Digital Commons Network^™

Wholesomeness And Safety Aspects Of Irradiated Foods, Rajeev Ravindran, Amit Jaiswal

Articles

Food processing techniques are inevitable technological measures that aim to increase and sustain the quality of agricultural products. This is traditionally achieved by the application of heat or exposure to chemicals. Since the advent of X-rays, food scientists have been evaluating the prospect of employing ionising radiations for pest removal, sprouting inhibition and shelf-life extension of food products. Gamma radiation, electron beam and X-rays have emerged as the favoured methods of food irradiation in recent years. Several decades of research have endeavoured to determine the advantage and disadvantage of subjecting food materials to radiation. This has resulted in several international …

Exploring How Age Influences Sensory Perception, Thirst And Hunger During The Consumption Of Oral Nutritional Supplements Using The Check-All-That-Apply Methodology, Emma Regan, Graham O'Neill, Scott C. Hutchings, Dolores O'Riordan

Articles

The Check-all-that-apply (CATA) method has been widely used for the sensory characterisation of many different foods and beverages. However, this methodology has been rarely used with older adults. The aim of this study was to measure the effectiveness of the CATA methodology to investigate the differences in sensory perception of Oral Nutritional Supplements (ONS) between younger and community dwelling older adults over successive sips of a full volume of two ONS. The study also sought to measure the effects of ONS on thirst, hunger and fullness. 160 participants (eighty aged over 65 and eighty aged 18-35) evaluated two ONS over …

A Review Of Human Factors And Food Safety In Ireland, Ciara Walsh, Maria Chiara Leva

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Increased product shelf-life and globalisation have led to longer and vastly more complicated food chains; potentially presenting greater opportunity for contamination and microbial growth to occur. Modern food safety management systems risk assess hazards (based on current scientific data) and strive to control these, often extensive and convoluted, food production/supply chains through appropriate good hygiene practices (GHP) and HACCP. Contamination of food as a result of human error can undermine even the most carefully prepared and executed HACCP system – culminating in foodborne infection, outbreaks, reputable damage, and erosion of consumer trust. This paper provides a review on the effect …

Fabrication Of Laser Printed Microfluidic Paper-Based Analytical Devices (Lp-Mu Pads) For Point-Of-Care Applications, Rajesh Ghosh, Saranya Gopalakrishnan, Rangasamy Savitha, Thiruvengadam Renganathan, Subramanium Pushpavanam

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No abstract provided.

Abolish Ice . . . And Then What?, Peter L. Markowitz

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In recent years, activists and then politicians began calling for the abolition of the United States’s interior immigration-enforcement agency: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Many people have misinterpreted the call to “Abolish ICE” as merely a spontaneous rhetorical device used to express outrage at the current Administration’s brutal immigration policies. In fact, abolishing ICE is the natural extension of years of thoughtful organizing by a loose coalition of grassroots immigrant-rights groups. These organizations are serious, not only about their literal goal to eliminate the agency, but also about not replacing it with another dedicated agency of immigration police. Accordingly, …

How U.S. Family Law Might Deal With Spousal Relationships Of Three (Or More) People, Edward D. Stein

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For much of this nation's history, the vast majority of people have believed that being married to more than one person at the same time is deeply problematic. Further, polygamous marriage has never been legal in the United States. Despite this, some people have been in plural or group relationships and some of these people have wished to gain legal recognition for these relationships. The arguments for recognizing such relationships are persuasive, but the prospects for legalization of polygamous marriage seem slim in the near future. This Article offers a suggestion of how the law of domestic relations might deal …

Erie Doctrine, State Law, And Civil Rights Litigation, Alexander A. Reinert

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How should state law questions and claims be resolved when they arise in federal civil rights litigation? In prior work, I have criticized the given wisdom that the Erie doctrine, while originating in diversity cases, applies in all cases whatever the basis for federal jurisdiction. In that work, I proposed a framework, “Erie Step Zero,” to place Erie questions in their jurisdictional context. As I have argued, the concern with forum shopping and unequal treatment that prompted Erie have less salience in federal question cases. Different concerns emerge when one focuses on the presence of state law issues in …

Evaluation Of Silver Nanoparticle Encapsulation In Dppc-Based Liposome By Different Methods For Enhanced Cytotoxicity, Azeez O. Yusef, Alan Casey

