Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Associated With Weaning Practices In Term Infants: A Prospective Observational Study In Ireland., Roslyn Tarrant, Katherine Younger, Margaret Sheridan-Pereira, Martin White, John Kearney

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The WHO (2001) recommends exclusive breast-feeding and delaying the introduction of solid foods to an infant’s diet until 6 months postpartum. However, in many countries, this recommendation is followed by few mothers, and earlier weaning onto solids is a commonly reported global practice. Therefore, this prospective, observational study aimed to assess compliance with the WHO recommendation and examine weaning practices, including the timing of weaning of infants, and to investigate the factors that predict weaning at #12 weeks. From an initial sample of 539 pregnant women recruited from the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, Dublin, 401 eligible mothers were …

The Prevalence And Determinants Of Breastfeeding Initiation And Duration In A Sample Of Women In Ireland, Roslyn Tarrant, Katherine Younger, Margaret Sheridan-Pereira, Martin White, John Kearney

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Objective: To assess breast-feeding initiation and prevalence from birth to 6 months in a sample of mothers in Dublin, and to determine the factors associated with breast-feeding initiation and ‘any’ breast-feeding at 6 weeks in a sample of Irish-national mothers. Design: This prospective cross-sectional study involved the recruitment of women during the antenatal period, with subsequent follow-up of mothers who delivered healthy, term singleton infants, at 6 weeks and 6 months postpartum. Setting: Participants were recruited from antenatal clinics in the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, Dublin. Subjects: In all, 401 Irish-national and forty-nine non-Irish-national mothers met the criteria …

Platelet Alpha- And Beta- Secretase Activities Are Not Significantly Affected By Dementia Or Mild Cognitive Impairment In Swedish Patients., Paul Gorham, Natalie Bark, Steve Meaney, Ingemar Bjorkhem, Milita Crisby

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The processing of the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) is a critical event in the formation of amyloid plaques which are composed of the 4kDa amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta). Processing of APP occurs through a non-amyloidogenic pathway, mediated by initial alpha-secretase cleavage or through an amyloidogenic pathway via sequential cleavage by beta- and gamma-secretase enzymes, which produces Abeta peptides. Currently, the diagnosis of probable or possible Alzheimer's disease (AD) is primarily based on neuropsychological and neuroradiological assessment. Recent reports indicate that platelet beta-secretase activity is moderately increased in patients with AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). To our knowledge platelet alpha-secretase activity …

Enhancement Of The Antibacterial Properties Of Silver Nanoparticles Using Beta-Cyclodextrin As A Capping Agent, Swarna Jaiswal, Brendan Duffy, Niall Stobie, Patrick Mchale, Amit Jaiswal

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Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by reducing silver salts using NaBH4 followed by capping with varying concentrations of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and were physically characterised. Antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus was determined by a microtitre well method. The AgNPs were spherical under TEM while DLS showed average diameters of capped particles to be smaller (4-7 nm) than their uncapped equivalents (17 nm). Capped particles demonstrated superior photostability when exposed to intense UV radiation for 4 hours and a significantly (p

Corrosion Protection Of Aa 2024-T3 Aluminium Alloys Using 3, 4-Diaminobenzoic Acid Chelated Zirconium-Silane Hybrid Sol-Gels, P.C. Rajath Varma, John Colreavy, John Cassidy, Mohamed Oubaha, Colette Mcdonagh, Brendan Duffy

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Organic-inorganic polymers formed by hydrolysis/condensation reactions of alkoxide precursors, such as organically modified silanes (Ormosils) have found applications as electronic, optical and protective coatings. Such coatings possess important characteristics such as chemical stability, physical strength and scratch resistance. Further performance improvement is achieved through the incorporation of zirconium and titanium based nanoparticles, also formed through the sol-gel process. However due to the inherent difference in the reactivity of the precursors, the hydrolysis of each precursor must be carried out separately before being combined for final condensation. Zirconium precursors are commonly chelated using acetic acid or acetyl acetonate prior to hydrolysis, …

