Digital Commons Network^™

Green Tea Extract As A Natural Antioxidant To Extend The Shelf-Life Of Fresh-Cut Lettuce, Catherine Barry-Ryan, Ana Belen Martin-Diana, Daniel Rico

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Green tea extract (GT) was evaluated as a preservative treatment for fresh-cut lettuce. Different quality markers, e.g. respiration, browning, ascorbic acid and carotenoid content were evaluated. GT concentration (0.25, 0.5 and 1 g 100 mL− 1) and temperature (20 °C and 50 °C) were tested. Optimal GT treatment (0.25 g 100 mL− 1 at 20 °C) was compared with chlorine (120 ppm at 20 °C). High GT concentrations (0.5 g 100 mL− 1 and 1.0 g 100 mL− 1) maintained better prevent ascorbic acid and carotenoid loss than 0.25 g 100 mL− 1 GT and chlorine. GT increased browning of …

Assessing The Effect Of Product Variability On The Management Of The Quality Of Mushrooms (Agaricus Bisporus), Catherine Barry-Ryan, Jesus Maria Frias, Leixuri Aguirre, Helen Grogan

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To study the shelf-life of mushrooms, over 25 batches were subjected to three storage temperatures (T) (5, 15 and 25 ◦ C) and three storage relative humidity (RH) levels (70, 80 and 90%). The effect of T and the RH on the kinetics of quality attributes of the batches was studied by measuring water activity, turgor, colour (L, a* and b* in the Hunter Scale) and weight loss of three different tissues (cap, gills and stipe) of the mushroom. Linear mixed effect models, comprising polynomial models to describe quality kinetics and allowing for batch-to-batch and inside-batch nested variabilitystructure, were built. …

Condominium Arrangements In International Practice: Reviving An Abandoned Concept Of Boundary Dispute Resolution, Joel H. Samuels

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No abstract provided.

Health Privacy In A Techno-Social World: A Cyber-Patient's Bill Of Rights, Patricia S. Abril, Anita Cava

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No abstract provided.

Jesting Pilate, Carl E. Schneider

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I have two goals this month. First, to examine a case that's in the news. Second, to counsel skepticism in reading news accounts of cases. Recently, I was talking with an admirable scholar. He said that transplant surgeons sometimes kill potential donors to obtain their organs efficiently. He added, "This isn't just an urban legend - there's a real case in California." A little research turned up California v. Roozrokh. A little Googling found stories from several reputable news sources. Their headlines indeed intimated that a transplant surgeon had tried to kill a patient to get transplantable organs. CNN.com: …

Diagnostic Sensitivity/Specificity Of Preattentive Vision Tests In Glaucoma, James Loughman, Peter Davison, Daniel Ian Flitcroft

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Purpose. Damage to the nerve fiber layer or visual pathway might be expected to reduce the efficiency with which the visual system performs analysis of the ever-changing field of vision. The purpose of this article is to provide a further analysis of previously reported data (Loughman J, Davison P, Flitcroft I, Br J Ophthalmol 2007;91:1493-98.) to: (i) determine the sensitivity and specificity of a test of preattentive vision for glaucoma detection and (ii) provide a cutoff performance level that would serve to distinguish glaucoma in early cases. Methods. Three groups of observers (glaucoma, suspects, and normals) were examined, using computer-generated …

Diagnostic Sensitivity/Specificity Of Preattentive Vision Tests In Glaucoma, James Loughman, Peter Davison, Daniel Ian Flitcroft

Articles

Purpose. Damage to the nerve fiber layer or visual pathway might be expected to reduce the efficiency with which the visual system performs analysis of the ever-changing field of vision. The purpose of this article is to provide a further analysis of previously reported data (Loughman J, Davison P, Flitcroft I, Br J Ophthalmol 2007;91:1493–98.) to: (i) determine the sensitivity and specificity of a test of preattentive vision for glaucoma detection and (ii) provide a cutoff performance level that would serve to distinguish glaucoma in early cases. Methods. Three groups of observers (glaucoma, suspects, and normals) were examined, using computer-generated …

Survey Of Internet And At-Risk Behaviors, Samuel C. Mcquade Iii, Neel Sampat

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In May 2007 though January 2008 fourteen Monroe County school districts in New York State participated in a major research study undertaken by the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). A major portion of the study was an online survey. It was designed to:

• Measure the nature and extent of online victimization and offending experiences of K-12th grade students
• Determine types and levels of supervision and role modeling employed by parents pertaining to the use of computers and portable electronic devices by their children; and
• Obtain information from teachers about their perceptions of school-related cyber abuse and crime, along with the …

