Life Sciences Commons^™

Numerical Simulations Of In Vitro Nanoparticle Toxicity – The Case Of Poly(Amido Amine) Dendrimers., Marcus Maher, Pratap Naha, Sourav Prasanna Mukherjee, Hugh Byrne

Articles

A phenomenological rate equation model is constructed to numerically simulate nanoparticle uptake and subsequent cellular response. Polyamidoamine dendrimers (generations 4-6) are modelled and the temporal evolution of the intracellular cascade of; increased levels of reactive oxygen species, intracellular antioxidant species, caspase activation, mitochondrial membrane potential decay, tumour necrosis factor and interleukin generation is simulated, based on experimental observations.

The dose and generation dependence of several of these response factors are seen to well represent experimental observations at a range of time points. The model indicates that variations between responses of different cell-lines, including murine macrophages, human keratinocytes and colon cells, …

Peer Teaching In The Food Chemistry Laboratory: Student-Produced Experiments, Peer And Audio Feedback And Integration Of Employability, Julie Dunne

Articles

This paper describes the author’s experience over the last several years of implementing an alternative Food Chemistry laboratory practical for a group of third-year BSc Nutraceuticals students. The initial main objectives were to prepare students for the more independent final-year research project; to incorporate innovative approaches to feedback; and to integrate key employability skills into the curriculum. These were achieved through building the skills required to ultimately allow students working in groups to research, design and run a laboratory for their class. The first year of the project involved innovative approaches to feedback, including weekly feedback sessions, report checklists and …

Size Dependent Translocation And Fetal Accumulation Of Gold Nanoparticles From Maternal Blood In The Rat., Manuela Semmler-Behnke, Jens Lipka, Alexander Wenk, Martin Schäffler, Furong Tian, Günter Schmid, Günter Oberdörster, Wolfgang G. Kreyling

Articles

Background

There is evidence that nanoparticles (NP) cross epithelial and endothelial body barriers. We hypothesized that gold (Au) NP, once in the blood circulation of pregnant rats, will cross the placental barrier during pregnancy size-dependently and accumulate in the fetal organism by 1. transcellular transport across the hemochorial placenta, 2. transcellular transport across amniotic membranes 3. transport through ~20 nm wide transtrophoblastic channels in a size dependent manner. The three AuNP sizes used to test this hypothesis are either well below, or of similar size or well above the diameters of the transtrophoblastic channels.

Methods

We intravenously injected monodisperse, negatively …

The Antimicrobial Activity Of Whey Permeate (Against Escherichia Coli Atcc 25922), Sahand Mohsen Pour [Thesis]

Other resources

This project evaluated the antimicrobial activity of whey samples and its potential as a new sanitising agent. Whey samples produced during the manufacture of various cheese types were tested. Different thermal treatments (65°C for 10, 20 and 30 minutes, 72°C for 15 sec and 121°C for 15 minutes) were applied to the whey samples. The impact of the heat treatment on mesophilic, psychrotrophic and lactic acid bacteria, yeast and moulds were monitored. The physio-chemical properties (pH, water activity, moisture content, ash content, soluble solids and turbidity), proximate analysis (protein content using the Bradford assay and peptide pattern using SDS-PAGE) of …

Culinary Internship And The European Mobility Action Plan Part Two: Towards An Understanding Of The Culinary Life And Internship, Frank Cullen

Articles

In the context of the paper, the role of part two is to provide an overview of culinary life and of the many celebrated chefs who travelled to gain culinary experience before Erasmus funding was available for internship. I also use this paper to provide a synopsis of kitchen systems and present a review of studies related to internship. I attempt to provide some insight into internship and culinary practice in order to augment the understanding of culinary internship. This paper commences with a short review of Georges Auguste Escoffier, one of the most celebrated chefs of all time and …

A Soft Condensed Matter Approach Towards Mathematical Modelling Of Mass Transport And Swelling In Food Grains, Michael Chapwanya, N. Misra

Articles

Soft condensed matter (SCM) physics has recently gained importance for a large class of engineering materials. The treatment of food materials from a soft matter perspective, however, is only at the surface and is gaining importance for understanding the complex phenomena and structure of foods. In this work, we present a theoretical treatment of navy beans from a SCM perspective to describe the hydration kinetics. We solve the transport equations within a porous matrix and employ the Flory–Huggin’s equation for polymer–solvent mixture to balance the osmotic pressure. The swelling of the legume seed is modelled as a moving boundary with …

