Digital Commons Network^™

Traveling To Chile To Learn About Idaho's Water Resource Issues, Jerrold A. Long

Articles

No abstract provided.

Valorization Of Fish By-Products: Rheological, Textural And Microstructural Properties Of Mackerel Skin Gelatins, Zied Khiari, Daniel Rico, Ana Belen Martin-Diana, Catherine Barry-Ryan

Articles

The fish processing industry generates significant amounts of waste which is usually discarded. The present study investigated the recovery of gelatins from Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) skins after pre-treatment with different environmentally-friendly organic acids (acetic, citric, lactic, tartaric or malic acid). The chemical composition, the rheological and the textural properties as well as the microstructural characteristics of the extracted gelatins were analysed and compared to commercial bovine hide gelatin. Although the organic acid used in the pre-treatment step did not affect the extraction yield and the chemical composition of the prepared gelatins, differences were observed in terms of rheology and …

Multivariate Statistical Methodologies Applied In Biomedical Raman Spectroscopy: Assessing The Validity Of Partial Least Squares Regression Using Simulated Model Datasets., Mark Keating

Articles

Raman spectroscopy is fast becoming a valuable analytical tool in a number of biomedical scenarios, most notably disease diagnostics. Importantly, the technique has also shown increasing promise in the assessment of drug interactions on a cellular and subcellular level, particularly when coupled with multivariate statistical analysis. However, an important consideration, both with Raman spectroscopy and the associated statistical methodologies, is the accuracy of these techniques and more specifically the sensitivities which can be achieved and ultimately the limits of detection of the various methods. The purpose of this study is thus the construction of a model simulated data set with …

The Surfactant Dipalmitoylphophatidylcholine (Dppc) Modifies Acute Responses In Alveolar Carcinoma Cells In Response To Low Dose Silver Nanoparticle Exposure, Gordon Chambers, Anna Murphy, Kate Sheehy, Alan Casey

Articles

Nanotechnology is a rapidly growing field with silver nanoparticles (AgNP) in particular utilized in a wide variety of consumer products. This has presented a number of concerns relating to exposure and the associated toxicity to humans and the environment. As inhalation is the most common exposure route, this study investigates the potential toxicity of AgNP to A549 alveolar epithelial carcinoma cells and the influence of a major component of lung surfactant dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) on toxicity. It was illustrated that exposure to AgNP generated low levels of oxidative stress and a reduction in cell viability. While DPPC produced no significant effect …

Spectropathology For The Next Generation: Quo Vadis?, Hugh Byrne, Malgorzata Baranska, Gerwin J. Pupples, Nick Stone, Bayden Wood, Kathleen M. Gough, Peter Lasch, Phil Heraud, Josep Sulé-Suso, Ganesh Sockalingum

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Although the potential of vibrational spectroscopy for biomedical applications has been well demonstrated, translation into clinical practice has been relatively slow. This Editorial assesses the challenges facing the field and the potential way forward. While many technological challenges have been addressed to date, considerable effort is still required to gain acceptance of the techniques among the medical community, standardise protocols, extend to a clinically relevant scale, and ultimately assess the health economics underlying clinical deployment. National and international research networks can contribute much to technology development and standardisation. Ultimately, large-scale funding is required to engage in clinical trials and instrument …

Optical Diagnostics – Spectropathology For The Next Generation, Malgorzata Baranska, Hugh Byrne

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Data Acquisition And Digital Instrumentation Engineering Modelling For Intelligent Learning And Recognition, Jun Qin, Lin Xu

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In data acquisition and digital instrumentation fields, it is essential to understand the learning and recognition to acquire data and information of objects to be studied. In recent years, engineering modelling and simulation contribute greatly to the understanding of intelligent learning and recognition problems. The ability to learn is one of the central features of intelligence, which makes it an important concern for both cognitive psychology and artificial intelligence. In this paper, definitions and modelling aspects of learning are discussed. Fundamentals of learning and recognition and their applications are investigated and described. Illustrations are given to demonstrate the increasing applications …

Data Acquisition And Digital Instrumentation Engineering Modelling For Intelligent Learning And Recognition, Jun Qin, Lin Xu

Articles

In data acquisition and digital instrumentation fields, it is essential to understand the learning and recognition to acquire data and information of objects to be studied. In recent years, engineering modelling and simulation contribute greatly to the understanding of intelligent learning and recognition problems. The ability to learn is one of the central features of intelligence, which makes it an important concern for both cognitive psychology and artificial intelligence. In this paper, definitions and modelling aspects of learning are discussed. Fundamentals of learning and recognition and their applications are investigated and described. Illustrations are given to demonstrate the increasing applications …

