Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Mozambique Eyecare Programme – A Partnership Which Addresses Avoidable Blindness In Lusophone Africa, Aoife Phelan, James Loughman, Eva Doyle

Conference Papers

According to the WHO about 831 million people are visually impaired worldwide, 45 million of them are blind. Most people with visual impairment are older, and females are more at risk at every age, in every part of the world. Uncorrected Refractive Error accounts for over half of all visual impairment. About 87% of the worlds visually impaired live in developing countries. The Mozambique Eyecare Programme (MEP) is a cross institutional collaboration between governments, higher education institutions, non-governmental organisations and corporations. The aims of this Programme are to collaborate to provide a sustainable solution to the problem of avoidable blindness …

Development And Validation Of A Rapid Multi-Class Method For The Confirmation Of Fourteen Prohibited Medicinal Additives In Pig And Poultry Compound Feed By Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Mark Cronly, Patrice Behan, Barry Foley, Liam Regan, Marella Gallagher, Sean Earley, Paula Shearan, Edward Malone

Articles

A confirmatory method has been developed to allow for the analysis of fourteen prohibited medicinal additives in pig and poultry compound feed. These compounds are prohibited for use as feed additives although some are still authorised for use in medicated feed. Feed samples are extracted by acetonitrile with addition of sodium sulphate. The extracts undergo a hexane wash to aid with sample purification. The extracts are then evaporated to dryness and reconstituted in initial mobile phase. The samples undergo an ultracentrifugation step prior to injection onto the LC-MS/MS system and are analysed in a run time of 26 minutes. The …

The Significance Of Preattentive Visual Search (Pavs) In Glaucoma, James Loughman, Peter Davison

Conference Papers

The Significance of Preattentive Visual Search (PAVS) in Glaucoma Methods: A novel test of PAVS, incorporating tests for flicker, motion displacement and orientation, presented on a computer monitor was developed for the detection and monitoring of glaucoma. Patients were required to detect a unique target from a background of 119 distractors. Normality was determined on the basis of patient response times measured using a two-alternative forced choice paradigm. Data were collected on 123 subjects, 41 with existing glaucoma, 41 glaucoma suspects, and 41 age-matched normals. Results: Paired samples t test indicated a statistically significant difference in PAVS response times between …

Attitudes Of Health Professionals To Electronic Data Sharing Within An Integrated Care Electronic Health Record (Icehr), Charyl O'Malley, Damon Berry, Mary Sharp

Conference Papers

It is estimated that 98,000 people die in hospitals yearly in the USA as a result of medical errors (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2009). Electronic Health Records (EHR) can offer improved patient safety. EHRs are being implemented by many countries, however, not all health professionals have welcomed them (MORI Social Research Institute, 2006). As outlined in the National Health Information Strategy (NHIS) document, Ireland has plans to introduce an EHR. Attitudes of health professionals are a significant factor for the successful implementation and adoption of a new clinical information system. This study aimed to gauge the attitude of …

Optimising Maternal Sources Of Breastfeeding During The First Six Weeks Of Postpartum, Roslyn Tarrant, Katherine Younger, Margaret Sheridan-Pereira, John M. Kearney

Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Solar Radiation Damage To Human Skin Mitochondria, Luciene Zanchetta

Doctoral

The central objective of this study was to assess solar radiation-induced changes in cellular function, mitochondrial function and mitochondrial DNA to further investigate the role of these energy-dedicated and metabolically essential organelles in the response to the main environmental stressor associated with skin cancer initiation. An in vitro approach was chosen employing the human malignant melanoma (A375) and human amelanotic melanoma (C32) cells and the human spontaneously immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT). A Q-Sun Solar Simulator was used to expose cells to low-level simulated solar radiation (SSR) as it provides a mimic of solar radiation that is environmentally relevant in the UV …

Reasons For Reducing Breastfeeding Duration Among Chinese Mothers In Ireland:A Qualitative Study, Qianling Zhou