Antibody-Drug Gold Nanoantennas With Raman Spectroscopic Fingerprints For In Vivo Tumour Theranostics., Joao Conde, Chenchen Bao, Daxiang Cui, Pedro V. Baptista, Furong Tian

Articles

Inspired by the ability of SERS nanoantennas to provide an integrated platform to enhance disease targeting in vivo, we developed a highly sensitive probe for in vivo tumoral recognition with the capacity to target specific cancer biomarkers such as epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) on human cancer cells and xenograft tumour models. Here, we used ~90 nm gold nanoparticles capped by a Raman reporter, encapsulated and entrapped by larger polymers and a FDA antibody-drug conjugate –Cetuximab (Erbitux®) – that specifically targets EGFR and turns off a main signalling cascade for cancer cells to proliferate and survive. These drug/SERS gold nanoantennas …

In-Package Atmospheric Pressure Cold Plasma Treatment Of Cherry Tomatoes, N. Misra, Kevin Keener, Paula Bourke, J Mosnier, Patrick Cullen

Articles

Cold plasma is increasingly under research for decontamination of foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. The effect of cold plasma on food quality, however, remains under researched. This study investigates the effects of cold plasma generated within a sealed package from a dielectric barrier discharge on the physical quality parameters and respiration rates of cherry tomatoes. Respiration rates and weight loss were monitored continuously, while other parameters are reported at the end of storage period. Differences among weight loss, pH and firmness for control and treated cherry tomatoes were insignificant towards the end of storage life. Changes in respiration rates …

In-Package Atmospheric Pressure Cold Plasma Treatment Of Strawberries, N. Misra, Paula Bourke, Patrick Cullen, Sonal Patil

Articles

The ability to generate low temperature plasma at atmospheric pressure offers new opportunities to decontaminate biological materials, including fresh foods. In this study, strawberries were treated with atmospheric cold plasma (ACP), generated with a 60 kV dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) pulsed at 50 Hz, across a 40 mm electrode gap, generated inside a sealed package containing ambient air (42% relative humidity). The current-voltage characteristics revealed that the plasma operated in the filamentary regime. The background microflora (aerobic mesophillic bacteria, yeast and mould) of strawberries treated for 5 min was reduced by 2 log 10 within 24 h of post-ACP treatment. …

In-Package Nonthermal Plasma Degradation Of Pesticides On Fresh Produce, N. Misra, Shashi Pankaj, Tony Walsh, Finbarr O'Regan, Paula Bourke, Patrick Cullen

Articles

In-package nonthermal plasma (NTP) technology is a novel technology for the decontamination of foods and biological materials. This study presents the first report on the potential of the technology for the degradation of pesticide residues. A cocktail of pesticides, namely Azoxystrobin, Cyprodinil, Fludioxonil and Pyriproxyfen was tested on strawberries. The concentrations of these pesticides were monitored in priori and post- plasma treatment using GC-MS/MS. An applied voltage and time dependent degradation of the pesticides was observed for treatment voltages of 60, 70 and 80 kV and treatment durations ranging from 1 to 5 min, followed by 24 h in-pack storage. …

Enzymatic Extraction Of High-Value Ingredients From Food Waste, Amit Jaiswal, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Conference papers

Food waste presents significant concerns with respect to economical, environmental and food security issues. Roughly, one-third of global food production equivalent to 1.3 billion tonnes per annum is wasted. EPA estimates that over 1 million tonnes of food waste is produced annually in Ireland. Common applications of food waste has been either direct disposal in landfill or as an animal feeds. In addition to the regulatory pressure of disposing food waste, there are significant opportunities for recovering a range of valuable compounds from food waste that could find valuable applications in the functional food and pharmaceutical sectors.