Potential Of Biofluid Components To Modify Silver Nanoparticle Toxicity, Gordon Chambers, Anna Murphy, Kate Sheehy, Alan Casey

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Abstract

Establishing realistic exposure scenarios is critical for cytotoxic investigation of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) in the gastrointestinal tract. This study investigated the potential interaction with and effect of biofluid components, namely cholic acid, deoxycholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid, on AgNP toxicity. Two cell lines corresponding to organs related to the biofluid components were employed. These were HepG-2 a hepatocellular carcinoma derived from liver tissue and Hep2 an epithelial cell line. Physiochemical and cytotoxic screening was performed and the ability of biofluid components to modify AgNP cytotoxicity was explored. No alteration to the physiochemical characteristics of AgNP by biofluid components was …

Vibrational Microspectroscopy For Cancer Screening, Fiona Lyng, Ines Ramos, Ola Ibrahim, Hugh Byrne

Articles

Vibrational spectroscopy analyses vibrations within a molecule and can be used to characterise a molecular structure. Raman spectroscopy is one of the vibrational spectroscopic techniques, in which incident radiation is used to induce vibrations in the molecules of a sample, and the scattered radiation may be used to characterise the sample in a rapid and non-destructive manner. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is a complementary vibrational spectroscopic technique based on the absorption of IR radiation by the sample. Molecules absorb specific frequencies of the incident light which are characteristic of their structure. IR and Raman spectroscopy are sensitive to subtle biochemical changes …

Macular Pigment Optical Density Is Lower In Type 2 Diabetes, Compared With Type 1 Diabetes And Normal Controls., James Loughman, Grainne Scanlon, Paul Connell, Audrey Murphy, Karen O'Conner, Mathew Ratzlaff, Brittany Foerg

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Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the optical density of macular pigment in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes subjects relative to normal controls

Medical Device Software And Technology: The Past, Present And Future, Martin Mchugh

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No abstract provided.

Multivariate Statistical Methodologies Applied In Biomedical Raman Spectroscopy: Assessing The Validity Of Partial Least Squares Regression Using Simulated Model Datasets, Mark E. Keating, Haq Nawaz, Franck Bonnier, Hugh Byrne

Articles

Raman spectroscopy is fast becoming a valuable analytical tool in a number of biomedical scenarios, most notably disease diagnostics. Importantly, the technique has also shown increasing promise in the assessment of drug interactions on a cellular and subcellular level, particularly when coupled with multivariate statistical analysis. However, an important consideration, both with Raman spectroscopy and the associated statistical methodologies, is the accuracy of these techniques and more specifically the sensitivities which can be achieved and ultimately the limits of detection of the various methods. The purpose of this study is thus the construction of a model simulated data set with …

A Synopsis Of Short-Term Response To Alternative Restoration Treatments In Sagebrush-Steppe: The Sagestep Project, James Mciver, Mark W. Brunson, Steve Bunting, Jeanne C. Chambers, Paul Doescher, James Grace, April Hulet, Dale Johnson, Steve Knick, Richard Miller, Mike Pellant, Fred Pierson, David A. Pyke, Benjamin Rau, Kimberly Rollins, Bruce Roundy, Eugene W. Schupp, Robin Tausch, Christopher Jason Williams

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The Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project (SageSTEP) is an integrated long-term study that evaluates ecological effects of alternative treatments designed to reduce woody fuels and to stimulate the herbaceous understory of sagebrush steppe communities of the Intermountain West. This synopsis summarizes results through 3 yr posttreatment. Woody vegetation reduction by prescribed fire, mechanical treatments, or herbicides initiated a cascade of effects, beginning with increased availability of nitrogen and soil water, followed by increased growth of herbaceous vegetation. Response of butterflies and magnitudes of runoff and erosion closely followed herbaceous vegetation recovery. Effects on shrubs, biological soil crust, tree cover, surface …

Hydrologic And Erosion Responses Of Sagebrush Steppe Following Juniper Encroachment, Wildfire, And Tree Cutting, Frederick B. Pierson, Christopher Jason Williams, Stuart P. Hardegree, Patrick E. Clark, Patrick R. Kormos, Osama Z. Al-Hamdan

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Extensive woodland expansion in the Great Basin has generated concern regarding ecological impacts of tree encroachment on sagebrush rangelands and strategies for restoring sagebrush steppe. This study used rainfall (0.5 m² and 13 m² scales) and concentrated flow simulations and measures of vegetation, ground cover, and soils to investigate hydrologic and erosion impacts of western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis Hook.) encroachment into sagebrush steppe and to evaluate short-term effects of burning and tree cutting on runoff and erosion responses. The overall effects of tree encroachment were a reduction in understory vegetation and formation of highly erodible, bare intercanopy …

