Life Sciences Commons^™

An Investigation Into Dietary Fibre Intake, Bowel Function And Mood Among A Sample Of Irish Adults, Sophie Mulligan, Ellen Lynch, Suzanne Doyle

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Background

Previous studies have examined the relationship between dietary fibre intake and mood and bowel function separately, however, no cross-sectional study has yet explored the relationship between all three variables. This study examines the association between dietary fibre intake, bowel function and mood in a cohort of Irish adults at a university campus.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted. An online questionnaire was distributed to staff and students of TU Dublin through email and publicised using posters. Three validated surveys were used in the design of the questionnaire, to assess dietary fibre intake, mood and bowel function. All staff and …

Regulation Of Mirnas In Obesity And Diabetes, Eva Maher, Ava O'Meara, Cathy Brougham

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Introduction: The prevalence of obesity and obesity-related secondary disorders has increased dramatically in recent years. Dysregulated microRNA (miRNA) expression has been linked to the development of obesity and its associated disorders. Adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) are promising cell models of obesity, obesity-related inflammation and diabetes. Furthermore, miRNA expression profiles have emerged as promising targets for the novel treatment of diseases such as obesity. In order to enhance miRNA-based therapies, the miRNA expression profile of obesity and its related disorders must be monitored to further understand the underlying mechanisms of obesity and to identify novel targets.

Aim: The aim of …

The Potential Of Stem Cell Therapy In Multiple Sclerosis Treatment: A Review, Sorina Amarculesei, Ava O'Meara Cushen, Cathy Brougham

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. There are currently 2.8 million people living with Multiple Sclerosis worldwide, including 9000 people in Ireland, with a prevalence of 193 per 100,000 people. Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis include sensory loss, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, spasticity, depression, optic neuritis, gait ataxia, diplopia, and loss of bladder control. Currently, there is no standardised treatment or cure for Multiple Sclerosis with many strategies focusing on symptoms. Stem cells have emerged as promising approaches for Multiple Sclerosis therapeutics. Clinical trials primarily focus on mesenchymal stem cell-based therapies for Multiple Sclerosis. Furthermore, …

Tiny But Mighty, An Exploration Of Microbes And Plants As Sources Of Small Novel Bioactive Compounds Against Invasive Mycoses., Hannah Mai Peacock, James Anthony O'Connor

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Despite the high mortality rate involved with invasive cerebral mycoses, there is a relative lack of research available around antifungals capable of crossing the blood brain barrier.

In this study the metabolites of four plants (Crocus vernus, Miniature Narcissus (daffodil), Osmanthus delavayi and Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion)) and two bacteria (Lacticaseibacillus paracasei and Staphylococcus epidermidis) were extracted and assayed for antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Thin layer chromatography and bioautography were then employed to assess the activity of the constituent components of sources showing antifungal activity.

Metabolites of S.epidermidis, and extracts …

Melittin: A Natural Component Of Honeybee Venom As A Potential Anti-Cancer Therapy, Niamh Donnellan, Anne M. Friel

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Cancer is a major cause of death worldwide and while chemotherapy is the main approach there are many negative associations in current treatment procedures. These include lack of selectivity, side effects and drug resistance. The hallmarks of cancer are a fundamental concept which aids the development of new means to treat human cancers through the understanding of the acquisition of these hallmarks from cells.

Melittin is a major peptide component of bee venom which has shown to be efficacious as an anticancer agent in preclinical and animal models. Melittin has many biological functions including pore formation in the phospholipid bilayer …

Editorial - Sure Journal Vol 5, Anne M. Friel

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

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Exploring Representation In Microbiology Introductory Courses Can Encourage A More Inclusive And Inspiring Environment For Students And Instructors, Jill A. Mikucki, Elizabeth Fozo

Feminist Pedagogy

Microbiology has a relatively brief history where significant discoveries are often linked with major events in human history - from disease outbreak to industrialization to climate change. The founders of key microbiological principles span across continents, genders, ethnicities, and socioeconomic status. However, the portrait described in many introductory textbooks center around a lone, typically white male scientist. Such narratives not only are misleading regarding the development of key principles in microbiology but can also reinforce inappropriate stereotypes as to whom belongs in microbiology. In our introductory microbiology course, we designed group work for Zoom break-out rooms to help engage students …

Ungrading: Reflections Through A Feminist Pedagogical Lens, Erin M. Eggleston, Shelby Kimmel

