Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Comparison Of Agent-Based Models And Equation Based Models For Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Elizabeth Hunter, Brian Mac Namee, John D. Kelleher

Articles

There are two main methods that are used to model the spread of an infectious disease: agent-based modelling and equation based modelling. In this paper, we compare the results from an example implementation of each method, and show that although the agent-based model takes longer to setup and run, it provides additional information that is not available when using an equation based model. Specifically, the ability of the agent-based model to capture heterogeneous mixing and agent interactions enables it to give a better overall view of an outbreak. We compare the performance of both models by simulating a measles outbreak …

Food Safety Knowledge And Practices Among Saudi Mothers, Wafa O. Ayaz, Anushree Priyadarshini, Amit Jaiswal

Articles

This study examines food safety knowledge and practices of mothers in Saudi Arabia. A total of 979 respondents participated in the study and completed a questionnaire that accessed their knowledge of food storage, food handling, usage and maintenance of kitchen facilities, personal hygiene and food poisoning. Results showed that mothers in Saudi Arabia had moderate knowledge of food storage (passing rate 64.9%) and usage and maintenance of kitchen facilities (passing rate 66.5%). While they had good knowledge of personal hygiene (passing rate 83.8%) and food poisoning (passing rate 78.5%), their knowledge with regard to food handling was poor (passing rate …

Compliance And Appropriateness Of Driver Vision Regulations In Ireland, Ciara Mchugh, Nabin Paudel, James Loughman, Matthew Sheehan

Other

Driving is a highly complex task which relies heavily on vision for successful execution. There are currently 2,820,528 holders of driving licences in Ireland. Holders of a driving license must meet the standards for vision as set out by the Road Safety Authority Slainte agus Tiomáint document. Visual acuity and Visual Field measurements are specified as the minimum standard. If there is reason to believe that these measurements are inadequate, it is required that the subject undergo a more detailed examination. Currently, drivers must undergo a vision screening when applying for their first license, and additional vision screening is not …

Sure 2018 Undergraduate Science Conference Booklet, Sure Network

Group Reports

The SURE Network hosted the First Annual Science Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Conferences (SURE 2018) on 28th September 2018 in Athlone Institute of Technology, Dublin Institute of Technology and Waterford Institute of Technology. The simultaneous conferences had a total of 27 oral presentations and 67 poster presentations, and were attended by over 500 students, academic staff, professional body and industry representatives.

The aims of the conference were to:

1. Provide current students with an opportunity to gain an understanding of the work which has been undertaken by recent graduates, and the career opportunities that exist for graduates in Scientific disciplines.
2. Provide …

Optimised Solid State 13c Cp-Mas Nmr For Accurate Determination Of %Degree Of Acetylation Of Extracted Cancer Pagurus Crab Shell Chitin, Fionn O Fearghail

Other resources

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Role Of Gold Nanoparticle Shape And Size In Their Toxicities To Fungi, Kangze Liu, Zhonglei He, Hugh Byrne, James Curtin, Furong Tian Technological University Dublin

Articles

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are increasingly being used in a wide range of applications, and such they are being released in greater quantities into the environment. Consequently, the environmental effects of GNPs, especially toxicities to living organisms, have drawn great attention. However, their toxicological characteristics still remain unclear. Fungi, as the decomposers of the ecosystem, interact directly with the environment and critically control the overall health of the biosphere. Thus, their sensitivity to GNP toxicity is particularly important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of GNP shape and size in their toxicities to fungi, which could help …

Casting A Shadow: Harm From Known Drinkers, Ann Hope, Joe Barry, Sean Byrne, Oliver Stanesby

Articles

Abstract

Introduction: This paper examines the negative consequences of having a known drinker in one’s life. Method: The first dedicated national survey on alcohol’s harm to others (AH20) in Ireland was undertaken in 2015. Data was gathered by a cross sectional probability sample of 2,005 adults (18+yrs). Using a 12 month time-frame, respondents were asked about adverse effects they experienced due to known drinkers. Results: Overall, two in five people experiencing harm from known drinkers. Intangible harm was more common (38%) than tangible harm (24%). Stress/anxiety was the most common harm. The youngest age group was most at risk …

Modulation Of Primary Amine Oxidase By Phytochemicals, Padraig Shanahan

Masters

Primary Amine Oxidase (PrAO) is an enzyme with a variety of physiological roles. It catalyses the oxidative deamination of primary amines to the corresponding aldehydes. PrAO converts amines such as methylamine and aminoacetone to reactive compounds that can damage small blood vessel proteins. It also acts as a vascular adhesion protein (VAP-1) where it is essential for the migration of leukocytes through the vascular endothelium. Inhibitors of PrAO have been reported to have anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory action. In this study we explore the interaction between dietary phytochemicals and Bovine PrAO. Methylxanthines (MXs) are food alkaloids having a positive association …

