Life Sciences Commons^™

Food Safety Knowledge And Practices Among Saudi Mothers, Wafa O. Ayaz, Anushree Priyadarshini, Amit Jaiswal

Articles

This study examines food safety knowledge and practices of mothers in Saudi Arabia. A total of 979 respondents participated in the study and completed a questionnaire that accessed their knowledge of food storage, food handling, usage and maintenance of kitchen facilities, personal hygiene and food poisoning. Results showed that mothers in Saudi Arabia had moderate knowledge of food storage (passing rate 64.9%) and usage and maintenance of kitchen facilities (passing rate 66.5%). While they had good knowledge of personal hygiene (passing rate 83.8%) and food poisoning (passing rate 78.5%), their knowledge with regard to food handling was poor (passing rate …

Sure 2018 Undergraduate Science Conference Booklet, Sure Network

Group Reports

The SURE Network hosted the First Annual Science Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Conferences (SURE 2018) on 28th September 2018 in Athlone Institute of Technology, Dublin Institute of Technology and Waterford Institute of Technology. The simultaneous conferences had a total of 27 oral presentations and 67 poster presentations, and were attended by over 500 students, academic staff, professional body and industry representatives.

The aims of the conference were to:

1. Provide current students with an opportunity to gain an understanding of the work which has been undertaken by recent graduates, and the career opportunities that exist for graduates in Scientific disciplines.
2. Provide …

Investigating The Role Of Gold Nanoparticle Shape And Size In Their Toxicities To Fungi, Kangze Liu, Zhonglei He, Hugh Byrne, James Curtin, Furong Tian Technological University Dublin

Articles

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are increasingly being used in a wide range of applications, and such they are being released in greater quantities into the environment. Consequently, the environmental effects of GNPs, especially toxicities to living organisms, have drawn great attention. However, their toxicological characteristics still remain unclear. Fungi, as the decomposers of the ecosystem, interact directly with the environment and critically control the overall health of the biosphere. Thus, their sensitivity to GNP toxicity is particularly important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of GNP shape and size in their toxicities to fungi, which could help …

Raman Spectral Analysis For Rapid Screening Of Dengue Infection, Tahir Mahmood, Haq Nawaz, A. Ditta, M.I. Majeed, M.A. Hanif, N. Rashid, H.N. Bhatti, H.F. Nargis, M. Saleem, Franck Bonnier, Hugh Byrne

Articles

Infection with the dengue virus is currently clinically detected according to different biomarkers in human blood plasma, commonly measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assays, including non-structural proteins (Ns1), immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG). However, there is little or no mutual correlation between the biomarkers, as demonstrated in this study by a comparison of their levels in samples from 17 patients. As an alternative, the label free, rapid screening technique, Raman spectroscopy has been used for the characterisation/diagnosis of healthy and dengue infected human blood plasma samples. In dengue positive samples, changes in specific Raman spectral bands associated with …

Clinical Applications Of Infrared And Raman Spectroscopy: State Of Play And Future Challenges, Matthew Baker, Hugh Byrne, John Chalmers, Peter Gardner, Royston Goodacre, Alex Henderson, Sergei Kazarian, Francis Martin, Julian Moger, Nick Stone, Josep Sule-Suso

Articles

Vibrational spectroscopies, based on Infrared absorption and/or Raman scattering provide a detailed fingerprint of a material, based on the chemical content. Diagnostic and prognostic tools based on these technologies have the potential to revolutionise our clinical systems leading to improved patient outcome, more efficient public services and significant economic savings. However, despite these strong drivers, there are many fundamental scientific and technological challenges which have limited the implementation of this technology in the clinical arena, although recent years have seen significant progress in addressing these challenges. This review examines (i) the state of the art of clinical applications of infrared …

Toxicological Assessment Of Nanomaterials: The Role Of In Vitro Raman Microspectroscopic Analysis, Esen Efeoglu, Marcus Maher, Alan Casey, Hugh Byrne

Articles

The acceleration of nanomaterials research has brought about increased demands for rapid analysis of their bioactivity, in a multi-parametric fashion, to minimise the gap between potential applications and knowledge of their toxicological properties. The potential of Raman microspectroscopy for the analysis of biological systems with the aid of multivariate analysis techniques has been demonstrated. In this study, an overview of recent efforts towards establishing a ‘label-free high content nanotoxicological assessment technique’ using Raman microspectroscopy is presented. The current state of the art for cellular toxicity assessment and the potential of Raman microspectroscopy are discussed, and the spectral markers of the …

