitivity in OAC. The radioresistant (OE33R) and radioresponsive (OE33P) OAC isogenic model was cultured with adipose tissue conditioned media from three patient cohorts: non-cancer patients, surgery only OAC patients and NA CRT OAC patients. Cell survival was characterised by clonogenic assay, metabolomic profiling by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and adipokine receptor gene expression by qPCR. A retrospective in vivo study compared tumour response to NA CRT in normal weight (n=53) …

Subjective And Objective Assessment Of Taste And Smell Sensation In Advanced Cancer, Niamh Mcgettigan, Pauline Uí Dhuibhir, Michelle Barrett, Jessica Sui, Lucy Balding, Stephen Higgins, Norma O'Leary, Aileen Kennedy, Declan Walsh

Articles

Context: Taste and smell abnormalities (TSA) occur throughout the cancer trajectory regardless of cancer primary site and contribute to cancer-associated malnutrition. TSA etiology is poorly understood. Tumor-related inflammation is a possible cause. Objective: This study examined the prevalence, characteristics, and severity of TSA in advanced cancer and explored the relationship between TSA and nutritional status. No previous study combined subjective and objective measures for both taste and smell assessment in this population. Method: Consecutive advanced cancer hospice patients were recruited. A modified version of the “Taste and Smell Survey” assessed subjective TSA. Validated taste strips and “Sniffin’ …

Maternal Sociodemographic And Health Behaviours Associated With Adiposity In Infants As Measured By Air Displacement Plethysmography., A. Bennett

Articles

BACKGROUND:

Identifying modifiable factors associated with body fat in infancy may improve health outcomes. Few studies have examined factors associated with percentage body fat calculated using air displacement plethysmography, a gold standard technique.

AIMS:

To investigate maternal sociodemographic and health behaviour characteristics associated with percentage body fat in offspring at birth.

STUDY DESIGN:

Observational cross-sectional study in which the body composition of term infants was measured by air displacement plethysmography during the hospital stay after birth.

SUBJECTS:

One-hundred-and-ninety-six women and their term (37-42 weeks) infants.

OUTCOME MEASURES:

Associations between infant body composition and maternal sociodemographic and health characteristics.

RESULTS:

One-hundred-and-ninety-six …

Ultrasound/Elastography Techniques, Lipidomic And Blood Markers Compared To Magnetic Resonance Imaging In Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Adults, Irene Cantero, Mariana Elorz, Itziar Abete, Bertha Araceli Marin, Jose Ignacio Herrero, Jose Ignacio Monreal, Alberto Benito, Jorge Quiroga, Ana Martínez, Pilar Huarte, Juan Isidro Uriz-Otano, Josep Antoni Tur, John Kearney, J. Alfredo Martinez, M. Angeles Zulet

Articles

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may progress to steatohepatitis, cirrhosis and complicated hepatocellular carcinoma with defined differential symptoms and manifestations. Objective: To evaluate the fatty liver status by several validated approaches and to compare imaging techniques, lipidomic and routine blood markers with magnetic resonance imaging in adults subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Materials and methods: A total of 127 overweight/obese with NAFLD, were parallelly assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), ultrasonography, transient elastography and a validated metabolomic designed test to diagnose NAFLD in this cross-sectional study. Body composition (DXA), hepatic related biochemical measurements as well as the Fatty …

Relationship Of Ndvi And Oak (Quercus)Pollen Including A Predictive Model In The Sw Mediterranean Region, Rocío González-Naharro, Elia Quirós, Santiago Fernández-Rodríguez, Inmaculada Silva-Palacios, J. M. Maya-Manzano, Rafael Tormo-Molina, Raúl Pecero-Casimiro, Alejandro Monroy-Colin, Ángela Gonzalo-Garijo

Articles

Techniques of remote sensing are being used to develop phenological studies. Our goal is to study the correlation among the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) related with oak trees included in three set data polygons (15, 25 and 50 km to aerobiological sampling point as NDVI-15, 25 and 50), and oak (Quercus) daily average pollen counts from 1994 to 2013. The study was developed in the SW Mediterranean region with continuous pollen recording within the mean pollen season of each studied year. These pollen concentrations were compared with NDVI values in the locations containing the vegetation under a study based …

Associations Between Maternal Physical Activity In Early And Late Pregnancy And Offspring Birth Size: Remote Federated Individual Level Meta‐Analysis From Eight Cohort Studies, S. Pastorino, T. Bishop, S. Crozier, C. Granstrom, K. Kordas, L. Kupers, E. O'Brien, K. Polanska, K. Sauder, M. Zafarmand, R. Wilson, C. Agyemang, P. Burton, C. Cooper, E. Corpeleijn, D. Dabelea, W. Hanke, H. Inskip, F. Mcauliffe, S. Olsen, T. Vrijkotte, S. Brage, A. Kennedy, D. O'Gorman, P. Scherer, K. Wijndaele, N. Wareham, G. Desoye, K. K. Ong

Articles

Objective

Evidence on the impact of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) in pregnancy on birth size is inconsistent. We aimed to examine the association between LTPA during early and late pregnancy and newborn anthropometric outcomes.

