Digital Commons Network^™

Thermostable Phytase In Feed And Fuel Industries, Ushasree Mrudula Vasudevan, Amit Jaiswal, Shyam Krishna, Ashok Pandey

Articles

Phytase with wide ranging biochemical properties has long been utilized in a multitude of industries, even so, thermostability plays a crucial factor in choosing the right phytase in a few of the sectors. Mesophilic phytases are not considered to be a viable option in the feed industry owing to its limited stability in the required feed processing temperature. In the recent past, inclusion of thermostable phytase in fuel ethanol production from starch based raw material has been demonstrated with economic benefits. Therefore, considerable emphasis has been placed on using complementary approaches such as mining of extremophilic microbial wealth, encapsulation and …

High Voltage Atmospheric Cold Air Plasma Control Of Bacterial Biofilms On Fresh Produce, Apurva Patange, D. Boehm, Dana Ziuzina, Patrick J. Cullen, Brendan Gilmore, Paula Bourke

Articles

Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) offers great potential for decontamination of food borne pathogens. This study examined the antimicrobial efficacy of ACP against a range of pathogens of concern to fresh produce comparing planktonic cultures, monoculture biofilms (Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas fluorescens) and mixed culture biofilms (Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas fluorescens). Biotic and abiotic surfaces commonly occurring in the fresh food industry were investigated. Microorganisms showed varying susceptibility to ACP treatment depending on target and process factors. Bacterial biofilm populations treated with high voltage (80 kV) ACP were reduced significantly (p <  0.05) in both mono- and mixed species biofilms after 60 s of treatment and yielded non-detectable levels after extending treatment time to 120 s. However, an extended time was required to reduce the challenge mixed culture biofilm of L. monocytogenes and P. fluorescens inoculated on lettuce, which was dependent on biofilm formation conditions and substrate. Contained treatment for 120 s reduced L. monocytogenes and P. fluorescens inoculated as mixed cultures on lettuce (p <  0.05) by 2.2 and 4.2 Log10 CFU/ml respectively. When biofilms were grown at 4 °C on lettuce, there was an increased resistance to ACP treatment by comparison with biofilm grown at temperature abuse conditions of 15 °C. Similarly, L. monocytogenes and P. fluorescens exposed to cold stress (4 °C) for 1 h demonstrated increased tolerance to ACP treatment compared to non-stressed cells. These finding demonstrates that bacterial form, mono versus mixed challenges as well as environmental stress conditions play an important role in ACP inactivation efficacy.

Efficacy Of Cold Plasma Functionalised Water For Improving Microbiological Safety Of Fresh Produce And Wash Water Recycling, Apurva Patange, Peng Lu, Daniela Boehm, Patrick J. Cullen, Paula Bourke

Articles

Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) is an effective method for microbiological decontamination. This study evaluated an alternative water-based decontamination approach for inactivation of bacterial population from fresh produce and in the wash water generated from fresh produce washing. The study characterised ACP inactivation of attached Listeria innocua and Pseudomonas fluorescens inoculated on lettuce in comparison to chlorine treatment. P. fluorescens was sensitive to ACP treatment and was reduced below detection limit within 3 min of treatment. L. innocua population was reduced by ∼2.4 Log10 CFU/g after 5 min of treatment; showing similar inactivation efficacy to chlorine treatment. The microbial load in …

Effect Of Cold Plasma On The Techno-Functional Properties Of Animal Protein Food Ingredients, Juan M. Pérez-Andrés, Carlos Álvarez, Patrick J. Cullen, Brijesh K. Tiwari

Articles

Proteins, as food ingredients, are employed in the food industry, not only for their high nutritional value, but also because of their techno-functional properties. Modifications of their native structure due to the action of external factors such as pH, temperature or processing by emerging technologies, can lead to changes in their functionality; and consequently, their applicability. The present study investigates the effects of cold atmospheric air plasma on the techno-functional properties of two common food ingredients (haemoglobin and gelatine from pork), and a novel source of functional proteins extracted from a meat co-product (bovine lung protein). Significant effects were found …

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 …

Improving Enzymatic Hydrolysis Of Brewer Spent Grain With Nonthermal Plasma, Rajeev Ravindran, Chaitanya Sarangapani, Swarna Jaiswal, Peng Lu, Patrick J. Cullen, Paula Bourke, Amit Jaiswal