Other resources

Introduction: The Ireland Chinese Mother Survey has revealed a remarkable decline of breastfeeding duration among Chinese mothers who gave birth in Ireland [1]. This qualitative study was undertaken to explore the reasons for such a decrease and to determine the influence of residency in Ireland on breastfeeding practices among immigrant Chinese. Methods: Purposive sampling together with the snowball technique was used to recruit immigrant Chinese women who have given birth in Ireland. Seven focus groups were conducted and thematic content analysis was performed to analyse the data. Results: Decline in breastfeeding duration was not mainly due to the formula feeding …

Renewing Health Services Management Research: Redrawing The Citizen-Client In Irish Health Care Policy, Vivienne Byers

Conference Papers

Ireland has a history of health policy which is not explicit as to its aims and objectives. In light of this fact, this paper examines the position and direction of the Irish Health Services, five years on from the advent of the setting up of the Health Services Executive (HSE) and the restructuring of the health services. The Irish health system policy is guided by the Health Strategy of 2001; in that there should be equitable distribution of health services focused on the need of the citizen-client, and also by the Primary Care Strategy (2001:7); in that there should be …

A Monocular Marker-Free Gait Measurement System, Jane Courtney, Annraoi M. De Paor

Articles

This paper presents a new, user-friendly, portable motion capture and gait analysis system for capturing and analyzing human gait, designed as a telemedicine tool to monitor remotely the progress of patients through treatment. The system requires minimal user input and simple single-camera filming (which can be acquired from a basic webcam) making it very accessible to nontechnical, nonclinical personnel. This system can allow gait studies to acquire a much larger data set and allow trained gait analysts to focus their skills on the interpretation phase of gait analysis. The design uses a novel motion capture method derived from spatiotemporal segmentation …

Letter To The Editor, Charlotte Johnston Molloy, Clare Corish, John Kearney, Noirin Hayes, Corina Glennon Slattery

Articles

No abstract provided.

A Functional Polymorphism In The Hmgcr Promoter Affects Transcriptional Activity But Not The Risk For Alzheimer Disease In Swedish Populations., Lina Keller, Charlotte Murphy, Steve Meaney

Articles

Variations in genes associated with cholesterol homeostasis have been reported to modify the risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD). To date there have been few investigations into variations in genes directly involved in cholesterol biosynthesis and AD. We investigated the influence of the -911C>A polymorphism (rs3761740) in the hydroxy-methyl-glutaryl CoA reductase (HMGCR) gene promoter on basal and regulated transcription, plasma cholesterol levels and the association with AD. Under in vitro conditions the A allele was found to be significantly more responsive to SREBP-2 mediated regulation than the C allele. In an age and sex matched case-control study, the genotype …

Effect On Refractive Outcomes After Cataract Surgery Of Intraocular Lens Constant Personalization Using The Haigis Formula, Sofia Charalampidou, Lorraine Cassidy, Eugene Ng, James Loughman, John Nolan, Jim Stack, Stephen Beatty

Articles

Methods Personalization of Haigis IOL constants was performed using a series of 248 suitable eyes after biometry by partial coherence interferometry (IOLMaster) and IOL prediction based on optimized IOL constants derived from pooled data from the User Group for Laser Interference Biometry web site. A mean error of prediction and a mean absolute error were then calculated using the personalized IOL constants and compared with those derived using optimized IOL constants, allowing evaluation and quantification of the maximum realizable refractive benefits (if any) of personalization. Results There was no statistically significant difference between personalized and optimized Haigis IOL constants in …

Rapid Multi-Class Multi-Residue Method For The Confirmation Of Chloramphenicol And Eleven Nitroimidazoles In Milk And Honey By Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Mark Cronly, Patrice Behan, Barry Foley, Liam Regan, Sheila Martin, Michael Doyle, Edward Malone

Articles

A confirmatory method has been developed to allow for the analysis of eleven nitroimidazoles and also chloramphenicol in milk and honey samples. These compounds are classified as A6 compounds in annex IV of council regulation 2377/90 and therefore prohibited for the use in animal husbandry. Milk samples are extracted by acetonitrile with addition of NaCl, while honey samples are first dissolved in water before a similar extraction. Honey extracts undergo a hexane wash to remove impurities. Both milk and honey extracts are evaporated to dryness and reconstituted in initial mobile phase. These are then injected onto an LC-MS/MS system and …