Numerous methods have …

Nanoscale Growth Of Cds And Pbs Semiconductor Within Calix[4]Arene Langmuir-Blodgett Lb Film For Ion Sensing Application, Faridah Lisa Supian, Tim H. Richardson, Alexei V. Nabok, Mary Deasy, M. Syahriman M. Azmi

Articles

The characteristics of cadmium sulphide (CdS) and lead sulphide (PbS) nanoparticles, grown inside Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) multilayer films of 5,11,17,23-tetra-tert-butyl-25,27-dicarboxymethoxy-26,28-dihydroxycalix [arene (I), have been studied using ellipsometry, UV-visible spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Multilayer films were formed by transferring a floating Langmuir monolayer of I onto substrates using LB deposition and water subphase containing Pb2+ or Cd2+ ions. The nanoparticles were fabricated by exposing cadmium-or lead-containing multilayer films of I (20-80 monolayers thick) to hydrogen sulphide (H2S) gas for 12 hours. By Gaussian fitting of the absorbance - energy spectra, the size of the clusters and their dispersion were found …

Antimicrobial Properties Of Vertically Aligned Nano-Tubular Copper, Kafil Razeeb, Joanna Podporska-Carroll, Mamun Jamal, Maksudul Hassan, Michael Nolan, Declan Mccormack, Brid Quilty, Simon Newcombe, Suresh Pillai

Articles

In this work, the antimicrobial properties of vertically aligned nano-tubular Cu arrays (NT-Cu) fabricated via a template-based electrodeposition approach were investigated. The NT-Cu display good bactericidal activity against S.aureus and bacteriostatic properties against E.coli, S.sonnei, S.enterica and C.albicans. In contrast, Cu-foil electrodeposited from the same solution shows low biological activity against the same microorganisms. The antimicrobial activity of NT-Cu depends on both the type of microorganism and exposure time. After 6 hours of exposure, over 99.99% (log red = 4.43) of S.aureus population was inactivated, whereas, for E.coli, S.sonnei, S.enterica and C.albicans it was 97.8, 94.2, 89.9, and 90.3%, respectively.

Ultrasound Assisted Hydration Of Navy Beans (Phaseolus Vulgaris), N. Misra

Articles

The use of ultrasound to enhance the transport phenomena in food processes has been well recognised in recent times. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sonication on hydration rate and pasting profile of navy beans. The hydration kinetics for control and ultrasound assisted soaking was mathematically described using mechanistic (Fickian diffusion) and empirical (Peleg’s equation, Weibull model and First Order equation) models. Ultrasound enhanced the rate of hydration which was evident from the plot of kinetic data and model parameters. The effective diffusivities for water transport without and with ultrasound application were estimated to be …

Graduate Teaching Assistants; Critical Colleagues Or Casual Components In The Undergraduate Learning Laboratory? An Exploration Of The Role Of The Postgraduate Teacher In The Sciences., Barry Ryan

Articles

Laboratory training is key to many science subjects and those that teach the practical laboratory skills maintain a pivotal role in undergraduate science training. Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) are regularly used in higher education institutes to teach these practical lab skills. The GTA can be involved in both laboratory teaching and assessing all levels of undergraduates. This varied and challenging role requires support from the institute and if appropriately provided the learning experience can be rewarding not only for the undergraduate, but also for the GTA. In this review, the critical role of the laboratory GTA will be examined, their …

New Inhibitors Of The Fvb2 Subunit From Mammalian Kv1 Potassium Channels, Barry Ryan, Gary Henehan, Alka Kumari, Oliver Dolly

Articles

The role of the redox state of KVB2 subunits in the modulation of Kv1 potassium channels has been well documented over the past few years. It has been suggested that a molecule that binds to or inhibits the aldo-keto reductase activity of KVB2 might affect the modulation of channel properties. Previous studies of possible modulators of channel activity have shown that cortisone and some related compounds are able to physically dissociate the channel components by binding to a site at the interface between � and � subunits. Herein, we describe some new inhibitors of rat brain KVB2, identified using an …

Ethnic Variation In Breastfeeding And Complementary Feeding In The Republic Of Ireland, Patricia Castro, Richard Layte, John Kearney

Articles

Early nutrition plays a pivotal role in long-term health. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life, with the gradual introduction of solids after this period. However, studies in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) have shown poor compliance with guidelines. The ROI continues to have one of the lowest breastfeeding rates worldwide. Our objective was to analyse differences in breastfeeding and complimentary feeding behaviours between Irish and non-Irish mothers residing in the ROI, as well as the role of acculturation on these behaviours, using the national longitudinal study, Growing Up in Ireland (GUI). …

Investigation Of The Cellular And Molecular Mechanisms Of Radiation-Induced Bystander Effects, Hayley Furlong

Doctoral

The overall aim of this study was to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in radiation-induced bystander effects in HaCaT cells, predominantly at low-doses of irradiation. They do not follow the original dose-response theory and exhibit a unique cascade of signalling events, which are under intense investigation for radiation risk purposes. An in vitro system was first used to observe the bystander effect, comparing two cell viability assays while measuring apoptotic cell death in these known reporter HaCaT cells and established the most sensitive assay for bystander responses Downstream bystander signalling events were then investigated through gene expression studies …

Effect Of Nonthermal Plasma On Quality Of Fresh Produce, Nrusimhanath Misra

Doctoral

No abstract provided.