Articles

Here we carried out a comparative study on two cost and time effective methods of encapsulating silver nanoparticles (AgNP) in dipalmitoyl-phosphatidyl choline (DPPC)/cholesterol-based liposome to enhance nanoparticle cytotoxicity, and evaluated the effect of this on a blood cell line (THP1 monocytes) often involved in uptake of nanoparticles during human exposure. DLS and Zeta potential analyses over a 6-months period showed the extruded Lipo-AgNP (Ex-Lipo-AgNP) exhibited more stable characteristics when compared with the probe-sonicated Lipo-AgNP (PB-Lipo-AgNP). SEM microscopy indicated agglomeration of the PB-Lipo-AgNP which was not observed in Ex-Lipo-AgNP. Ex-Lipo-AgNP also exhibited higher temperature-dependent stability with 35.3% reduction in size from …

Predicted Temperature-Increase-Induced Global Health Burden And Its Regional Variability, Jae Young Lee, Ho Kim, Antonio Gasparrini, Ben Armstrong, Michelle L. Bell, Franceso Sera, Eric Lavingne, Rosana Abrutzky, Shilu Tong, Micheline De Sousa Zanotti Stagliorio Coelho, Paulo Hilario Nascimento Saldiva, Patricia Matus Correa, Nicolas Valdes Ortega, Haidong Kan, Samule Osorio Garcia, Jan Kysely, Ales Urban, Hans Orru, Ene Indermitte, Jouni J.K. Jaakkola, Niilo R.I. Ryti, Mathilde Pascal, Patrick J. Goodman, Ariana Zeka, Paolo Michelozzi, Matteo Scortichini, Masahiro Hashizume, Yasushi Honda, Magali Hurtado, Julio Cruz, Xerxes Seposo, Balthazar Nunes, Joao Paulo Teixeira, Aurelio Tobias, Carmen Iniguez, Bertil Forsberg, Christofer Astrom, Ana Maria Vicedo-Cabrera, Martina S. Ragettli, Yeu-Liang Leon Guo, Bing-Yu Chen, Antonella Zanobetti, Joel Schwartz, Tran Ngoc Dang, Dung Do Van, Fetemeh Mayvaneh, Ala Overcenco, Shanshan Li, Yuming Guo

Articles

An increase in the global health burden of temperature was projected for 459 locations in 28 countries worldwide under four representative concentration pathway scenarios until 2099. We determined that the amount of temperature increase for each 100 ppm increase in global CO2 concentrations is nearly constant, regardless of climate scenarios. The overall average temperature increase during 2010–2099 is largest in Canada (1.16 °C/100 ppm) and Finland (1.14 °C/100 ppm), while it is smallest in Ireland (0.62 °C/100 ppm) and Argentina (0.63 °C/100 ppm). In addition, for each 1 °C temperature increase, the amount of excess mortality is increased largely in …

Comparison Of Amblyopia In Schoolchildren In Ireland And Northern Ireland: A Population-Based Observational Cross-Sectional Analysis Of A Treatable Childhood Visual Deficit, Síofra Harrington, Karen Breslin, Veronica O'Dwyer, Kathryn Saunders

Articles

Objectives This study reports the prevalence of persistent amblyopia (post-traditional treatment age) in schoolchildren in the Republic of Ireland (henceforth Ireland) and Northern Ireland (NI), UK; populations with broadly similar refractive and genetic profiles but different eye-care systems. Design This is a population-based observational study of amblyopia and refractive error. Setting Recruitment and testing in primary and postprimary schools in Ireland and NI. Participants Two groups identified through random cluster sampling to represent the underlying population; Ireland 898 participants (12–13 years old) and NI 723 participants (295 aged 9–10 years old, 428 aged 15– 16 years old). Main outcome measures …

Low-Resolution Models For The Interaction Dynamics Of Coated Gold Nanoparticles With Β2-Microglobulin, Giorgia Brancolini, Hender Lopez, Stefano Corni, Valentina Tozzini

Articles

A large number of low-resolution models have been proposed in the last decades to reduce the computational cost of molecular dynamics simulations for bio-nano systems, such as those involving the interactions of proteins with functionalized nanoparticles (NPs). For the proteins, “minimalist” models at the one-bead-per residue (Cα-based) level and with implicit solvent are well established. For the gold NPs, widely explored for biotechnological applications, mesoscale (MS) models treating the NP core with a single spheroidal object are commonly proposed. In this representation, the surface details (coating, roughness, etc.) are lost. These, however, and the specificity of the functionalization, have been …

Risk Factors Associated With Myopia In Schoolchildren In Ireland, Síofra Harrington, Jim Stack, Veronica O'Dwyer

Articles

Aim To examine the demographic and social factors associated with myopia in schoolchildren in Ireland.