Intelligibility Of Electrolarynx Speech Using A Novel Actuator, Brian Madden, Mark Nolan, Ted Burke, James Condron, Eugene Coyle

Conference Papers

During voiced speech, the larynx provides quasi-periodic acoustic excitation of the vocal tract. Following a laryngectomy, some people speak using an electrolarynx which replaces the excitatory function of the absent larynx. Drawbacks of conventional electrolarynx designs include the buzzing monotonic sound emitted, the need for a free hand to operate the device, and difficulty experienced by many laryngectomees in adapting to its use. Despite these shortcomings, it remains the preferred method of speech rehabilitation for a substantial minority of laryngectomees. In most electrolarynxes, mechanical vibrations are produced by a linear electromechanical actuator, the armature of which percusses against a metal …

Synthesis, Characterisation And Antimicrobial Activity Of Novel Phosphine Stablised Silver (1) Dicarboxylate Complexes, Vidya Dixit

Doctoral

The α, ω-dicarboxylic acids HOOC-(CH2)n-COOH (where n = 1-11) reacted smoothly with [Ag(CH3COO)] to yield 11 novel silver dicarboxylate complexes. These silver dicarboxylates were reacted with triphenylphosphine (PPh3) in 1:2.5, 1:4 and 1:6 molar ratios resulting in the isolation of 30 novel silver dicarboxylate triphenylphosphine derivatives. X-ray crystal structures for nine of these complexes were determined showing a variation in the structural motifs across the series with mononuclear, dinuclear, polynuclear and polymeric species being generated. When the 11 novel silver dicarboxylate complexes were reacted with bis-(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm) in a 1:2 molar ratio 11 novel complexes were isolated. The complexes were …

An Exploration Of Health Professional Support For Breastfeeding, Barbara Whelan

Doctoral

Despite research consistently demonstrating the benefits of breastfeeding, Ireland has one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in Europe with rates at discharge from hospital being 45% (Health Research and Information Division, 2009). Increasing emphasis is being placed on the role of health professionals in promoting and supporting breastfeeding (Sikorski et al., 2003). Little data are available in Ireland regarding health professionals’ perspectives on breastfeeding and women’s experience of professional support. The research consisted of two phases, a mixed methods study exploring health professional support for breastfeeding and an evaluation of an intervention to raise awareness of breastfeeding amongst health …

Pharmaceutical Marketing: A Comparison Of Different Markets, Paul Sherlock

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Surgically Induced Astigmatism After Phacoemulsification With And Without Correction For Posture-Related Ocular Cyclotorsion, I. Dooley, S. Charalampidou, A. Malik, G. Ormonde, James Loughman, Laura Molloy, Stephen Beatty

Articles

Purpose To report the impact of posture-related ocular cyclotorsion on one surgeon's surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) results and the variance in SIA. Setting Institute of Eye Surgery, Whitfield Clinic, Waterford, Ireland. Methods This prospective randomized controlled study included eyes that had phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation. Eyes were randomly assigned to have (intervention group) or not have (control group) correction for posture-related ocular cyclotorsion. In the intervention group, the clear corneal incision was placed precisely at the 120-degree meridian with instruments designed to correct posture-related ocular cyclotorsion. In the control group, the surgeon endeavored to place the incision at the …

Augmentation Of Macular Pigment Following Supplementation With All Three Macular Carotenoids: An Exploratory Study, Eithne Connolly, Stephen Beatty, David Thurnham, James Loughman, Alan Howard, Jim Stack, John Nolan

Articles

Purpose:At the macula, the carotenoids meso-zeaxanthin (MZ), lutein (L), and zeaxanthin (Z) are collectively referred to as macular pigment (MP). This study was designed to measure serum and macular responses to a macular carotenoid formulation. Materials and Methods:Ten subjects were recruited into this study (five normal and five with early age-related macular degeneration [AMD]). Subjects were instructed to consume a formulation containing 7.3mg of MZ, 3.7mg of L, and 0.8mg of Z everyday over an eight-week period. The spatial profile of MP optical density (i.e., MPOD at 0.25°, 0.5°, 1°, and 1.75°) was measured using customized heterochromatic flicker photometry, and …