Design

Individual level meta‐analysis, which reduces heterogeneity across studies.

Setting

A consortium of eight population‐based studies (seven European and one US) comprising 72 694 participants.

Methods

Generalised linear models with consistent inclusion of confounders (gestational age, sex, parity, maternal age, education, ethnicity, BMI, smoking, and alcohol intake) were used to test associations between self‐reported LTPA at either early (8–18 weeks gestation) or late pregnancy (30+ …

An Observational Analysis Of Meal Patterns In Overweight And Obese Pregnancy, Kate M. Ainscough, Maria A. Kennelly, Eileen C. O'Brien, Elizabeth J. O'Sullivan, John Mehegan, Eileen R. Gibney, Fionnauala M. Mcauliffe

Articles

Background Nutrient intakes are known to be poorer among pregnant women with raised body mass index (BMI) than those with a healthy BMI. While meal patterns have the potential to influence obstetric, metabolic and anthropometric measures for mother and infant, limited data exists regarding meal patterns among pregnant women with raised BMI.

Aim To identify categories of meal patterns among pregnant women with overweight and obesity and determine whether patterns change with advancing gestation. To determine if maternal meal patterns are associated with dietary intakes and pregnancy outcomes.

Methods Prospective, observational analysis of pregnant women (n = 143) (BMI 25–39.9 …

Developing Gold Nanoparticles-Conjugated Aflatoxin B1 Antifungal Strips, Tobiloba Sojinrin, Kangze Liu, Kan Wang, Daxiang Cui, Hugh Byrne, James Curtin, Furong Tian

Articles

Lateral flow immunochromatographic assays are a powerful diagnostic tool for point-of-care tests, based on their simplicity, specificity, and sensitivity. In this study, a rapid and sensitive gold nanoparticle (AuNP) immunochromatographic strip is produced for detecting aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in suspicious fungi-contaminated food samples. The 10 nm AuNPs were encompassed by bovine serum albumin (BSA) and AFB1 antibody. Thin-layer chromatography, gel electrophoresis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were employed for analysing the chemical complexes. Various concentrations of AFB1 antigen (0–16 ng/mL) were tested with AFB1 antibody–BSA–AuNPs (conjugated AuNPs) and then analysed by scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, and Zetasizer. The results …

The Relationship Between Maternal Plasma Homocysteine In Early Pregnancy And Birth Weight, Shona Cawley, Eimer O'Malley, Rachel Kennedy, Ciara Reynolds, Anne Molloy, Michael Turner

Articles

Background: There is limited evidence that plasma homocysteine (Hcy) is increased in women with adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as low birth weight (LBW).

Objective: We examined the relationship between maternal Hcy at the first prenatal visit and birth weight.

Study design: In a prospective observational study, women were recruited during their first prenatal visit after sonographic confirmation of gestational age. Along with the standard tests, blood was also taken for the measurement of maternal serum and red blood cell (RBC) folate, vitamin B12, and Hcy. In addition to collecting standard clinical and sociodemographic details, a detailed questionnaire on vitamin supplementation …

A U-Net Deep Learning Framework For High Performance Vessel Segmentation In Patients With Cerebrovascular Disease, Michelle Livne, Jana Rieger, Orhun Utku Aydin, Abdel Aziz Taha, Ela Marie Akay, Tabea Kossen, Jan Sobesky, John D. Kelleher, Kristian Hildebrand, Dietmar Frey, Vince I. Madai

Articles

Brain vessel status is a promising biomarker for better prevention and treatment in cerebrovascular disease. However, classic rule-based vessel segmentation algorithms need to be hand-crafted and are insufficiently validated. A specialized deep learning method—the U-net—is a promising alternative. Using labeled data from 66 patients with cerebrovascular disease, the U-net framework was optimized and evaluated with three metrics: Dice coefficient, 95% Hausdorff distance (95HD) and average Hausdorff distance (AVD). The model performance was compared with the traditional segmentation method of graph-cuts. Training and reconstruction was performed using 2D patches. A full and a reduced architecture with less parameters were trained. We …

Theobromine And Related Methylxanthines As Inhibitors Of Primary Amine Oxidase, Padraig Shanahan, Jeffrey O’Sullivan, Keith Tipton, Gemma Kinsella, Barry Ryan, Gary Henehan

Articles

Methylxanthines are the most widely consumed drugs in the world and evidence of their health benefits has been growing in recent years. Primary Amine Oxidase (PrAO) has been recognised as a therapeutic target for amelioration of inflammatory, vascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Previous work in our laboratories showed that caffeine inhibited Bovine PrAO with a Ki of 1.0mM using benzylamine as substrate.