Methods Thirty-seven schools participated, representing a mix of urban and rural schools and schools in socioeconomically disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged areas in Ireland. Examination included cyclopleged autorefraction (1% cyclopentolate hydrochloride). Height and weight of participants were measured. Parents filled in a participant’s lifestyle questionnaire, including questions on daily screen time use and daylight exposure. Myopia was defined as spherical equivalent ≤−0.50 D.

Results Data from 1626 participants (881 boys, 745 girls) in two age groups, 6–7 years (728) and 12–13 years (898), were examined. Myopia prevalence …

Comparison Of Amblyopia In Schoolchildren In Ireland And Northern Ireland: A Population-Based Observational Cross-Sectional Analysis Of A Treatable Childhood Visual Deficit, Síofra Harrington, Karen Breslin, Veronica O'Dwyer, Kathryn Saunders

Articles

Objectives This study reports the prevalence of persistent amblyopia (post-traditional treatment age) in schoolchildren in the Republic of Ireland (henceforth Ireland) and Northern Ireland (NI), UK; populations with broadly similar refractive and genetic profiles but different eye-care systems.

Design This is a population-based observational study of amblyopia and refractive error.

Setting Recruitment and testing in primary and post-primary schools in Ireland and NI.

Participants Two groups identified through random cluster sampling to represent the underlying population; Ireland 898 participants (12–13 years old) and NI 723 participants (295 aged 9–10 years old, 428 aged 15–16 years old).

Main outcome measures Monocular …

Surface Modification Of Silver Nanoparticle (Agnp) By Liposomal Encapsulation Mitigates Agnp-Induced Inflammation, Azeez O. Yusef, Alan Casey

Articles

Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are widely used in a variety of consumable products as antibacterial to prevent or treat infection. Unfortunately, evidence exits that AgNP induces inflammation which can worsen with repeated human exposure. However, there is little or no research on how to mitigate these adverse effects due to AgNP induced-toxicity. Here, we investigated if surface modification of AgNP by liposomal encapsulation suppresses AgNP-mediated inflammatory responses in THP1 monocytes and THP1 differentiated macrophages (TDM). AgNP was encapsulated in a dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline- (DPPC)/cholesterol-based liposome by extrusion through a 100-nm polycarbonate membrane to form Lipo-AgNP. It was found as expected that …

A Multiscale Model Of Protein Adsorption On A Nanoparticle Surface, David Power, Ian Rouse, Stefano Poggio, Erik Brandt, Hender Lopez, Alexander Lyubartsev, Vladimir Lobaskin

Articles

We present a methodology to quantify the essential interactions at the interface between inorganic solid nanoparticles (NPs) and biological molecules. Our model is based on pre-calculation of the repetitive contributions to the interaction from molecular segments, which allows us to efficiently scan a multitude of molecules and rank them by their adsorption affinity. The interaction between the biomolecular fragments and the nanomaterial are evaluated using a systematic coarse-graining scheme starting from all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. The NPs are modelled using a two-layer representation, where the outer layer is parameterized at the atomistic level and the core is treated at the …

Investigation Of The Assessment Of Low Degree (<50%) Renal Artery Stenosis Based On Velocity Flow Profile Analysis Using Doppler Ultrasound: An In-Vitro Study, Andrew Malone, Deepa Chari, Sean Cournane, Izabela Naydenova, Andrew J. Fagan, Jacinta Browne

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Purpose: Renal arterial stenosis can lead to disrupted renal function due to reduced blood flow to the kidneys and is largely thought to be caused by atherosclerosis. Current diagnostic strategies for renal arterial stenosis rely on detecting large degree stenoses (>50%). This study aimed to test the viability of using Doppler ultrasound to assess velocity profiles to detect the presence of low degree (< 50%) stenoses.