The Relationship Between Macular Pigment And Visual Performance, James Loughman, Mukunda Akkali, Stephen Beatty, Grainne Scanlon, Peter Davison, Veronica O'Dwyer, Thomas Cantwell, Philip Major, Jim Stack, John Nolan

Articles

This study was designed to assess whether macular pigment optical density (MPOD) is associated with visual performance. One hundred and forty-two young healthy subjects were recruited. Macular pigment optical density and visual performance were assessed by psychophysical tests including best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), mesopic and photopic contrast sensitivity, glare sensitivity, photostress recovery time (PRT). Measures of central visual function, including BCVA and contrast sensitivity, were positively associated with MPOD (p < 0.05, for all). Photostress recovery and glare sensitivity were unrelated to MPOD (p > 0.05). A longitudinal, placebo-controlled and randomized supplementation trial will be required to ascertain whether augmentation of MPOD can influence visual performance.

Meso-Zeaxanthin Ocular Supplementation Trial In Normals (Most-N), James Loughman

Conference Papers

Purpose: At the macula, the carotenoids meso-zeaxanthin (MZ), lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z) are collectively referred to as macular pigment (MP). To date only one study has reported on MP augmentation following supplementation with MZ, L and Z. However, that study measured only one retinal location (0.75°) and may not have been able to detect changes, if any, at other degrees of retinal eccentricity. Our study was designed to investigate (in a double-blind, randomized placebo controlled fashion) changes in MP optical density (MPOD, including its entire spatial profile), and serum concentrations of the macular carotenoids in response to supplemental MZ, …

Fractional Anisotropic Diffusion For Noise Reduction In Magnetic Resonance Images, Jonathan Blackledge, Matthew Blackledge

Articles

We extend the method of anisotropic diffusion for noise reduction in digital images to the case when the diffusion processes are non-Gaussian and Levy distributed. This yields a fractional diffusion equation characterised by the Levy index. A solution to this equation is considered and a numerical algorithm developed. The algorithm is then applied as a case study to the problem of reducing noise in magnetic resonance imaging. The focus of this study is on diffusion weighted images which have low signal-to-noise ratios.

Reactive Oxygen Species Induced Cytokine Production And Cytotoxicity Of Pamam Dendrimers In J774a.1 Cells, Pratap Naha, Maria Davoren, Fiona Lyng, Hugh Byrne

Articles

The immunotoxicity of three generations of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers (G-4, G-5 and G-6) was evaluated in mouse macrophage cells in vitro. Using the Alamar blue and MTT assays, a generation dependent cytotoxicity of the PAMAM dendrimers was found whereby G-6 > G-5 > G-4. The toxic response of the PAMAM dendrimers correlated well with the number of surface primary amino groups, with increasing number resulting in an increase in toxic response. An assessment of intracellular ROS generation by the PAMAM dendrimers was performed by measuring the increased fluorescence as a result of intracellular oxidation of Carboxy H2DCFDA to DCF both quantitatively using …

Macular Pigment Optical Density In An Aging Irish Population: The Irish Longitudinal Study On Ageing, John Nolan, Roseanne Kenny, Claire O'Regan, Hilary Cronin, James Loughman, Eithne Connolly, Patricia Kearney, Stephen Beatty

Articles

Purpose: The 3 carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin, which account for the ‘yellow spot’ at the macula and which are referred to as macular pigment (MP), are believed to play a role in visual function and protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD) via their optical and antioxidant properties. This study was undertaken to compare MP optical density (MPOD) in a population aged ≧50 years with MPOD values from a normative database of subjects aged 18–60 years. Methods: Seventy-nine subjects were recruited into this pilot study (The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing-TILDA). MPOD was measured using heterochromatic flicker photometry. Retinal fundus …