Articles

In this study, a new pre-treatment method based on novel non-thermal plasma technology was developed to improve the enzymatic hydrolysis of brewer’s spent grain (BSG) and subsequent bioethanol production. A submerged dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor system was applied for this purpose. Pre-treatments were performed by taking into account variables including; voltages (22 kV, 25 kV and 28 kV), solvent (acid, alkali and water) and time (5, 10, 15 min). The resulting treated biomass was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis. A 2.14-fold increase in yield of the reducing sugar was achieved post hydrolysis when the biomass was treated in water for …

Evaluation Of Brewer's Spent Grain Hydrolysate As A Substrate For Production Of Thermostable Α-Amylase By Bacillus Stearothermophilus, Rajeev Ravindran, Gwilym A. Williams, Amit Jaiswal

Articles

In the present study, BSG was hydrolysed using cellulolytic enzymes and used as a growth medium supplement for cultivation of the thermophilic bacterium, Bacillus stearothermophilus in the production of α-amylase. A central composite design involving five parameters and four levels viz. starch, peptone, KCl, and MgSO4 along with BSG hydrolysate was used to derive the optimal media composition. The fermentation was conducted using shake flasks for 36 h at a temperature of 50 °C and pH 7.0 at 220 rpm. Optimization trials revealed that maximal amylase production (198.09 U/ml) occurred with a medium composition of starch (0.2% w/v), peptone (0.2% …

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

Articles

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 …

Weight Loss And Weight Gain Among Participants In A Community-Based Weight Loss Challenge, Merrill D. Funk, Minjae Lee, Michelle L. Vidoni, Belinda M. Reininger

Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications

Background

To describe the characteristics of participants who registered for multiple annual offerings of a community-based weight loss program called The Challenge, and to determine participant characteristics associated with weight change over multiple offerings of The Challenge occurring during the years 2010–2016.

Methods

Multivariable linear mixed effects analyses were conducted to describe percent weight change within and between offerings of The Challenge by participant characteristics.

Results

There were 669 and 575 participants included in the within and between analyses, respectively, for offerings of The Challenge. Among the 434 participants who lost weight in their first attempt at The Challenge and …

Combination Strategies For Targeted Delivery Of Nanoparticles For Cancer Therapy, Zhonglie He, Kangze Liu, Hugh Byrne, Patrick J. Cullen, Furong Tian, James Curtin

Books / book chapters

Pharmaceuticals, and more recently biopharmaceuticals, have become the mainstay for antineoplastic treatments in combination with surgical interventions and radiation therapy. In recent years, advances have been made in the development of nano-technological interventions for the treatment of cancer alone or in combination with existing therapeutic modalities. Nanotechnology used for therapeutic drug delivery and sensitization of photodynamic, sonodynamic and radiotherapy are now being tested in preclinical and clinical trials for the treatment of cancer. This article will review the current state of the art for nanotechnology therapies with an emphasis on targeted drug delivery and the observed and likely benefits when …

​Youth Smoking In Europe. Strategies For Prevention And Reduction, Joan Hanafin, Luke Clancy

Books / book chapters

No abstract provided.

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. …

Atmospheric Cold Plasma Interactions With Microbiological Risks In Fresh Food Processing, Apurva Patange

Doctoral

Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) is a novel emerging non-thermal technology that has attracted attention as a decontamination tool in several industrial, food and healthcare sectors. This study investigated the anti-microbial efficacy of ACP against microbiological risks associated with fresh foods. Treatment was performed using in-package ‘dry’ ACP technology and plasma functionalised liquid to decontaminate microorganisms, exploring the responses to real and challenging microbiological risks pertinent to both fresh foods themselves as well as the effluents generated from food processing industry. A range of critical control process parameters were investigated with respect to key pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms commonly implicated in …

Multivariate Statistical Methodologies Used In In-Vitro Raman Spectroscopy: Simulations And Applications For Drug And Nanoparticle Interactions, Mark Edward Keating

Doctoral

Raman spectroscopy is a growing technology in the fields of in-vitro drug and nanoparticle screening. The label free capability provided by vibrational spectroscopy, as well as the ability of the technique to probe the chemical nature of samples, makes it a good candidate for use in these fields. Crucial to the progress of these methods is the development and validation of robust and accurate multivariate statistical analysis protocols. In this thesis, both established and novel methods are examined using both real and simulated datasets. In particular, simulated datasets are used to validate and assess the accuracy of these methods in …

Microwave Synthesis And Characterisation Of Zinc Sulfide Nanomaterials For Photocatalytic And Anti-Bacterial Applications, Damian W. Synnott