Microencapsulated Ascorbic Acid: Development, Characterization, And Release Profile In Simulated Gastrointestinal Fluids, Michele Cristina Rodrigues Da Cruz, Camila Augusto Perussello, Maria Lúcia Masson

Articles

The aim of this study was to produce ascorbic acid (AA) microcapsules by complex coacervation, characterize them, and evaluate the release profile in simulated gastrointestinal fluids. The microcapsules were made of gelatin and pectin at concentrations of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0%. The coacervated microcapsules were assessed for morphology (by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy), water activity (Aw), hygroscopicity, solubility, encapsulation efficiency (EE), thermal behavior, and AA release profile. The AA microcapsules were characterized by low solubility, low hygroscopicity, high thermal stability, and low diameter (<10 μm), with EE ranging from 23.7 to 94.3%. The release profile was faster in gastric fluid (pH 1.8) than in intestinal fluid (pH 6.8). The sample containing 2.0% of wall material and 50% (w/w) of the simple emulsion (core) had the highest EE and the best in vitro release profile, with release of only 68% of AA in 120 min in the gastric fluid.

Practical applications Ascorbic acid (AA) is widely used in the food industry as an …

The Western Diet: A Smoking Gun For Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease And Asthma?, Conor Kerley

Other resources

No abstract provided.

Blunted Serum 25(Oh)D Response To Vitamin D3 Supplementation In Children With Autism, Conor Kerley, Basil Elnazir, Peter Greally, David Coghlan

Articles

Introduction: Data suggest a potential role for vitamin D in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevention and treatment. It is likely that the serum response to vitamin D supplementation contributes to its effectiveness. Multiple factors affect serum vitamin D 25(OH)D response to supplementation.

Methods: We conducted post-hoc analysis of two double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials (RCT) of vitamin D3 supplementation, one RCT involving children with ASD and another involving children with asthma. Both trials were conducted in the same geographic location (Dublin, Ireland, 53°N), conducted over Winter season and utilized the same vitamin D3 dose (2000 IU/day).

Results: We …

The Relationship Between Early Pregnancy Dietary Intakes And Subsequent Birthweight And Neonatal Adiposity, R.A.K. Kennedy, Laura Mullaney, A.C. O'Higgins, A. Doolan, Daniel Mccartney, M.J. Turner

Articles

Background: Maternal nutrition intakes may influence neonatal birthweight and adiposity; however, inconsistencies within the literature exist. The relationships between maternal dietary intakes in early pregnancy and both birthweight and neonatal adiposity requires elucidation. This study examined the relationship between early pregnancy dietary intakes and subsequent birthweight and neonatal adiposity.

Methods: Women were recruited at their convenience after sonographic confirmation of a singleton pregnancy. Women completed a Willet food frequency questionnaire evaluating habitual food and nutrient intakes at their first antenatal visit. Neonatal body composition was measured using air-displacement plethysmography.

Results: Of the 385 mother-neonate dyads, mean maternal age was 30.8 …

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.

Measurement & Analysis Of The Temporal Discrimination Threshold Applied To Cervical Dystonia, Rebecca B. Beck, Eavan M. Mcgovern, John Butler, Dorina Birsanu, Brendan Quinlivan, Ines Beiser, Shrut Narasimham, Sean O'Riordan, Michael Hutchinson, Richard B. Reilly

Other resources

The temporal discrimination threshold (TDT) is the shortest time interval at which an observer can discriminate two sequential stimuli as being asynchronous (typically 30-50 ms). It has been shown to be abnormal (prolonged) in neurological disorders, including cervical dystonia, a phenotype of adult onset idiopathic isolated focal dystonia. The TDT is a quantitative measure of the ability to perceive rapid changes in the environment and is considered indicative of the behavior of the visual neurons in the superior colliculus, a key node in covert attentional orienting. This article sets out methods for measuring the TDT (including two hardware options and …

An Investigation Of High Intensity Ultrasonication And Chemical Immersion Treatments On Campylobacter Jejuni And Spoilage Bacteria In Chicken, Ahmed Kassem, Joseph Meade, Kevina Mcgill, Ciara Walsh, James Gibbons, James Lyng, Paul Whyte

Articles

High intensity ultrasonication (US) alone or in combination with chemical immersion treatments of lactic acid (3% LA), sodium decanoate (3% SD) and trisodium phosphate (10% TSP) were investigated to reduce populations of Campylobacter jejuni and spoilage organisms in raw chicken. Different experimental conditions were used including a range of temperatures (4°C, 25°C and 54°C) and exposure times (1, 2 and 3min). All combination treatments significantly reduced C. jejuni compared to their individual treatments while only the combination US+SD significantly reduced Total Viable Count (TVC). Multiple linear regression predicted bacterial reductions resulting from changing treatment, temperature and time or each group …