Working Report On The Status Quo Of Nanomaterials Impact On Health And Environment, Harald Krug, Margarita Apostolova, Marite Arija Bake, Gordon Chambers, Horia Chiriac, Eva Herzog, Victoria Hand, Jürgen Höck, Peter Hoet, Nicoleta Lupu, Declan Mccormack, Maja Remskar, George Robillard, Jamila Smisterova, Jan Stetkiewicz, Speranta Tanasescu, Aris Tsatsakis, David Vaughn, Peter Wick, Jörg Wörle-Knirsch

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Nanotechnology is regarded as one of the key technologies of the future and associated with high expectations by politics, science and economy. Artificially produced nanosized particles and nanoscale system components have new properties which are of importance for the development of new products and applications. Such new properties of materials and substances result from the special properties of surfaces and interfaces and in part, from the geometric shape of the material. In theory nanoparticles (NPs) can be produced from nearly any chemical; however, most NPs that are currently in use today have been made from transition metals, silicon, carbon (single-walled …

The Development Of A Qualitative Real-Time Rt-Pcr Assay For The Detection Of Hepatitis C Virus, Celine Herra, A. Clancy, B. Crowley, H. Niesters

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Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) represents a favourable option for the detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV). A real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RTPCR) assay was developed as a qualitative diagnostic screening method for the detection of HCV using the ABI PRISM 7500 Sequence Detection System. The primers and probe were designed to target the 5′ untranslated region of the hepatitis C viral genome. A second heterologous probe assay was developed for the detection of the haemagglutinin gene of phocine distemper virus (PDV) and was used as an internal control. A semi-automated HCV extraction method was also implemented using the ABI …

Frame It - Thoughts On Education, Reducing Carbon And Vapour, Joseph Little, Robbie Cousins

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Joseph Little believes timber frame can be the backbone of a new generation of low-carbon, energy-efficient housing, and be used as an intelligent response to Climate Change and fuel prices. But he tells Robbie Cousins that timber frame manufacturers, suppliers and architects need to gear-up and work more closely together if the true potential of this vision is to be realised.

Joseph Little’s chief bugbear is poor construction standards & details on site and the core of this issue is how the knowledge set of architects and builders and how standards are controlled. The seeds of this idea may have …

Towards A Model Of Critical Ethics To Inform The Research Process In Postgraduate Research, Aidan Kenny

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The ethics narrative has become embedded in the contemporary research process, as evident in the emergence of Ethical Committees in faculty and both public and private organisations. Ethics have been codified, made visible and accessible as text artefacts in the forms of (both voluntary and regulatory) codes, statements, conventions, guidelines, principles, procedures, practices. In this short paper I explore this codification of ethics from the period post WWII, detailing some of the milestone text artefacts.

The Anti-Microbial Efficacy Of Plant Essential Oil Combinations And Interactions With Food Ingredients, Jorge Gutierrez, Catherine Barry-Ryan, Paula Bourke

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The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of plant essential oils (EOs) in combination and to investigate the effect of food ingredients on their efficacy. The EOs assessed in combination included basil, lemon balm, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme. Combinations of EOs were initially screened against Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using the spot-on-agar test. The influence of varying concentrations of EO combinations on efficacy was also monitored using E. coli. These preliminary studies showed promising results for oregano in combination with basil, thyme or marjoram. The checkerboard method was then used …

Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project (Sagestep): Restoration Research With Practical Applications, Summer Olsen

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Sagebrush rangelands cover millions of acres in the Great Basin including parts of Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah. This land provides a variety of important services, including wildlife habitat, clean water, recreation, and economic opportunities; it also serves as the primary forage base for the western livestock industry. Healthy sagebrush rangelands are rapidly being lost due to a variety of factors including severe wildfires, woodland expansion, invasion of non-native species, urban development, and drought. This loss can have significant impacts on those who depend on the land for goods and services.

Report To The American Bankruptcy Institute: Prevalence Of Substantive Consolidation In Large Public Company Bankruptcies From 2000 To 2005, William H. Widen

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No abstract provided.

Failed Lawyers And The Sources Of Satire, Charles M. Yablon

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Most of those reading this Essay have ample reason to appreciate the benefits of a good legal education. There is pride in becoming a member of an ancient and learned profession, intellectual challenge in wrestling with complex questions of equity, power and social justice, and satisfaction in the sense of superiority you feel towards your loser friends who did not get into a decent law school.