Atmospheric Cold Plasma Inactivation Of Escherichia Coli, Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium And Listeria Monocytogenes Inoculated On Fresh Produce, Dana Ziuzina, Sonal Patil, Patrick Cullen, Kevin Keener, Paula Bourke

Articles

Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) represents a potential alternative to traditional methods for non-thermal decontamination of foods. In this study, the antimicrobial efficacy of a novel dielectric barrier discharge ACP device against Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes inoculated on cherry tomatoes and strawberries, was examined. Bacteria were spot inoculated on the produce surface, air dried and sealed inside a rigid polypropylene container. Samples were indirectly exposed (i.e. placed outside plasma discharge) to a high voltage (70kVRMS) air ACP and subsequently stored at room temperature for 24 h. ACP treatment for 10, 60 and 120 s resulted in reduction …

Introduction: Tickling The Palate. Gastronomy In Irish Literature And Culture, Eamon Maher, Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire

Books/Chapters

There has been a gradual but noticeable growth in scholarship concerning food globally, particularly in the last decade. One of the longest running and most inf luential forces behind this phenomenon is the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery (1981–present) which was originally founded and co-chaired by Alan Davidson, pre-eminent food historian, diplomat, and author of The Oxford Companion to Food, and Dr Theodore Zeldin, the celebrated social historian of France. This spawned a dedicated publishing house, Prospect Books, which published the conference proceedings and also the journal Petits Propos Culinaires (PPC), now approaching its 100th issue.

Modelling The Effects Of Natural Antimicrobials As Food Preservatives, Amit Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Books/Book Chapters/ Proceedings

A predictive food microbiological model is a mathematical representation of mechanisms that describes the growth, survival, inactivation or biochemical process of an organism and are used in the food industry to predict food pathogen growth and to help in the evaluation of food safety. Furthermore, it reduces the number of expensive and time-consuming experiments; however, adequate statistical analysis is a crucial step during all phases of model development and validation. Therefore, the present chapter is focused on the basic concept of mathematical modelling which can be applied to estimate the effects of natural antimicrobials as food preservatives. Initial section discusses …

Valorisation Of The Cider And Brewing Industry By-Products As Nutraceutical Ingredients, Sofia Reis

Doctoral

By-products from the cider and brewing industries, including apple pomace (AP) and brewer’s spent grain (BSG) respectively, constitute major environmental problems due to the large quantities produced every year. They are sources of valuable compounds such as protein, fibre, essential fatty acids, phenolic compounds and minerals, some of them with antioxidant and prebiotic properties. Their high nutritional value leads to their potential use as human food products and several applications have been considered recently. The aims of this work include i) the nutritional and compositional characterisation of AP, BSG and final extruded and baked prototypes containing these by-products and ii) …

Btk Regulated Macrophage Polarization In Response To Lipopolysaccharide, Joan Ní Gabhann, Emily Hams, Siobhán Smith, Claire Wynne, Jennifer C. Byrne, Kiva Brennan, Shaun Spence, Adrien Kissenpfennig

Articles

Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a strong inducer of inflammation and does so by inducing polarization of macrophages to the classic inflammatory M1 population. Given the role of Btk as a critical signal transducer downstream of TLR4, we investigated its role in M1/M2 induction. In Btk deficient (Btk^−\−) mice we observed markedly reduced recruitment of M1 macrophages following intraperitoneal administration of LPS. Ex vivo analysis demonstrated an impaired ability of Btk^−/− macrophages to polarize into M1 macrophages, instead showing enhanced induction of immunosuppressive M2-associated markers in response to M1 polarizing stimuli, a finding accompanied by reduced phosphorylation …

Bacterial Inactivation By High Voltage Atmospheric Cold Plasma: Influence Of Process Parameters And Effects On Cell Leakage And Dna, Lu Han, Sonal Patil, Kevin M. Keener, Patrick Cullen, Paula Bourke

Articles

Aims: This study investigated a range of atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) process parameters for bacterial inactivation with further investigation of selected parameters on cell membrane integrity and DNA damage. The effects of high voltage levels, mode of exposure, gas mixture and treatment time against Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes were examined.