Feminist Pedagogy

Ungrading is a pedagogical approach in which no grades are given on any assignments. Instead, students are provided with many opportunities to submit work and gain feedback. The goal is to shift student focus from achieving a grade to growth as a learner and a person. As instructors, our ungrading approach utilized personalized learning plans, checkpoint reflections, and student-professor learning conferences to put agency in the hands of our students. We employed this method in upper-level biology and computer science courses and provide critical reflections here regarding our experiences and the connections between this approach and feminist STEM pedagogy tenets. …

Feminist Biology: Towards Gender Equity In The Biology Curriculum, Nicole Danos, Carla Y. Bonilla, Sofia Leung

Feminist Pedagogy

The current curriculum in STEM is a product of historically unequal representation of genders in the science community. As a result, most attention has been given to male biology, creating a knowledge gap that has affected our social and political perspectives, such as an underinvestment in women’s health research. Feminist biology seeks to provide equal time and weight to the impact of sex as a biological factor, using inclusive definitions of biological sex that go beyond the male/female binary. Feminist pedagogy is a method of teaching that involves engaged learning and reflection in order to create a community of learners …

Centering Equity In Stem Teaching: Stem Ideas That Change The World, Ileana Vasu

Feminist Pedagogy

No discussion on equity/inequity makes sense without bringing power into that discussion. As instructors we need to ask questions such as “who decides and controls what knowledge is”, “whose identities are empowered and whose are erased”, “who has access and opportunity and who doesn’t”. Traditional teaching in STEM, including mathematics, assumes knowledge is objective, transmittable, repeatable to everyone. When educators follow a traditional curriculum, just like their teachers before them, they do so thinking their methods ensure equality and objectivity. These practices not only deny the role that Western patriarchal cultures have played in creating these so-called equitable practices, but …

Creating Meaningful Connections With The Electron Transport Chain Beyond A Virtual Classroom, Lesley-Ann Giddings

Feminist Pedagogy

At the center of feminist pedagogy is community. Creating community within the classroom and between the class and local communities increases student engagement and access to knowledge. Communities can be a source of solidarity and further decenter authority in the classroom, empowering students, teachers, and the surrounding community to be co-learners. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, remote teaching posed challenges to student engagement. Here, I describe an assignment used to build an inclusive community of co-learners within a virtual biochemistry class and our local communities. Oxidative phosphorylation is a cellular process used to create energy that depends on the electron transport …

Feminist Pedagogy In Stem: The Intersection Of Stem Pedagogy And Feminist Theory, Lesley-Ann Giddings, Candice R. Price

Feminist Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

Nucleus Accumbens Core Single Cell Ensembles Bidirectionally Respond To Experienced Versus Observed Aversive Events, Oyku Dinckol, Noah Harris Wenger, Jennifer E Zachry, Munir Gunes Kutlu

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Fear learning is a critical feature of survival skills among mammals. In rodents, fear learning manifests itself through direct experience of the aversive event or social transmission of aversive stimuli such as observing and acting on conspecifics' distress. The neuronal network underlying the social transmission of information largely overlaps with the brain regions that mediate behavioral responses to aversive and rewarding stimuli. In this study, we recorded single cell activity patterns of nucleus accumbens (NAc) core neurons using in vivo optical imaging of calcium transients via miniature scopes. This cutting-edge imaging methodology not only allows us to record activity patterns …

Lesion Detection In Women Breast’S Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Using Deep Learning, Sudarshan Saikia, Tapas Si, Darpan Deb, Kangkana Bora, Saurav Mallik, Ujjwal Maulik, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women and the second foremost cause of cancer death in women after lung cancer. Recent technological advances in breast cancer treatment offer hope to millions of women in the world. Segmentation of the breast's Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI) is one of the necessary tasks in the diagnosis and detection of breast cancer. Currently, a popular deep learning model, U-Net is extensively used in biomedical image segmentation. This article aims to advance the state of the art and conduct a more in-depth analysis with a focus on the use …

Intracellular Negative Feedback Mechanisms In Blubber And Muscle Moderate Acute Stress Responses In Fasting Seals, Jessica G. Avalos, Elizabeth R. Piotrowski, Allison D. Northey, Daniel E. Crocker, Jane I. Khudyakov