Leaving More Than Money: Mediation Clauses In Estate Planning Documents, Lela P. Love, Stewart E. Sterk

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When probate disputes arise, an increasing number of courts have been referring those disputes to mediation. Estate planners, however, have been less proactive about drafting wills to include mediation clauses that would anticipate estate disputes and channel them away from litigation. When a will mandates mediation, the will provides a dispute resolution mechanism designed to preserve family harmony, conserve estate assets, and avoid airing the family's "dirty laundry "-objectives common to many testator. Mediation clauses in wills are no panacea. They are of little value to testators who exalt control over estate assets above all other concerns, and they are …

Gauging The Acceptability Of Fuels Management: A Matter Of Trust, Mark W. Brunson

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There is a significant gap between the acceptability of management practices in theory and the confidence that citizens have in land managers' abilities to use those practices safely and effectively. But since most citizens are willing to accept the use of multiple practices on a small scale, opportunities exist for land managers to build citizens’ confidence in their activities while gradually reducing the risk of wildfire to the Great Basin’s most susceptible communities.

Treg Depletion Inhibits Efficacy Of Cancer Immunotherapy: Implications For Clinical Trials., James Curtin, Marianela Candolfi, Tamer Fakhouri, Chunyan Liu, Anderson Alden, Matthew Edwards, Pedro Lowenstein, Maria Castro

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BACKGROUND: Regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg) infiltrate human glioblastoma (GBM); are involved in tumor progression and correlate with tumor grade. Transient elimination of Tregs using CD25 depleting antibodies (PC61) has been found to mediate GBM regression in preclinical models of brain tumors. Clinical trials that combine Treg depletion with tumor vaccination are underway to determine whether transient Treg depletion can enhance anti-tumor immune responses and improve long term survival in cancer patients. FINDINGS: Using a syngeneic intracrabial glioblastoma (GBM) mouse model we show that systemic depletion of Tregs 15 days after tumor implantation using PC61 resulted in a decrease in Tregs …

Valuing Laws As Local Amenities, Anup Malani

Articles

The conventional approach to evaluating a law is to examine its effect on proximate behavior. To evaluate a new criminal law, for example, the conventional approach would look to changes in the crime rate. This Article proposes another method for evaluating laws, specifically, that they should be judged by the extent to which they raise housing prices and lower wages in the short run or raise the aggregate value of residential land in the long run. The logic is that the value of a law, much like the value of a lake or a public school, is capitalized into local …

Turning The Gene Tap Off; Implications Of Regulating Gene Expression For Cancer Therapeutics, James Curtin, Marianela Candolfi, Weidong Xiong, Pedro Lowenstein, Maria Castro

Articles

Cancer poses a tremendous therapeutic challenge worldwide, highlighting the critical need for developing novel therapeutics. A promising cancer treatment modality is gene therapy, which is a form of molecular medicine designed to introduce into target cells genetic material with therapeutic intent. Anticancer gene therapy strategies currently used in preclinical models, and in some cases in the clinic, include proapoptotic genes, oncolytic/replicative vectors, conditional cytotoxic approaches, inhibition of angiogenesis, inhibition of growth factor signaling, inactivation of oncogenes, inhibition of tumor invasion and stimulation of the immune system. The translation of these novel therapeutic modalities from the preclinical setting to the clinic …

Jurisdictions And Causes Of Action: Commercial Considerations In Dealing With Bullying, Stress And Harassment Cases-Part Ii, Niall Neligan

Articles

In the concluding part of this two part article, the author will
examine how the courts have developed rules for dealing with
tortious claims for psychiatric injuries arising out of bullying, stress
and harassment cases. The article will examine whether it is
desirable to consolidate and codify employment rights law in order
to provide clarity to prospective litigants. Finally, the author will
argue that if codification is required, then this will necessitate a
change in the nature of present jurisdictions for bringing claims
involving bullying, stress and harassment in the workplace.

Review And Analysis Of An Energy Efficiency Incentive Program For Commercial Buildings, James A. Mathias, Justin M. Harrell, Marian Tetzlaff

Articles

A program with 13 participants provided reimbursement for improvements to decrease energy use largely in commercial and not-for-profit buildings but also in two government buildings. Electricity and natural gas savings were determined by modeling the energy use by accounting for changes in weather for the 12 months previous to the improvements, and then predicting energy use for the 12 months immediately after the improvements using the same model.