Plant Establishment In Masticated Utah Juniper Woodlands, Kert R. Young, Bruce A. Roundy, Dennis L. Eggett

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Juniper (Juniperus spp.) encroachment into sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)-bunchgrass communities has reduced understory cover on millions of hectares of semiarid rangelands. Mechanical masticators shred trees to restore desirable vegetation and reduce the potential for catastrophic wildfire. Mechanical mastication where juniper density is high and perennial grass cover is low brings a risk of invasive weed dominance unless perennial species are established. To determine whether juniper mastication favors annual- or perennial-grass establishment, we compared seedling emergence, tillers, and aboveground biomass of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) and Anatone bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata [Pursh] A. Löve). Comparisons were made among …

Cell Viability Assessment Using The Alamar Blue Assay: A Comparison Of 2d And 3d Cell Culture Models, Franck Bonnier, Mark Keating, Tomasz P. Wrobel, Katarsyna Majzner, Malgorzata Baranska, Amaya Garcia, Alfonso Blanco, Hugh Byrne

Articles

Comparisons of 2D and 3D cell culture models in literature have indicated differences in cellular morphology and metabolism, commonly attributed the better representation of in vivo conditions of the latter cell culture environment. Thus, interest in the use of 3D collagen gels for in vitro analysis has been growing. Although comparative studies to date have indicated an enhanced resistance of cells on collagen matrices against different toxicants, in the present study it is demonstrated that non-adapted protocols can lead to misinterpretation of results obtained from classical colorometric dye-based cytotoxic assays. Using the well established Alamar Blue assay, the …

Developing An Elite Formation Index For Comparative Elite Studies: The Schooling Of Irish And Uk Cabinet Ministers, Brendan O'Rourke, John Hogan, Paul Donnelly

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Elites and their formation have become a matter of increasing public concern and research interest in recent years. The lessons from such research can be made more generalisable if a measure of elite formation could be developed that is comparable across different elite formation systems, whether they differ by elite, time or country. But, the nature of elite formation renders this a complex task. Nevertheless, in this article, by building upon measures employed in other fields such as industrial economics, indices are constructed that facilitate the comparison of elite formation systems. This is illustrated through a comparison of the schooling …

Alternative Splicing Of Mef2c Pre-Mrna Controls Its Activity In Normal Myogenesis And Promotes Tumorigenicity In Rhabdomyosarcoma Cells., Meiling Zhang, Bo Zhu, Judith Davie

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Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children. Many cellular disruptions contribute to the progression of this pediatric cancer, including aberrant alternative splicing. The MEF2 family of transcription factors regulates many developmental programs, including myogenesis. MEF2 gene transcripts are subject to alternate splicing to generate protein isoforms with divergent functions. We found that MEF2Cα1 was the ubiquitously expressed isoform that exhibited no myogenic activity and that MEF2Cα2, the muscle-specific MEF2C isoform, was required for efficient differentiation. We showed that exon α in MEF2C was aberrantly alternatively spliced in RMS cells, with the ratio of α2/α1 highly down-regulated …

Inflammatory And Glutamatergic Homeostasis Are Involved In Successful Aging, Erin R. Hascup, Feiya Wang, John J. Kopchick, Andrzej Bartke

Articles

Whole body studies using long-lived growth hormone receptor gene disrupted or knock out (GHR-KO) mice report global GH resistance, increased insulin sensitivity, reduced insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and cognitive retention in old-age, however, little is known about the neurobiological status of these mice. The aim of this study was to determine if glutamatergic and inflammatory markers that are altered in aging and/or age-related diseases and disorders, are preserved in mice that experience increased healthspan. We examined messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression levels in the brain of 4- to 6-, 8- to 10-, and 20- to 22-month GHR-KO and normal …

Not Your Mother's Will: Gender, Language, And Wills, Karen J. Sneddon

Articles

“Boys will be boys, but girls must be young ladies” is an echoing patriarchal refrain from the past. Formal equality has not produced equality in all areas, as demonstrated by the continuing wage gap. Gender bias lingers and can be identified in language. This Article focuses on Wills, one of the oldest forms of legal documents, to explore the intersection of gender and language. With conceptual antecedents in pre-history, written Wills found in Ancient Egyptian tombs embody the core characteristics of modern Wills. The past endows the drafting and implementation of Wills with a wealth of traditions and experiences. The …

Optical Microfibre Based Photonic Components And Their Applications In Label-Free Biosensing, Pengfei Wang, Lin Bo, Yuliya Semenova, Gerald Farrell, Gilberto Bramilla