Media Literacy And Communication Rights: Ethical Individualism In The New Media Environment, Brian O'Neill

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The dominant discourse of media literacy policy espouses an ethical individualism within the digital media environment in which the source of moral values and principles, and the basis of ethical evaluation, is the individual. In this perspective, even vulnerable citizens such as children and young people, who tend to be in the vanguard of new media adoption, are required to negotiate the risks and opportunities of the online world with diminishing degrees of institutional support from trusted information sources. Noticeably absent from this discourse is any consideration of the notion of communication rights. Examining an alternative conceptualization of media literacy …

Child Sexual Abuse, Links To Later Sexual Exploitation/High-Risk Sexual Behavior, And Prevention/Treatment Programs, Kevin Lalor, Rosaleen Mcelvaney

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This paper reviews the literature on the nature and incidence of child sexual abuse, explores the link between child sexual abuse and later sexual exploitation, and reviews the literature on prevention strategies and effective interventions in child sexual abuse services. Our understanding of the international epidemiology of child sexual abuse is considerably greater than it was just 10 years ago, and studies from around the world are examined. Childhood sexual abuse can involve a wide number of psychological sequelae, including low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Numerous studies have noted that child sexual abuse victims are vulnerable to later sexual revictimization, …

Real-Time Pcr Method For The Quantification Of Burkholderia Cepacia Complex Attached To Lung Epithelial Cells And Inhibitionn Of That Attachment, Ciara Wight, Gillian Herbert, Ruth Pilkington, Máire Callaghan, Siobhan Mcclean

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To develop a rapid method to quantify the attachment of the cystic fibrosis pathogen, Burkholderia multivorans, to lung epithelial cells (16HBE14o(-)) using real-time PCR with a view to monitoring potential inhibition of lung cell attachment. Mammalian and bacterial DNA were purified from bacteria attached to lung epithelial cells. The relative amount of bacteria attached was determined by amplification of the recA gene relative to the human GAPDH gene, in the presence of SYBR Green. The method was thoroughly validated and shown to correlate well with traditional plating techniques. Inhibition of bacterial attachment with simple sugars was then evaluated by real-time …

Macrophage Responses To Cf Pathogens: Jnkmap Kinase Signaling By Burkholderia Cepacia Complex Lipopolysaccharide, Suzanne Mckeon, Siobhan Mcclean, Máire Callaghan

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Chronic bacterial colonization of the airways with opportunistic pathogens is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) organisms pose a particular challenge in CF lung disease, due in part to their ability to trigger a fulminant pneumonia. This study compares the U937 macrophage response to two Bcc species, B. cenocepacia and Burkholderia multivorans, against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The two Bcc strains demonstrated higher levels of U937 macrophage internalization compared with both P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. Both the Bcc strains also stimulated significantly greater levels of tumor necrosis factor-a …

(Le)Agility In Humanitarian Aid Supply Chains, Kirstin Scholten, Pamela Sharkey Scott, Brian Fynes

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Purpose - This paper explores the concept of agility in the context of supply chains of humanitarian aid (HA) organizations, particularly Non Government Organizations (NGOs). This responds to the increasing pressure on NGOs to use their resources more strategically if they are to gain donor trust and long term commitment. Design/ Methodology/Approach - A literature based approach that extends the commercial supply chain concept of agility to NGOs is combined with the first exploratory semi structured interviews of these concepts with five NGO supply chain directors. Findings – The commercial concept of agility when responding to disaster relief holds strong …

From Federations To Global Factories: Assessing The Contribution Of The Subsidiary Middle Manager In Today’S Mne, Donal O'Brien, Pamela Sharkey Scott, Pat Gibbons

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The evolution of MNEs (Multinational Enterprises) from rigid and hierarchical structures to more distributed authority and autonomy led to the theoretical justification for conceptualising them as a federative rather than unitary organisations (Ghoshal and Bartlett, 1990). Fundamental to the Federative MNE is the suggestion that subsidiary units, through their own actions, can modify the power base and influence MNE strategy ‘from below’ (Andersson et al., 2007). Considerable research highlights the potential of subsidiary units for knowledge creation and initiative (Birkinshaw, 1997, Rugman and Verbeke, 2001, Williams, 2009), but to date it has failed to confirm that MNEs actually operate as …

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

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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.