Pacific Faculty Work

Animals may limit the cost of stress responses during key life history stages such as breeding and molting by reducing tissue sensitivity to energy-mobilizing stress hormones (e.g. cortisol). We measured expression of genes encoding glucocorticoid receptor (GR, NR3C1), GR inhibitor (FKBP5) and cortisol-inactivating enzyme (HSD11B2) in blubber and muscle of northern elephant seals before and after stress axis stimulation by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) early and late in a fasting period associated with molting. ACTH elevated cortisol levels for >24 h and increased FKBP5 and HSD11B2 expression while downregulating NR3C1 expression in blubber and muscle, suggesting robust intracellular negative feedback in …

Physically And Chemically‑Crosslinked L‑Arginine‑Loaded Polyvinyl Alcohol‑ Hyaluronic Acid‑ Cellulose Nanocrystals Hydrogel Membranes For Wound Healing: Influence Of Crosslinking Methods On Biological Performance Of Membranes In‑Vitro, Elbadawy A. Kamoun, Elbadawy A. Kamoun

Nanotechnology Research Centre

Two types of polyvinyl alcohol-blended hyaluronic acid and cellulose nanocrystals (PVA/HA/CNCs) hydrogels membranes were developed as delivery agents for L-arginine using chemical/and/physical crosslinking methods for exploring biological performance of the obtained membranes. Chemically and physically/crosslinked membranes were fabricated by solution-casting and freeze-thawing techniques, respectively. The characterization of the crosslinked PVA/HA/CNCs/Larginine membranes were conducted by SEM, FTIR, TGA, swelling ratio, and in—vitro L-arginine release. Furthermore, applying two types of crosslinked membranes in vitro were investigated in terms of cytotoxicity, hemocompatibility, and cell adhesion affinity of HFB-4 cell line. Chemical and physical-crosslinked membranes were verified through the esterification and hydrogen bonds interactions, …

Colored Sweet Bell And Tapered Pepper Cultivar Evaluation For High Tunnel Production In West-Central Indiana, 2023, Petrus Langenhoven, Dennis Gustavo Toc Mo

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Colored sweet bell-shaped and tapered pepper is a summer crop that is grown by many small and medium-sized farming operations in Indiana. Growers can choose to grow peppers out in the field or plant them under a protective structure. Sweet peppers, in particular, benefit from the unique growing environment created by a high tunnel. Planting of peppers can start at least 2-4 weeks earlier in the spring, and production can continue into the fall until the first hard freeze. Pepper variety performance data for Indiana is not readily available. We are working hard to change that. To date, we have …

Understanding Cut Flower Consumers, Makaylie Langford, Kynda R. Curtis, Melanie Stock

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information on cut flower consumers, such as floral preferences and consumer demographics and psychographics. It discusses possible ways to enhance perceived value and interest in cut flowers.

Reclaiming Sacred Homelands: Asserting Treaty Rights And The Path Towards Restoration Of The Badger-Two Medicine, Sarah Greenberg

American Indian Law Journal

“In order for law to have an influence in the lives of ordinary people, it must have something to do with the emotional feelings of justice, it must speak to our basic humanity, and it must give us common sense directions as to what behavior and beliefs are right and wrong"

Determining The Quality Of Sugar Beet Pulp, Lenox, And Ryegrass Silages Used In Feeding Dairy Cattle, In Comparison To Corn Silage, Fatma Özkan, Suphi̇ Deni̇z

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study was carried out to determine the quality of sugar beet pulp (Beta vulgaris L.), lenox (Brassica rapa L.), and ryegrass (Lolium multiflorium cv. caramba) silages used in feeding dairy cattle, in comparison to corn silage. Whole corn was harvested at the dough stage, lenox was harvested at the end of flowering, and ryegrass was harvested at the beginning of spike. No additives were added to the corn silage, but 5% molasses was added to the sugar beet pulp, ryegrass, and lenox silages that have low levels of easily degradable sugar. Additionally, 5% sainfoin was added to the sugar …

Effect Of Thermo-Insulated Kid Hutch On Location Preference, Growth Performance, And Blood Haemato-Biochemical Indices Of Winter-Born Goat Kids (Capra Hircus), Ajoy Das, Dilip Kumar Mandal, Asish Debbarma, Muthupalani Karunakaran, Anupam Chatterjee, Debajyoti Sarkar