Methods: A series of anatomically realistic renal artery flow phantoms were constructed exhibiting a range of low degree stenoses (symmetric and asymmetric). The behaviour of fluid flow in the phantoms was examined using Doppler ultrasound …

Synchrotron Macro Atr-Ftir Microspectroscopy For High Resolution Chemical Mapping Of Single Cells, Jitraporn Vongsvivut, David Perezguaita, Bayden Wood, Phil Heraud, Karina Khambatta, David Hartnell, Mark J. Hackett, Mark J. Tobin

Articles

Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy has been used widely for probing the molecular properties of materials. Coupling a synchrotron infrared (IR) beam to an ATR element using a high numerical aperture (NA) microscope objective enhances the spatial resolution, relative to transmission or transflectance microspectroscopy, by a factor proportional to the refractive index (n) of the ATR element. This work presents the development of the synchrotron macro ATR-FTIR microspectroscopy at Australian Synchrotron Infrared Microspectroscopy (IRM) Beamline, and demonstrates that high quality FTIR chemical maps of single cells and tissues can be achieved at an enhanced spatial …

Ocular Biometry, Refraction And Time Spent Outdoors During Daylight In Irish Schoolchildren, Síofra Harrington, Veronica O'Dwyer

Articles

Background: Previous studies have investigated the relationship between ocular biometry and spherical equivalent refraction in children. This is the first such study in Ireland. The effect of time spent outdoors was also investigated.

Methods: Examination included cycloplegic autorefraction and non-contact ocular biometric measures of axial length, corneal radius and anterior chamber depth from 1,626 children in two age groups: six to seven years and 12 to 13 years, from 37 schools. Parents/guardians completed a participant questionnaire detailing time spent outdoors during daylight in summer and winter.

Results: Ocular biometric data were correlated with spherical equivalent refraction (axial …

Ocular Demodex Folliculorum: Prevalence And Associated Symptoms In An Irish Population, Orla Murphy, Veronica O'Dwyer, Aoife Lloyd-Mckernan

Articles

Purpose To investigate the prevalence of ocular Demodex folliculorum (DF) in an Irish population. To validate a modified Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire and employ it to evaluate the relationship between dry eye symptoms and the presence of DF. Methods One hundred and fifty-six subjects were enrolled in an epidemiological cross-sectional prevalence study. Each subject completed a novel questionnaire on ocular symptoms and was assessed for the presence of DF. Data was analysed to assess prevalence and to search for significant links between each symptom and DF. Results An overall prevalence of 68% was found. Total mean number of DF …

Exploring Subcellular Responses Of Prostate Cancer Cells To X-Ray Exposure By Raman Mapping, Maciej Roman, Agnieszka Panek, Hugh Byrne, Tomasz P Wrobel, Esen Efeoglu, Czeslawa Paluszkiewicz, Wojciech Maria Kwiatek

Articles

Understanding the response of cancer cells to ionising radiation is a crucial step in modern radiotherapy. Raman microspectroscopy, together with Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) analysis has been shown to be a powerful tool for monitoring biochemical changes of irradiated cells on the subcellular level. However, to date, the majority of Raman studies have been performed using a single spectrum per cell, giving a limited view of the total biochemical response of the cell. In the current study, Raman mapping of the whole cell area was undertaken to ensure a more comprehensive understanding of the changes induced by X-ray radiation. …

Two-Dimensional Correlation Analysis Of Raman Microspectroscopy Of Subcellular Interactions Of Drugs In Vitro, Hugh Byrne, Franck Bonnier, Zeineb Farhane

Articles

Two-dimensional (2D) correlation analysis is explored to data mine the time evolution of the characteristic Raman microspectroscopic signatures of the subcellular responses of the nucleoli of human lung cancer cells to the uptake of doxorubicin. A simulated dataset of experimental control spectra, perturbed with systematically time-dependent spectral changes, constituted by a short-term response which represents the initial binding of the drug in the nucleolus, followed by a longer term response of the organelle metabolism, is used to validate the analysis protocol. Applying 2D correlation analysis, the in phase, synchronous correlation coefficients are seen to contain contributions of both response profiles, …

Raman Spectroscopic Analysis Of Saliva For The Diagnosis Of Oral Cancer: A Systematic Review, Genecy Calado, Isha Behl, Amuthachelvi Daniel, Hugh Byrne, Fiona Lyng

Articles

Abstract Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, and new protocols for routine and early detection are required. Raman spectroscopy is an optical based method that can provide sensitive and non-invasive real time detailed information on the biochemical content of a sample like saliva, through the unique vibrations of its constituent molecules and this is sensitive to changes associated with disease. A comprehensive systematic review of the available scientific literature related to Raman spectroscopy of human saliva for diagnosis of OSCC was performed. The 785 nm laser line was most applied wavelength along with …