The threshold for verifiable energy savings resulting from building improvements was a maximum uncertainty of 50% at the 68% confidence level. Improvements involving original furnace or air conditioner replacement resulted in significant …

Negroponte: Legacy Of Bush Administration For Obama, Tom Clonan

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Muntader al-Zaidi’s words as he threw his shoes at the outgoing US President in the Green Zone in Baghdad this week may well become the epitaph for George Bush’s disastrous invasion of Iraq. It was a hugely symbolic act and was reminiscent of the beating with shoes by angry Iraqis of Saddam’s statue – toppled by US troops as the Iraqi capital fell to US forces - on the 9th of April 2003. Hurling his shoes at President Bush, al-Zaidi declared his act a ‘gift’ from the Iraqis, ‘a farewell kiss you dog’. Al-Zaidi concluded his rebuke of President Bush …

Ossification’S Demise? An Empirical Analysis Of Epa Rulemaking From 2001-2005,, Stephen M. Johnson

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For more than a decade, academics have suggested agencies are increasingly avoiding notice and comment rulemaking because the process has become “ossified” by procedures imposed by Congress, courts and the Executive Branch, and because the rules ultimately issued by agencies are frequently challenged. This article reviews the rules the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued between 2001 and 2005 to determine the validity of those criticisms. With regard to judicial challenges, 75% of EPA’s most important (“economically significant”) rules issued between 2001 and 2005 were challenged in court. This is consistent with the anecdotal claims of former EPA Administrators …

On The Nature Of The Action-Omission Network, Theodore Y. Blumoff

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This work explores the foundations of a deeply felt intuition that pervades American jurisprudence: the act-omission distinction ("AvO"). I conclude that Hume's understanding of the origins of our conception of duties presaged an important insight from modem evolutionary theory: our tendency to engage in altruistic conduct begins, although it clearly does not end, with the physical reality of personal kinship in an unkind world, and it tends to extend out in a social network of ever-diminishing strength the farther we move from the nuclear family. The thesis begins with the observation that we privilege "acts" over "omissions" for purposes of …

Study On Safety And Liability Issues Relating To Package Travel, Frank Alleweldt, Klaus Tonner, Marc Mcdonald

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This study on safety and liability issues relating to package travel, package holidays and package tours highlights some of the gaps in the EU package travel law by answering a number of specific questions related to statistical evidence, Community legislation, and US legislation. It also suggests possible solutions to fill these gaps. The study was prepared by Civic Consulting and is based on a legal analysis, a literature review, an evaluation of statistical data, and on interviews with European and national travel and tour operator associations, individual tour operators, European and national associations of insurers, individual insurance companies, and European …

The Experience Of Young People Remanded In Custody: A Case For Bail Support And Supervision Schemes, Sinead Freeman

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This article focuses on the potential role and benefits bail support and supervision(BSS) schemes may have for young people in the Irish context. This article is based on a wider Ph.D study examining the issue of coping on remand. The research used court observation and semi-structured interviews conducted with young prisoners aged 16 to 21 years in remand custody. The findings indicate that young people often end up in remand custody as a result of non-compliance with bail. The case is made arising from the research, that the operation of bail support and supervision (BSS) schemes may benefit these young …

Separate Loci Underlie Resistance To Root Infection And Leaf Scorch During Soybean Sudden Death Syndrome, Samreen Kazi, Jeffry Shultz, Jawad Afzal, J. Johnson, V. N. Njiti, David A. Lightfoot

Articles

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivars show differences in their resistance to both the leaf scorch and root rot of sudden death syndrome (SDS). The syndrome is caused by root colonization by Fusarium virguliforme (ex. F. solani f. sp. glycines). Root susceptibility combined with reduced leaf scorch resistance has been associated with resistance to Heterodera glycines HG Type 1.3.6.7 (race 14) of the soybean cyst nematode (SCN). In contrast, the rhg1 locus underlying resistance to Hg Type 0 was found clustered with three loci for resistance to SDS leaf scorch and one for root infection. The aims of this study …

Evaluation Of In Vitro Virulence Characteristics Of The Genus Pandoraea In Lung Epithelial Cells, Emma M. Caraher, Jonathan Collins, Jonathan Collins,, Gillian Herbert, Philip G. Murphy Philip G. Murphy, Charles G. Gallagher, Mary J. Crowe, Máire Callaghan, Siobhan Mcclean

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Pandoraea species are emerging opportunistic pathogens capable of causing chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. This study examined the interactions of 17 Pandoraea isolates from the five identified species (Pandoraea apista, Pandoraea norimbergensis, Pandoraea pulmonicula, Pandoraea sputorum and Pandoraea pnomenusa) plus two Pandoraea genomospecies isolates with lung epithelial cells and their ability to form biofilms in vitro. Only three isolates showed an ability to invade A549 lung epithelial cells, and only one isolate was able to form biofilms. In contrast, all isolates triggered a pronounced pro-inflammatory response, with elevation of both interleukin (IL)-6 (two- to 19-fold) and IL-8 (10- …