Food Consumption Trends And Drivers, John Kearney

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A picture of food consumption (availability) trends and projections to 2050, both globally and for different regions of the world along with the drivers largely responsible for these observed consumption trends are the subject of this review. Throughout the world, major shifts in dietary patterns are occurring, even in the consumption of basic staples towards more diversified diets. Accompanying these changes in food consumption at a global and regional level have been considerable health consequences. Populations in those countries undergoing rapid transition are experiencing nutritional transition. The diverse nature of this transition may be the result of differences in socio …

Genetic Connections Between Neurological Disorders And Cholesterol Metabolism, Ingemar Bjorkhem, Valerio Leoni, Steve Meaney

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Cholesterol is an essential component of both the peripheral and central nervous systems of mammals. Over the last decade, evidence has accumulated that disturbances in cholesterol metabolism are associated with the development of various neurological conditions. In addition to genetically defined defects in cholesterol synthesis, which will be covered in another review in this Thematic Series, defects in cholesterol metabolism (cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis) and intracellular transport (Niemann Pick Syndrome) lead to neurological disease. A subform of hereditary spastic paresis (type SPG5) and Huntington's disease are neurological diseases with mutations in genes that are of importance for cholesterol metabolism. Neurodegeneration is generally …

Differential Genome-Wide Array–Based Methylation Profiles In Prognostic Subsets Of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Meena Kanduri, Nicola Cahill, Hanna Göransson, Camilla Enström, Fergus Ryan, Anders Isaksson, Richard Rosenquist

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Global hypomethylation and regional hypermethylation are well-known epigenetic features of cancer; however, in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), studies on genome-wide epigenetic modifications are limited. Here, we analyzed the global methylation profiles in CLL, by applying high-resolution methylation microarrays (27 578 CpG sites) to 23 CLL samples, belonging to the immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable (IGHV) mutated (favorable) and IGHV unmutated/IGHV3-21 (poor-prognostic) subsets. Overall, results demonstrated significant differences in methylation patterns between these subgroups. Specifically, in IGHV unmutated CLL, we identified methylation of 7 known or candidate tumor suppressor genes (eg, VHL, ABI3, and IGSF4) as well as 8 unmethylated genes involved in …

Self Protection From Anti-Viral Responses – Ro52 Promotes Degradation Of The Transcription Factor Irf7 Downstream Of The Viral Toll-Like Receptors, Rowan Higgs, Elisa Lazzari, Claire Wynne, Joan Ní Gabhann, Alexander Espinosa, Marie Wahren-Herlenius, Caroline A. Jefferies

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Ro52 is a member of the TRIM family of single-protein E3 ligases and is also a target for autoantibody production in systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjo¨ gren’s syndrome. We previously demonstrated a novel function of Ro52 in the ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of IRF3 following TLR3/4 stimulation. We now present evidence that Ro52 has a similar role in regulating the stability and activity of IRF7. Endogenous immunoprecipitation of Ro52-bound proteins revealed that IRF7 associates with Ro52, an effect which increases following TLR7 and TLR9 stimulation, suggesting that Ro52 interacts with IRF7 post-pathogen recognition. Furthermore, we show that Ro52 ubiquitinates IRF7 …

Assessing The Application Of 3d Collaborative Interfaces Within An Immersive Virtual University, Gavin Mcardle, Bianca Schoen-Phelan, Michela Bortolotto

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The need to stimulate and engage students is of paramount importance within any learning scenario. Despite this, recent developments in online learning have failed to take this requirement into account. As a result e-learning courses which utilise traditional online learning management systems have a higher dropout rate than their classroom based counterparts. The attrition rate is attributed to boredom with the interfaces used to deliver learning material and also to the lack of opportunities to interact socially with others. Furthermore, being in a virtual environment imposes a whole new set of challenges onto users due to the distinct lack of …