Doctoral

This thesis is focused on the development of a novel ambient pressure microwave synthesis of ZnS based materials for photocatalytic and anti-bacterial technologies. Chapter 1 introduces the problems with anti-biotic resistant bacteria and the impact that these species are causing within healthcare systems. One of the approaches to tackling these problems is the development of self-cleaning materials to replace the harsh cleaning agents currently in use to sterilize the surfaces of buildings and materials used in healthcare environments. Chapter 1 also introduces semiconductors, semiconductor photocatalysis and the mechanism of action, improving photocatalytic action and how to semiconductor photocatalysts have been …

Synthesis And Novel Applications Of Cerium Dioxide, Rafaela Cristina De Carvalho

Doctoral

Cerium dioxide nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesised using a novel precipitation procedure and their function explored in a range of applications. The impact of different factors on CeO2 NPs synthesis including temperature and reactant concentration were evaluated experimentally and optimised. The resulting nanoparticles (with an average size of 35 nm) was then characterised by a range of physical and spectroscopic techniques including dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with energy dispersive spectrometry, X-ray diffractometry,Brunauer–Emmett–Teller isotherm measurement, Raman spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A new nanoparticle synthetic route, the “frozen NH4(OH) cubes method”, was developed, resulting in a …

Screening Of Human Serum/Plasma Using Vibrational Spectroscopy For Early Disease Diagnostics And Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, Drishya Rajan Parachalil [Thesis]

Doctoral

Analysis of analytes present in the blood stream can potentially deliver crucial information on patient health and indicate the presence of numerous pathologies. Existing clinical techniques for this analysis can, however, be costly and time-consuming. The potential of Raman spectroscopic analysis of human plasma and/or serum for diagnostic purposes has been widely investigated and, increasingly, its feasibility for clinical translation has been explored. However, as the concentration of many analytes in plasma/serum is relatively low, to date such analysis has commonly been performed on air-dried drops deposited on substrates, leading to inhomogeneity and inconsistencies. This study explores the potential of …

The Use Of Fluid Haemodynamics In The Diagnosis Of Cardiovascular Disease, Andrew Malone

Doctoral

Currently the diagnostic methods used to detect cardiovascular disease largely rely on the inference of the presence of arterial stenosis. There is a clinical interest in the development of a diagnostic screening technique which can indicate the risk of developing cardiovascular disease at an early stage so that non-surgical treatments can be applied. The goal of this work was to develop and validate a diagnostic screening technique for cardiovascular disease using the mechanical biomarker wall shear stress. Improvements in wall shear stress measurements were made by using a 2D Fourier transform to extract additional spectral information from the ultrasound pulse …

A Black Box For Patient Safety?, Nathan Cortez

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

Technology now makes it possible to record surgical procedures with striking granularity. And new methods of artificial intelligence (A.I.) and machine learning allow data from surgeries to be used to identify and predict errors. These technologies are now being deployed, on a research basis, in hospitals around the world, including in U.S. hospitals. This Article evaluates whether such recordings – and whether subsequent software analyses of such recordings – are discoverable and admissible in U.S. courts in medical malpractice actions. I then argue for reformulating traditional "information policy" to accommodate the use of these new technologies without losing sight of …

The Seeds Of Early Childhood, Joanna L. Grossman

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

The trajectory of childhood is often shaped before childhood even begins. Pre-birth inequalities are not natural or inevitable. Rather, we create and cement policy choices that reduce access to adult healthcare, restrict accessible contraception, impede access to abortion, and deny prenatal care. Together, these choices mean that, in the United States, we maintain very high rates of unwanted pregnancy and increasingly high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity, burdens that fall disproportionately on women of color and women of lower socioeconomic status. Equality demands that we address these disproportionate burdens.

Women Are (Allegedly) People, Too, Joanna L. Grossman

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

Using Interactive Inventions, W. Keith Robinson

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

Interactive inventions are systems and processes that can be used by multiple actors at the same time. Many interactive inventions are the product of emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things that allow billions of everyday devices to communicate with each other via the Internet. Other interactive inventions are prevalent in the emerging fields of personalized medicine and FinTech (new financial technologies). Unfortunately, the law concerning how to determine liability when a patent directed to an interactive invention is infringed is dissonant across classes of inventions. Specifically, what it means to “use” an interactive system is different from what …

O-Glcnac Regulation Of Inhibitory Circuits, Kavitha Abiraman

All ETDs from UAB

Post translational modification of proteins plays a crucial role in regulating their function, and the role of one such modification, termed O-GlcNAcylation, is understudied. O-GlcNAcylation involves the dynamic cycle of adding and removing an O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) by the enzymes O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA), which are highly expressed in the hippocampus. Enzymes that catalyze O-GlcNAcylation are found at both presynaptic and postsynaptic sites, and O-GlcNAcylated proteins localize to synaptosomes. We have shown that acute and selective increase in O-GlcNAcylation of AMPAR GluA2 subunits underlies expression of a novel form of LTD at CA3-CA1 synapses (O-GlcNAc LTD), as well …