Principal Components Analysis Of Raman Spectral Data For Screening Of Hepatitis C Infection, A. Dita, H. Nawaz, T. Mahmood, M. Tahir, N. Rashid, Muhammad Mudassar, A.A.H. Alsaadi, Hugh Byrne

Articles

In the current study, Raman spectroscopy is employed for the identification of the biochemical changes taking place during the development of Hepatitis C. The Raman spectral data acquired from the human blood plasma samples of infected and healthy individuals is analysed by Principal Components Analysis and the Raman spectral markers of the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection are identified. Spectral changes include those associated with nucleic acidsat720 cm−1, 1077 cm−1 1678 (CO stretching mode of dGTP of RNA), 1778 cm−1 (RNA), with proteins at 1641 cm−1(amide-I), 1721 cm−1(CC stretching of proteins) and lipids at 1738 cm−1(CO of ester group in …

On The Use Of Vibrational Spectroscopy And Scanning Electron Microscopy To Study Phenolic Extractability Of Cooperage Byproducts In Wine, Berta Baca‑Bocanegra, Julio Nogales‑Bueno, Brian Gorey, Francisco José Heredia, Hugh Byrne, José Miguel Hernández‑Hierro

Articles

Wood is an important source of phenolic compounds, which can be transferred to wine during aging process, improving its properties, from an organoleptic point of view. Therefore, understanding and optimizing the extractability of phenolic compounds from wood are crucial in the oenological field. The structural composition of oak wood samples has been evaluated using Raman and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR–FTIR) spectroscopies, and their main spectral features have been linked to phenolic compound extractabilities, as measured by classic chemical analyses. To support the analysis, microscopic images of the samples were also recorded using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The …

The Impact Of Law On The State Pension Crisis, Elizabeth S. Goldman, Stewart E. Sterk

Articles

While some state and municipal pension plans have funds sufficient to meet obligations to retirees without imposing onerous obligations on current and future taxpayers, underfunding of plans in other states has reached disastrous proportions, raising the possibility of default on pension obligations, cuts in public services, steep tax increases, or some combination of the three. The substantial differential in pension funding might be attributed to divergent political pressures, different responses to uncertainty about investment returns, or other factors. Our examination of pension funding law in ten states-five with the best-funded plans and five with the worst-funded plans-highlights the role of …

Tribute To Judge Robert Katzmann, Lindsay Nash

Articles

So thanks to Nancy and to the NYU Annual Survey of American Law for the privilege to speak here about Judge Katzmann, who's been a personal mentor to me and a real source of inspiration about the good that one person, albeit an extraordinary person, can do.

Measuring Selection Bias In Publicly Available Judicial Opinions, Alexander A. Reinert

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To have an informed discussion about judicial performance and efficiency, we will sometimes want to explore what judges actually do on an everyday level. But in many ways, courts have not always been paragons of transparency. Often the parties are the only people who are aware of what action a court has taken in a case.

This paper explores that dynamic, in the context of decisions made by federal trial courts at one particular procedural stage--decisions made on motions to dismiss for failure to state a claim--Rule 12(b)(6) motions. There is growing interest in the work of federal trial courts, …

Commercial Speech Protection As Consumer Protection, Felix T. Wu

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The Supreme Court has long said that “the extension of First Amendment protection to commercial speech is justified principally by the value to consumers of the information such speech provides.” In other words, consumers—the recipients or listeners of commercial speech—are the ones the doctrine is meant to protect. In previous work, I explored the implications of taking this view seriously in three contexts: compelled speech, speech among commercial entities, and unwanted marketing. In each of those contexts, adopting a listener-oriented approach leads to the conclusion that many forms of commercial speech regulation should receive far less First Amendment scrutiny than …

Three Against Two: On The Difference Between Property And Contract And The Example Of Deposit Accounts In Bankruptcy, Jeanne L. Schroeder, David G. Carlson

Articles

In Citizen's Bank v. Strumpf (1995), Justice Scalia announced that deposit accounts are not "property". Five years later, the Uniform Commercial Code was amended to make deposit accounts collateral for the depositary bank maintaining the account, thereby crowding the field previously occupied by the common law right of setoff. Security interests attach to personal "property." Security interests attach to deposit accounts. Deposit accounts, by syllogistic logic, are property. Does this mean that the UCC has overruled the Supreme Court? We argue not. A deposit account is a mere contract in the two-person universe that contract law presupposes. A deposit account …

Is Less Really More? Abraham And Kendrick On Getting Rid Of Affirmative Duties, Anthony J. Sebok

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No abstract provided.