Editorial: Nutrition Research Reviews, Katherine Younger

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This is the time of year when pumpkins are in season, and are incorporated into traditional festivals in Europe and North America (Harvest, Halloween, Thanksgiving). If you have previously considered pumpkins as good only for carving into grinning Jack O’Lanterns then the short review from Yadev et al. (1) might shed a little light on some of its potential medicinal properties, including antioxidant, antiinflammatory, anti-carcinogenic and anti-diabetic. However, the active compounds, possibly various alkaloids and flavonoids, have yet to be isolated and characterised, and much of the work cited has been done in animal or in vitro models, so the …

Sources Of Saturated Fat And Sucrose In The Diets Of Swedish Children And Adolescents In The European Youth Heart Study: Strategies For Improving Intakes, Emma Patterson, Julia Wärnberg, John Kearney, Michael Sjostrom

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To compare macronutrient intakes of Swedish children and adolescents to population goals; to identify the major sources of energy, fat, saturated fat and sucrose; and to simulate the effect adherence to current food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) would have on saturated fat and sucrose intakes. Cross-sectional study. From 24 h recall data, food groups contributing most to energy, fat, saturated fat and sucrose were identified. Based on the prevailing consumption of foods mentioned in the FBDG, we simulated five scenarios: changes in milk and yoghurt; cheese; energy-dense, nutrient-dilute foods; soft drinks; and burger and sausage consumption. Stockholm and Örebro (Sweden) in …

Exogenous Fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 Ligand Overrides Brain Immune Privilege And Facilitates Recognition Of A Neo-Antigen Without Causing Autoimmune Neuropathology, Daniel Larocque, Nicholas S. R. Sanderson, Josée Bergeron, James Curtin, Joe Girton, Mia Wibowo, Niyati Bondale, Kurt M. Kroeger, Jieping Yang, Liliana M. Lacayo, Kevin C. Reyes, Catherine Farrokhi, Robert N. Pechnick, Maria G. Castro, Pedro R. Lowenstein

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Soluble antigens diffuse out of the brain and can thus stimulate a systemic immune response, whereas particulate antigens (from infectious agents or tumor cells) remain within brain tissue, thus failing to stimulate a systemic immune response. Immune privilege describes how the immune system responds to particulate antigens localized selectively within the brain parenchyma. We believe this immune privilege is caused by the absence of antigen presenting dendritic cells from the brain. We tested the prediction that expression of fms-like tyrosine kinase ligand 3 (Flt3L) in the brain will recruit dendritic cells and induce a systemic immune response against exogenous influenza …

Editorial: Nutrition Research Reviews, Katherine Younger

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No abstract provided.

Dietary Energy Density As Marker Of Dietary Quality In Swedish Children And Adolescents: The European Youth Heart Study, Emma Patterson, J. Wärnberg, E. Poortvliet, John Kearney, M. Sjöström

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To investigate if dietary energy density is associated with measures of dietary quality (food group, micronutrient and macronutrient intakes) in children and adolescents.

Functional And Pathological Analysis Of Biological Systems Using Vibrational Spectroscopy With Chemometric And Heuristic Approaches, Aidan Meade, Colin Clarke, Franck Bonnier, Kelvin W. Poon, Amaya Garcia, Peter Knief, Kamila Ostrowska, Lorenzo Salford, Haq Nawaz, Fiona Lyng, Hugh Byrne

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Vibrational spectroscopy (Raman and FTIR microspectroscopy) is an attractive modality for the analysis of biological samples since it provides a complete non-invasive acquisition of the biochemical fingerprint of the sample. Studies in our laboratory have applied vibrational spectroscopy to the analysis of biological function in response to external agents (chemotherapeutic drugs, ionising radiation, nanoparticles), together with studies of the pathology of tissue (skin and cervix) in health and disease. Genetic algorithms have been used to optimize spectral treatments in tandem with the analysis of the data (using generalized regression neural networks (GRNN), artificial neural networks (ANN), partial least squares modelling …