Methods and Results: 10⁸ CFU ml^-1 E. coli ATCC 25922, E. coli NCTC 12900 and L. monocytogenes NCTC11994 were ACP treated in 10ml phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Working gas mixtures used were; Air (gas mix 1), 90% N₂+10% O₂ (gas mix 2) and 65% …

Apple Pomace As A Potential Ingredient For The Development Of New Functional Foods, Sofia Reis, Dilip K. Rai, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Articles

Extruded snacks and baked scones were formulated with increasing levels (0-30%) of apple pomace (AP). The incorporation of up to 20% of AP in extruded snacks and in baked scones does not change significantly (pβ-carotene/linoleic acid system) increased when compared to the products to which no AP was added. Chlorogenic acid and quercetin were the major phenolic compounds found in the products. Loss of phenolic compounds during heat treatment occurred, however the DPPH radical scavenging activity of final products was not affected.

Play Hard, Work Harder. Alternative Reality Game And Scenario Based Assessments For Learning., Barry Ryan

Articles

In this paper, an evaluative case study is detailed as an example of alternative reality game and scenario based assessments for learning. This pedagogic approach is evaluated and recommendations for practice offered. Integrating technology into the assessment process, and final student product, influenced the chosen pedagogy. The use of technology permitted this assessment approach to be adopted for a medium sized (n=40) student cohort. The use of wikis, eportfolios and digital reflective diaries were central to creating a learning environment that centralised the student and allowed them to construct and create their knowledge through scaffolded alternative reality games and scenarios. …

Development Of A Novel Functional Soup Rich In Bioactive Sulforaphane Using Broccoli (Brassica Oleracea L. Ssp. Italica) Florets And Byproducts., Laura Alvarez Jubete, Juan Valverde, Kate Kehoe, Kim Reilly, Dilip K. Rai, Catherine Barry-Ryan

Articles

Broccoli florets are rich in health-promoting compounds such as glucoraphanin, the precursor of the bioactive compound sulforaphane. In addition, broccoli byproducts such as broccoli stalk also contain health promoting compounds and represent attractive ingredients in the development of functional foods. The bioconversion of glucosinolates into bioactive isothiocyanates is affected by many factors including heat and therefore cooking of Brassicas such as broccoli may result in significant loss of sulforaphane production. The aim of this study was to develop a suitable food system as a vehicle for the delivery of sulforaphane in the human diet in adequate quantities. To this end, …

Ambient Measurements Of Biological Aerosol Particles Near Killarney, Ireland: A Comparison Between Real-Time Fluorescence And Microscopy Techniques, D. A. Healy, J. A. Huffmann, David O'Connor, C. Pohlker, U. Poschil, J. R. Sodeau

Articles

Primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) can contribute significantly to the coarse particle burden in many environments. PBAPs can thus influence climate and precipitation systems as cloud nuclei and can spread disease to humans, animals, and plants. Measurement data and techniques for PBAPs in natural environments at high time- and size resolution are, however, sparse, and so large uncertainties remain in the role that biological particles play in the Earth system. In this study two commercial real-time fluorescence particle sensors and a Sporewatch single-stage particle impactor were operated continuously from 2 August to 2 September 2010 at a rural sampling location …

Concern-Driven Integrated Toxicity Testing Strategies For Nanomaterials - Report Of The Nanosafety Cluster Working Group 10, Hugh Byrne, Agnes G. Oomen, Peter M.J. Bos, Teresa F. Fernandes, Kerstin Hund-Rinke, Diana Boraschi, Karin Aschberger, Stefania Gottardo, Frank Von Der Kammer, Dana Kühnel, Danail Hristozov, Antonio Marcomini, Lucia Migliore

Articles

Bringing together topic-related European Union-(EU)-funded projects, the so-called “NanoSafety Cluster” aims at identifying key areas for further research on risk assessment procedures for nanomaterials (NM). The outcome of NanoSafety Cluster Working Group 10, this commentary presents a vision for concern-driven integrated approaches for the (eco-)toxicological testing and assessment (IATA) of NM. Such approaches should start out by determining concerns, i.e. specific information needs for a given NM based on realistic exposure scenarios. Recognized concerns can be addressed in a set of tiers using standardized protocols for NM preparation and testing. Tier 1 includes determining physico-chemical properties, non-testing (e.g. structure …