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study assessed the effect of thermo-insulated kid hutch (TIKH) on location preference, body surface temperature, growth performance, and blood haemato-biochemical indices of winter-born Black Bengal goat kids. Does were maintained in the same shed, born kids (n = 12) were divided into two groups along with mothers to begin experiments from day 1 of birth. The treatment group (TIKH) of kids was given a TIKH to which kids had free access, but not the adults. However, in the control group (CONT) kids were reared without TIKH. The floor surface temperature of TIKH was significantly (p < 0.05) higher at night as compared to goat shed in December (4.28%), January (3.98%), and February (7.72%). The interior roof surface of TIKH had 25.12%, 33.55%, 31.85%, 10.99%, and 4.37% higher (p < 0.01) temperatures at night compared to the roof surface temperature of the goat shed in December, January, February, March, and April, respectively. The presence of kids inside the TIKH at the age of 1–15 days was the greatest in morning (80.5%) and evening (72.2%). Between the ages of 16–-60 days, the preference of kids for the TIKH varied from 69.2% to 54.2% in the morning and from 70.0% to 66.7% in the evening. However, at the age of 61–75 days, kids’ preference for TIKH gradually declined in the morning (11.6%) and evening (19.9%) due to the increased inside temperature. Kids weaning weight was 23.25% higher (p < 0.05) in the TIKH group as compared to that of CONT. The average daily gain (0–30 days) was higher (41.34%; p < 0.05) in kids in the TIKH compared to the CONT shed. The haemato-biochemical profiles of kids were similar in both groups except for blood serum glucose, which was greater (p < 0.05) in kids of the TIKH than that of CONT shed. In conclusion, the provision of TIKH improved the growth and overall performance of winter-born Black Bengal goat kids during pre and postweaning periods.

Investigation Of Three Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms (1252 G>A, 2534 G>A, And 2569 T>C) Of The Mbl1 Gene In Anatolian Buffaloes, Esma Gamze Aksel, Bi̇lal Akyüz

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

It has been reported that since the MBL gene is involved in the first step of infection and inflammation processes, it may be associated with susceptibility to bacterial and viral diseases in living organisms. In this study, it was aimed to determine the genotypic variation of Anatolian buffaloes in terms of three (1252G>A, 2534 G>A, and 2569 T>C) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the MBL-1 gene. For this purpose, 103 Anatolian buffaloes were genotyped for relevant SNPs by PCR-RFLP process. The allele and genotype frequencies of the examined samples were determined, and the population was examined for …

Water Buffalo Social Networks During Their Activities On Pasture Under The Rain, Eleni Tsiobani, Maria Yiakoulaki, Nikolaos Hasanagas, Ioannis Antoniou

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Water buffaloes exhibit various social structures during their activities on pasture, but the impact of abiotic factors (i.e. rainfall) on these structures remains unknown. While existing research has provided evidence concerning the effect of weather conditions on grazing animals’ behavior, they have not examined how animals differentiate their social organization within the herd during their activities on pasture under the rainfall. This study utilized social network analysis to construct, depict, and analyze the proximity networks among buffaloes in each activity they perform on pasture before, during, and after the rainfall. By applying various network indices, we have shown that water …

Noninvasive Pregnancy Detection In Wild Felids Using Enzyme Immunoassay Of Fecal 13, 14–Dihydro–15–Keto–Pgf2Α Metabolite (Pgfm), Nikitha Prakash, Suchitra Bhadravathi Raju, Sahadev Annayappa, Leena Gowda, Veena Malavalli Prabhushankar

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The study was carried out on Panthera species (4 lions and 5 tigers) housed in Bannerghatta Biological Park, Bengaluru, and Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, Mysuru. Estrus behavior such as rolling, licking, nudging, chuffing, frequent urination, whitish discharge, vocalisation, lordosis and copulatory behavior such as vocalisation, allowed to be mounted, aggression towards male, mounting, and biting of the nape of female were exhibited both in lions and tigers which helped to identify the time of fecal sample collection. The study’s main aim was to carry out noninvasive and noncontact pregnancy detection in these wild felids. Feces samples collected from the female …

Treatment Response Of Gingival Squamous-Cell Carcinoma To Palliative Intent Immunotherapy, Natalia Trehan, Angelina Debbas, Mykaihla Sternick, Jennifer Johnson, James Gates

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

The use of PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor medications has become a common practice in the treatment of recurrent and metastatic head and neck squamous-cell carcinomas. Success in this setting has led to the investigation of their efficacy in locally advanced cases as a part of first-line therapy. In this report, we detail the treatment response to palliative intent immunotherapy of three geriatric patients with mandibular gingival squamous-cell carcinoma who decided against surgical intervention. Patient #1 was treated with pembrolizumab, a PD-1 inhibitor, and displayed complete clinical and radiologic response of the gingival mass after three months of treatment, which is …