Figurational Dynamics And Parliamentary Discourses Of Living Standards In Ireland, Paddy Dolan

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While the concept of living standards remains central to political debate, it has become marginal in sociological research compared to the burgeoning attention given to the topic of consumer culture in recent decades. However, they both concern how one does and should consume, and, indeed, behave at particular times. I use the theories of Norbert Elias to explain the unplanned but structured (ordered) changes in expected standards of living over time. This figurational approach is compared to other alternative explanations, particularly those advanced by Bourdieu, Veblen and Baudrillard. Though these offer some parallels with Elias’s theories, I argue that consumption …

Barriers To Representation For Detained Immigrants Facing Deportation: Varick Street Detention Facility, A Case Study, Peter L. Markowitz

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There is an evolving crisis in the immigration courts and federal courts of appeals caused by the lack of quality representation for immigrants facing deportation. The problem is particularly acute for immigrants who are detained during their removal proceedings. As part of the Study Group on Immigrant Representation (Katzmann study group), the Subcommittee on Enhancing Mechanisms for Service Delivery undertook a case study of the institutional and legal barriers to quality legal representation for immigrants held at the Varick Street Detention Facility in New York City. Through this lens we hope to offer some useful insights into the core factors …

Relationship Of Paroxysmal Atrial Tachyarrhythmias To Volume Overload, Rajat Jhanjee Md, Grant A. Templeton Md, Srinivasan Sattiraju Md, John Nguyen Md, Simon Milstein Md, Laura Van Heel, Keith G. Lurie Md, David Benditt Md

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BACKGROUND:

Clinical experience suggests that atrial tachyarrhythmias (ATs) are a frequent comorbidity in heart failure patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and that volume overload may increase AT susceptibility. However, substantiating this apparent relationship in free-living patients is difficult. Recently, certain implantable cardioverter-defibrillators provide, by measuring transpulmonary electric bioimpedance, an index of intrathoracic fluid status (OptiVol index [OI]). The goal of this study was to determine whether periods of greater intrathoracic fluid congestion (as detected by OI) correspond with increased AT event frequency.

METHODS AND RESULTS:

This analysis retrospectively assessed the relation between AT events and OI estimate of volume …

A Critical Introduction To The Symposium, Kyron J. Huigens

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No abstract provided.

Augmentation Of Macular Pigment Following Implantation Of Blue Light-Filtering Introcular Lenses At The Time Of Cataract Surgery, John Nolan, Philip O'Reilly, James Loughman, Jim Stack, Edward Loane, Eithne Connolly, Stephen Beatty

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PURPOSE. (Photo)-oxidative stress is believed to play a role in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), with the threshold for retinal damage being lowest for short-wavelength (blue) light. Macular pigment (MP), consisting of the carotenoids lutein (L), zeaxanthin (Z) and meso-Z, has a maximum absorption at 460 nm and protects the retina from (photo)-oxidative injury. This study was designed to investigate whether the blue light–filtering properties of the Alcon AcrySof Natural intraocular lens (ANIOL) implanted during cataract surgery affects MP optical density (MPOD). METHODS. Forty-two patients scheduled for cataract surgery were recruited for the study. These patients all had …

Copper(Ii) Complexes Of Coumarin-Derived Schiff Bases And Their Anti-Candida Activity, Bernadette S. Creaven, Michael Devereux, Dariusz Karcz, Andrew Kellett, Malachy Mccann, Andy Noble, Maureen Walsh

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The condensation of 7-amino-4-methyl-coumarin (1) with a number of substituted salicylaldehydes yielded a series of Schiff bases (2a–2k) in good yields. Subsequent reaction of these ligands with copper( II) acetate yielded Cu(II) complexes (3a–3k) and some were characterised using X-ray crystallography. All of the free ligands and their metal complexes were tested for their anti-Candida activity.

The Role Of One Religiously Affiliated Law School, Michael Herz

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No abstract provided.