Preattentive Visual Search (Pavs): A Clinical Tool For Glaucoma, James Loughman

Books/Book chapters

Glaucoma is known to cause peripheral field loss but its impact is often underestimated. The inability to detect a target in an isolated area of the visual field may not be perceived as a significant disability. The determination here however that glaucoma adversely affects an individual’s capacity to deploy attention is an important one. This can be applied to infer the potential impact of the condition on lifestyle, even in the absence of diffuse perimetric field loss. Everyday tasks such as searching for car keys may prove more tedious and require more serial inspection. The ability to guide attention is …

Macular Pigment And Its Contribution To Visual Performance And Experience [El Pigmento Macular Y Su Contribución Al Rendimiento Y Experiencia Visuals], James Loughman, Peter Davison, John M. Nolan, Mukunda C. Akkali, Stephen Beatty

Articles

There is now a consensus, based on histological, biochemical and spectral absorption data, that the yellow colour observed at the macula lutea is a consequence of the selective accumulation of dietary xanthophylls in the central retina of the living eye. Scientific research continues to explore the function(s) of MP in the human retina, with two main hypotheses premised on its putative capacity to (1) protect the retina from (photo)-oxidative damage by means of its optical filtration and/or antioxidant properties, the so-called protective hypothesis and (2) influence the quality of visual performance by means of selective short wavelength light absorption prior …

The Relationship Between Macular Pigment And Visual Performance, James Loughman, Peter Davison, Grainne Scanlon, Veronica O'Dwyer

Conference Papers

Abstract Purpose:Macular pigment (MP), as a powerful antioxidant, and short wavelength optical filter, which is anatomically concentrated at the macula, may theoretically contribute to visual performance by attenuating the effects of chromatic aberration and light scatter, or by optimizing retinal health. This study was designed to assess whether macular pigment optical density (MPOD) is associated with visual performance. Methods:142 young (mean age ± SD = 29 ± 6 years) healthy subjects were recruited into two separate study sites: Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) and Technological University Dublin (DIT). The spatial profile of MPOD (i.e. at 0.5, 0.25, 1, 1.75 and …

The Mozambique Eyecare Project: Implementing A Model That Addresses Uncorrected Refractive Error In Lusophone Africa., Stephen Thompson, Diane Wallace

Conference Papers

BACKGROUND

Optometric education and resources are drastically deficient in most of Africa, more so in Lusophone Africa where the problem is compounded by language barriers which isolate these countries from related developments in Africa and/or the developed world.

The Mozambique Eyecare Programme is a multi-partner collaboration between The International Centre for Eyecare Education (ICEE), Universidade Lúrio in Mozambique, Technological University Dublin, and the University of Ulster in Ireland, designed to address the need for optometric education in Lusophone Africa.

AIM

This paper aims to document the current situation with regards to human resource development in eyecare in Mozambique and offer …

The Problem Of Antimicrobial Resistance In The Foodchain, Ciara Walsh

Reports

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) associated with the food chain is currently a subject of major interest to many food chain stakeholders. In response safefood commissioned this report to update our knowledge of this area and to raise awareness of the issue. Its primary focus is on the food chain where it impacts consumer health. This review will inform and underpin any future action to be taken by safefood with regard to AMR.

An Evaluation Of A Community Dietetics Intervention On The Management Of Malnutrition For Healthcare Professionals, Sharon Kennelly, N. P. Kennedy, G. Flanaghan-Rughoobur, C. Glennon-Slattery, Sheila Sugrue

Articles

Background: Healthcare professionals working in the community setting have limited knowledge of the evidence-based management of malnutrition. The present study aimed to evaluate a community dietetics intervention, which included an education programme for healthcare professionals in conjunction with the introduction of a community dietetics service for patients ‘at risk’ of malnutrition. Changes in nutritional knowledge and the reported management of malnourished patients were investigated and the acceptability of the intervention was explored. Methods: An education programme, incorporating ‘Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST)’ training, was implemented in eight of 10 eligible primary care practices (14 general practitioners and nine practice nurses …