Radiology Versus Rt-Pcr For Detection Of Proventricular Dilatation Disease In Psittacines, Mohammad Bayat, Abolfazl Ghaniei, Majid Jamshidian Mojaver, Ali Mirshahi, Mohammad Azizzadeh

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) is a potentially fatal disease of psittacine birds. Avian bornavirus (ABV), the causative agent of PDD, causes inflammation of the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems. Clinically, birds affected by PDD present with gastrointestinal tract dysfunction, neurological symptoms, or both. In this study, we evaluated the presence of proventriculus dilation and ABV in 40 birds (cockatiel, n = 12; budgerigar, n = 28), submitted to the veterinary clinic, by radiology and RT-PCR. Lateral and ventrodorsal radiographs and feather samples were taken from 36 live birds including the cockatiel and budgerigar, as well as samples of proventriculus …

Virological And Pathological Investigation Of Canine Parvovirus-2 (Cpv-2) With The Assessment Of The Genetic Variability Of Field Strains, Zeynep Karapinar, Musa Karaman, İhsan Kisadere, Mustafa Usta, Mehmet Özkan Ti̇murkan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Canine parvovirus-2 (CPV-2), which is common worldwide, is a highly contagious pathogen in domestic dogs and some wild carnivore species. The agent causes a multisystemic infection in affected animals, especially acute hemorrhagic enteritis and fatal myocarditis in puppies. The study aimed to reveal the presence of virus in dogs with clinical symptoms of CPV-2 infection using virological, pathological, and immunohistochemical methods and make molecular characterization based on partial VP-2 gene of strains circulating in the region. As a result of PCR studies, 9 out of 16 rectal swab samples and 17 out of 38 blood samples were positive. A phylogenetic …

Validation Of A Chimeric Proteins-Based Elisa For The Diagnosis Of Brucellosis In Kazakhstan, Aitbay Bulashev, Saule Eskendirova, Bakytkali Ingirbay, Alfiya Syzdykova, Fariza Zhagipar

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study aimed to compare the suitability of three chimeric recombinant outer membrane proteins of Brucella (rOmps 19 + 25, 19 + 31, and 25 + 31) for the diagnosis of bovine and sheep brucellosis using an indirect ELISA (i-ELISA). The diagnostic properties of these proteins in an i-ELISA were studied using blood serum samples from cattle and sheep with known positive and negative results for brucellosis based on the rose Bengal plate test (RBT), complement fixation test (CFT), and a commercial ELISA (c-ELISA) kit, as well as using animal sera from fresh foci of infection with unknown reactivity. rOmps19 …

Prevalence Of Carriers Of Cholesterol Deficiency–Associated Apob Mutation In Some Native, Holstein And Simmental Cattle Breeds In Türkiye, Hasan Meydan, Kübra Bedi̇r Di̇bi̇ç, Onur Vural, Mehmet Ali̇ Yildiz, Jørgen S. Agerholm

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Genetic diseases play an increasingly important role in cattle breeding as breeding technologies such as artificial insemination has an inborn risk of disseminating deleterious genes, especially from high merit breeding sires. Cholesterol deficiency (CD) is a metabolic disorder first recognized in Holstein cattle in 2015. The condition is characterized by chronic diarrhea and unthriftiness in calves being homozygous for the defective allele. The prevalence of carriers of CD in Turkish cattle is at present unknown and therefore 700 heifers and cows of different breeds, including 300 Holsteins were genotyped. Of the tested Holsteins, 2.0% turned out to be carriers of …

Functional Training Promotes Benefits In The Physical Condition Of Horses, Paula Gomes Rodrigues, Camila Fernanda Fidêncio, Katia De Oliveira, Camilla Mendonça Silva, Clistenes Gomes Oliveira, José Miradelson Oliveira Carvalho, Anselmo Domingos Ferreira Santos, Gregorio Murilo De Oliveira Junior, José Camisão De Souza

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Horses that perform constant physical activity related to sport or work are subject to musculoskeletal disorders. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a functional training program to promote physical conditions (epaxial musculature biometry and linear kinematics) and behavior traits in patrol horses. Sixteen crossbred horses were randomly distributed in two experimental treatments: not submitted (control group) and submitted (test group) to a functional exercise program. The training program exercises were performed three times per week for 90 days and consisted of dynamic mobilization techniques, reflexive mobilization, dynamic imbalance, and passive stretching. The studied variables were Longissimus dorsi …