Articles

Optical microfibre photonic components offer a variety of enabling properties, including large evanescent fields, flexibility, configurability, high confinement, robustness and compactness. These unique features have been exploited in a range of applications such as telecommunication, sensing, optical manipulation and high Q resonators. Optical microfibre biosensors, as a class of fibre optic biosensors which rely on small geometries to expose the evanescent field to interact with samples, have been widely investigated. Due to their unique properties, such as fast response, functionalization, strong confinement, configurability, flexibility, compact size, low cost, robustness, ease of miniaturization, large evanescent field and label-free operation, optical microfibres …

Five Ways To Support Interdisciplinary Work Before Tenure, Barbara Cosens

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Academic institutions often claim to promote interdisciplinary teaching and research. Prescriptions for successfully engaging in interdisciplinary efforts, however, are usually directed at the individuals doing the work rather than the institutions evaluating them for the purpose of tenure and promotion. Where institutional recommendations do exist, they are often general in nature and lacking concrete guidance. Here, we draw on our experiences as students and faculty participating in three interdisciplinary water resource management programs in the USA to propose five practices that academic institutions can adopt to effectively support interdisciplinary work. We focus on reforms that will support pre-tenure faculty because …

Current Advances In The Application Of Raman Spectroscopy For Molecular Diagnosis Of Cervical Cancer, Ines Martins Ramos, Alison Malkin, Fiona Lyng

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Raman spectroscopy provides a unique biochemical fingerprint capable of identifying and characterizing the structure of molecules, cells and tissues. In cervical cancer, it is acknowledged as a promising biochemical tool due to its ability to detect pre-malignancy and early malignancy stages. This review summarizes the key research in the area and the evidence compiled is very encouraging for ongoing and further research. In addition to the diagnostic potential, promising results for HPV detection and monitoring treatment response suggest more than just a diagnosis prospective. A greater body of evidence is however necessary before Raman spectroscopy is fully validated for clinical …

Analyses Of Ionizing Radiation Effects In – Vitro In Peripheral Blood 1 Lymphocytes With Raman Spectroscopy, Adrian Maguire, Isabel Vegacarrascal, Lisa White, B. Mcclean, Orla L. Howe, Fiona Lyng, Aidan Meade

Articles

The use of Raman spectroscopy to measure the biochemical profile of healthy and diseased cells and tissues may be a potential solution to many diagnostic problems in the clinic. Although extensively used to identify changes in the biochemical profiles of cancerous cells and tissue, Raman spectroscopy has been used less often for analyzing changes to the cellular environment by external factors such as ionizing radiation. In tandem with this, the biological impact of low doses of ionizing radiation remains poorly understood. Extensive studies have been performed on the radiobiological effects associated with radiation doses above 0.1 Gy, and are well …

The Surprising Resilience Of State Opposition To Abortion: The Supreme Court, Federalism, And The Role Of Intense Minorities In The U.S. Politics System, Gerald Rosenberg

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No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Obergefell: Tradition Marriage's New Lease On Life, David Pimentel

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The Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges in June 2015 provided a dramatic turn in America's ongoing debate over same-sex marriage. Justice Kennedy's opinion speaks in emotionally evocative terms about the compelling societal and personal significance of marriage, holding that the right to marry is a fundamental right under the Fourteenth Amendment, a right that extends to same-sex couples. Justice Kennedy's rhetoric about the importance of marriage is noteworthy, even curious, given marriage's steady decline over the past 50 years. Just when it seemed that marriage was losing its significance in our society-because marriages are more easily ended, because …

Making "Conservation" Work For The 21st Century: Enabling Resilient Place, Jerrold A. Long

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During the New Deal, as part of a larger effort implementing Progressive Era "conservation" regimes, the federal government authorized the structurally-invasive Flood Control Act of 1936. At the same time, the Standard State Soil Conservation Districts Law promoted the creation of local, place-based efforts to protect or restore locally-valued resources. "Conservation" thus came to signify both the invasive, structural, engineering approach of mid-20th Century flood control, and the local, more responsive and flexible nature of soil conservation districts. But our understandings of our place in the natural world have changed subtly but significantly over the past century. Any legitimate natural …

Keeping Track Of Conservation, Jessica Owley

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Throughout the world, governments require land protection in exchange for development permits. Unfortunately, oftentimes scant attention has been paid to these land protection programs after development. Agencies and permit applicants agree on mitigation rules, but there appears to be little follow-up. When we do not know where conservation is occurring and cannot determine the rules of mitigation projects, the likelihood that they will be successful or enforced diminishes. I journeyed to California in search of answers by tracing four mitigation plans associated with the Federal Endangered Species Act. While I anticipated some difficulties, the tale is more alarming than expected. …

Teaching Emotional Intelligence To Law Students: Three Keys To Mastery, William S. Blatt

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No abstract provided.