Identifying Associated Risk With Exposure Ti Weapon Carrying Among Emerging Adults Living In Disadvantaged Urban Areas In Birmingham, Tolulope Aduroja

All ETDs from UAB

IDENTIFYING ASSOCIATED RISK WITH EXPOSURE TO WEAPON CARRYING AMONG EMERGING ADULTS LIVING IN DISADVANTAGED URBAN AREAS IN BIRMINGHAM TOLULOPE ADUROJA HEALTH EDUCATION/HEALTH PROMOTION ABSTRACT Weapon carrying is a public health concern due to its association with a serious injury, disability or death, and adverse health-related outcomes. Weapon carrying among youth is associated with both intrinsic or internalizing and extrinsic or externalizing factors (Stayton, 2011). Violence in youth and young adults is the 2nd leading cause of death (homicide) in Alabama. Health behavior theories posit that health-relevant attitudes, beliefs, and behavioral skills drive subsequent actions people take to protect themselves from …

Religion, Psychological Distress, And Discrimination Among Arab Americans, Najwa Alharbi

All ETDs from UAB

A growing body of research has focused on the experiences of Arab Americans post-9/11. These studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between ethnic discrimination and mental health among Arab Americans. However, these studies show some gaps. Specifically, no study has explored the differences between Muslim and Christian Arabs after the 9/11 attacks in terms of religion, including how religious attendance influences the levels of psychological distress and discrimination among the two religious groups. This paper is dedicated to exploring religion (religious affiliation and religious attendance) as a key factor to understand the different levels of psychological distress and …

[68ga] Labeled Radiopharmaceuticals For Diagnostic Applications Beyond Sstr And Psma Imaging, Abdullah Alosaimi

All ETDs from UAB

Imaging with radiolabelled peptides is an important technique used in medical imaging fields that can lead to significant advances in patient care. These tracers are utilized to target a variety of receptors, in particular, specific-receptors which are overexpressed on tumor cells. Recently, the application of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) radiotracers for medical imaging has grown significantly due to the high sensitivity and specificity of this technique. In particular, 68Ga is one of the most favorable PET radioisotopes, due to its short half-life, low radiation dose, generator production, and same day imaging procedures. [68Ga]-DOTATATE, which targets somatostatin receptors (SSTR) overexpressed on …

Spun Prestressed Concrete Pole Options As An Alternative To Wood Utility Distribution Poles, Paula Alvarez Alvarez Pino

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this research project is to analyze the current state-of-the-art, including use and design practices, of utility distribution poles and to evaluate the performance of spun prestressed concrete poles with different reinforcement schemes as a viable alternative to wood utility poles. There are an estimated 185 million utility distribution poles in place in the United States, and over 130 million are made out of wood. Most of the existing distribution poles are now approaching or have surpassed their useful lives since they were designed with a life expectancy of 50 years and were installed in the 1950s and …

Perceived Difficulty And Satisfaction With Treatment Outcomes Of Constraint Induced Movement Therapy In Chronic Stroke, Mudasir Saleem Andrabi

All ETDs from UAB

Constraint Induced Movement (CI) therapy has been demonstrated to be an efficacious rehabilitation therapy for upper extremity (UE) hemiparesis after stroke. Despite this, CI therapy is not widely used in neurorehabilitation in the United States. One barrier to its acceptance is the perception of its difficulty among therapists and patients. However, this opinion has been influenced by two published surveys in which responses were obtained from therapists with no direct exposure of CI Therapy. Patients’ perception that a treatment is difficult to undergo has an important role in determining whether it will be provided clinically. Besides the perception of difficulty, …

Towards Safeguarding Users Against Phishing And Ransomware Attacks, Arsh Arora

All ETDs from UAB

Over the past decade, malicious software (malware) attacks have skyrocketed and increased at a considerably faster pace than predicted. The variety in the number of malware categories is one of the contributing factors to this rapid insurgence. According to Microsoft statistics, a range of 300,000-400,000 malware binaries is observed on average per day. With this increase, there is an unmet need for innovative approaches to detect new malware, as current nomenclature is not equipped to handle the prevention against continuous growth. Developing appropriate preventive measures to stop these malware attacks has been an ongoing struggle for security experts. The most …