Targeting The Folate Receptor: Improving Efficacy In Inorganic Medicinal Chemistry, Pauraic Mccarron, Aisling Crowley, Denis O'Shea, Malachy Mccann, Orla L. Howe, Mary Hunt, Michael Devereux

Articles

The discovery of the high-affinity, high-specificity folate receptor in mamalian kidney cells, coupled with the ability of folate to enter cells by folate receptor-mediated endocytosis and the subsequent elucidation of the folate receptor’s overexpression in specific cancer cell types; heralded the arrival of the area of chemotherapeutic folate targeting. The application of purely organic folate-based small-molecule drug conjugates that selectively target the folate receptor, which is over expressed in several diseases such as cancer, is well established. The application of inorganic folate-targeted drugs offers significant potential to expand and enhance this therapeutic approach. From the data made available to date, …

Effect Of Muscle Type And Co-Pretreatment Combinations On The Colour Stability, Protein Oxidation And Shelf-Life Of Vacuum Packaged Beef Steaks, Lauren Anne Van Rooyen, Paul Allen, David I. O'Connor

Articles

This study investigated the effects of CO-pretreatments on three bovine muscles: Psoas major (PM), Gluteus medius (GM) and Semitendinosus (ST) on colour stability and quality attributes under anaerobic conditions. Steaks were exposed to one of four pretreatments: 1% CO for 5 h, 5% CO for 5 h, 1% CO for 24 h, with 60% CO2, (balance N2) or untreated (control) and then vacuum packaged and displayed (28 days at 2 °C). CO pretreatments improved redness for colour labile muscles (PM and GM). The optimum CO pretreatment was 1% for 5 h as this induced surface redness while discolouring (a* = …

The N-Acyltransferase Lnt: Structure-Function Insights From Recent Simultaneous Studies, Wei Chang, Declan A. Doyle, Toufic El Arnaout

Articles

Bacterial lipoproteins have been researched for decades due to their roles in a large number of biological functions. There were no structures of their main three membrane processing enzymes, until 2016 for Lgt and LspA, and then 2017 for Lnt with not one but three simultaneous, independent publications. We have analyzed the recent findings for this apolipoprotein N-acyltransferase Lnt, with comparisons between the novel structures, and with soluble nitrilases, to determine the significance of unique features in terms of substrate's recognition and binding mechanism influenced by exclusive residues, two transmembrane helices, and a flexible loop.

Multi-Drug Resistant Escherichia Coli In Diarrhoeagenic Foals: Pulsotyping, Phylotyping, Serotyping, Antibiotic Resistance And Virulence Profiling, C.A. Kennedy, Ciara Walsh, M. Karczmarczyk, S. O'Brien, N. Akasheh, M. Quirke, S. Farrell-Ward, T. Buckley, U. Fogherty, K. Kavanagh, C.T. Parker, T. Sweeney, S. Fanning

Articles

Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) possess the ability to cause extraintestinal infections such as urinary tract infections, neonatal meningitis and sepsis. While information is readily available describing pathogenic E. coli populations in food-producing animals, studies in companion/sports animals such as horses are limited. In addition, many antimicrobial agents used in the treatment of equine infections are also utilised in human medicine, potentially contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance determinants among pathogenic strains. The aim of this study was to phenotypically and genotypically characterise the multidrug resistance and virulence associated with 83 equine E. coli isolates recovered from foals with …

The Effect Of Non-Thermal Plasma On The Lipid Oxidation And Microbiological Quality Of Sushi, Piotr Kulawik, Carlos Alvarez, Patrick J. Cullen, Ramon Aznar-Roca, Anne Maria Mullen, Brijesh Tiwari

Articles

The study examined the effect of non-thermal plasma (NTP) on the total viable count and lipid oxidation of two common sushi products: nigiri and hosomaki. Sushi samples were treated with NTP using a dielectric barrier discharge system with 70 and 80kV of potential differences for 5min. The samples were stored at 4°C for 11days and analysed for total aerobic count, moisture and protein content, TBA index and fatty acids composition. Although the effect of NTP on the total aerobic counts was not statistically significant, a tendency in log reduction could be observed, with 1–1.5logcfu/g reduction. Moisture and protein content, as …