This study aimed to extend our previous work and explore the possibility that related methylxanthines might influence PrAO activity. While paraxanthine, theophylline and 7-methylxanthine had little effect on PrAO, theobromine was a noncompetitive inhibitor with a Ki of 276±44µM. …

The Potential Of Cold Plasma For Safe And Sustainable Food Production, Paula Bourke, Dana Ziuzina, Daniela Boehm, Patrick Cullen, Kevin Keener

Articles

In-package decontamination of foods using cold plasma has advanced this technology as a unit process for fresh foods decontamination and shelf-life extension.

Chemical residues of agricultural pesticides of varying structure can be degraded to safe or less-toxic structures using cold plasma.

Cold-plasma-mediated control of contaminants, along with the promotion of seed germination and plant growth, offers alternatives to current pesticides and fertilizers for agriculture.

Controlling plasma reactive species formulations in dry and liquid delivery formats advances the potential for understanding and successful translation to multiple points along the agriculture and food sectors.

Employing predictive microbiology, process optimization tools and a …

Microfluidics In Coagulation Monitoring Devices: A Mini Review, Leanne Harris, Anthony J. Killard

Articles

Diagnosis and monitoring of disorders of coagulation and disturbances in haemostasis has been around for many years. Thrombotic and bleeding disorders are amongst the leading causes of mortality in the developed world, thus driving research in this area. The simplicity with which miniaturised devices operate and their application to the study of coagulation and haemostasis offer potential advantages over traditional testing, such as improvements in clinical decision making and ultimately patient care. This review looks at progress in microfluidic device development in the field of haemostasis and coagulation biology.

Inner Surface Biofilm Inactivation By Atmospheric Pressure Helium Porous Plasma Jet, Peng Lu, Dana Ziuzina, Patrick Cullen, Paula Bourke

Articles

We present a helium porous plasma jet based on gas diffuser, designed with the aim ofdecontaminating inner surfaces of contaminated structures, e.g., pipes. The porous plasma jet operates with three discharge modes in ambient air and inside a vessel. Its decontamination capacity is demonstrated by evaluating the inactivation efficacy of biofilm form of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, adherent to inner surface of a glass vial.Plasma treatments for 5 min with filament mode and double region helium discharge mode reduced bacterial numbers by 2.4 and 2.5 Log10CFU/ml.Plasma treatment with double region air-like discharge mode was the most effective, reducin bacterial cells by 4.5 …

A Physical Biology, The Electron Neutrino Mass, And The Role Of Quantum Mechanics In Nature, Maurice Goodman

Articles

In science we need to remove physics and earth science from the fundamental sciences and treat Biology as a fundamental natural (physical) science. Attempts to keep Biology autonomous because it is holistic, from the physical sciences, are just disguised anthropocentrism. Physical sciences have holistic features also. The autonomy of Biology is at odds with a holistic, integrated, science and is preventing progress in science. For example, every cell needs a 'global' communication system to keep order and stability with rapid information transfer across cellular scales. We have yet to figure out how this is achieved. Over the last 30 years, …

Detection Of “Xisco” Gene For Identification Of Streptococcus Pneumoniae Isolates, Francisco Salvà-Serra, Gwendolyn Connolly, Edward Moore, Lucia Gonzales-Siles

Articles

We describe a PCR-assay differentiating Streptococcus pneumoniae from closely-related species of the Mitis group of the genus Streptococcus and identification of pneumococcus clinical isolates, based on the “Xisco” gene discriminatory marker. The complete “Xisco” gene sequence was observed in all S. pneumoniae genomes analyzed and absent in all non-pneumococcus genomes.

Raman Spectroscopic Analysis Of High Molecular Weight Proteins In Solution - Considerations For Sample Analysis And Data Pre-Processing, Drishya Rajan Parachalil, Brenda B. Brankin, Jennifer Mcintyre, Hugh Byrne

Articles

This study explores the potential of Raman spectroscopy, coupled with multivariate regression techniques and a protein separation technique (ion exchange chromatography), to quantitatively monitor diagnostically relevant changes in high molecular weight proteins in liquid plasma. Measurement protocols to detect the imbalances in plasma proteins as an indicator of various diseases using Raman spectroscopy are optimised, such that strategic clinical applications for early stage disease diagnostics can be evaluated. In a simulated plasma protein mixture, concentrations of two proteins of identified diagnostic potential (albumin and fibrinogen) were systematically varied within physiologically relevant ranges. Scattering from the poorly soluble fibrinogen fraction is …