Raman Spectral Analysis For Rapid Screening Of Dengue Infection, Tahir Mahmood, Haq Nawaz, A. Ditta, M.I. Majeed, M.A. Hanif, N. Rashid, H.N. Bhatti, H.F. Nargis, M. Saleem, Franck Bonnier, Hugh Byrne

Articles

Infection with the dengue virus is currently clinically detected according to different biomarkers in human blood plasma, commonly measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assays, including non-structural proteins (Ns1), immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG). However, there is little or no mutual correlation between the biomarkers, as demonstrated in this study by a comparison of their levels in samples from 17 patients. As an alternative, the label free, rapid screening technique, Raman spectroscopy has been used for the characterisation/diagnosis of healthy and dengue infected human blood plasma samples. In dengue positive samples, changes in specific Raman spectral bands associated with …

Clinical Applications Of Infrared And Raman Spectroscopy: State Of Play And Future Challenges, Matthew Baker, Hugh Byrne, John Chalmers, Peter Gardner, Royston Goodacre, Alex Henderson, Sergei Kazarian, Francis Martin, Julian Moger, Nick Stone, Josep Sule-Suso

Articles

Vibrational spectroscopies, based on Infrared absorption and/or Raman scattering provide a detailed fingerprint of a material, based on the chemical content. Diagnostic and prognostic tools based on these technologies have the potential to revolutionise our clinical systems leading to improved patient outcome, more efficient public services and significant economic savings. However, despite these strong drivers, there are many fundamental scientific and technological challenges which have limited the implementation of this technology in the clinical arena, although recent years have seen significant progress in addressing these challenges. This review examines (i) the state of the art of clinical applications of infrared …

Parental Attitudes To Myopia: A Key Agent Of Change For Myopia Control?, Saoirse Mccrann, Daniel Ian Flitcroft, Kevin Lalor, John Butler, Aaron Bush, James Loughman

Articles

Purpose

With the increasing prevalence in myopia there is growing interest in active myopia prevention. This study aims to increase our understanding of parental attitudes to myopia development and control, as a means to inform future health planning and policy. It evaluates, for the first time, the attitude of parents to myopia and its associated risks, as well as assessing the exposure of Irish children to environmental factors that may influence their risk profile for myopia development.

Methods

Parents of 8–13 year old children in eight participating schools completed a questionnaire designed to assess their knowledge of and attitudes towards …

Endoscopic Ultrasound Features Of Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1-Related Versus Sporadic Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: A Single-Center Retrospective Study, Gianluca Tamagno, Vanessa Scherer, Alberto Caimo, Simona Bergmann, Peter Kann

Articles

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) can occur in patients with a familial syndrome either as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN-1) or as sporadic tumors. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has become one of the first-line investigations for pNET characterization. The ultrasonographic features of pNETs may differ depending on the familial versus sporadic pathogenesis of the tumor. Therefore, the EUS findings could help and direct the definition of a pNET with an impact on the most appropriate diagnostic and ther- apeutic patient management. Methods: In this single-center retrospective study, we reviewed the EUS features of 94 pNETs from 37 MEN-1 patients and 15 …

Toxicological Assessment Of Nanomaterials: The Role Of In Vitro Raman Microspectroscopic Analysis, Esen Efeoglu, Marcus Maher, Alan Casey, Hugh Byrne

Articles

The acceleration of nanomaterials research has brought about increased demands for rapid analysis of their bioactivity, in a multi-parametric fashion, to minimise the gap between potential applications and knowledge of their toxicological properties. The potential of Raman microspectroscopy for the analysis of biological systems with the aid of multivariate analysis techniques has been demonstrated. In this study, an overview of recent efforts towards establishing a ‘label-free high content nanotoxicological assessment technique’ using Raman microspectroscopy is presented. The current state of the art for cellular toxicity assessment and the potential of Raman microspectroscopy are discussed, and the spectral markers of the …

Preparation And Physical Properties Of Functional Barium Carbonate Nanostructures By A Facile Composite-Hydroxide-Mediated Route, Tauseef Shahid, Muhammad Arfan, Aurang Zeb, Tayyaba Bibi, Taj Muhammad Khan

Articles

In recent years, nanotechnology has given birth to numerous nanomaterials due to their increased use in various sectors of research and development. To produce these nanomaterials, nanotechnology further has opened several rooms for the potential novel methods. Composite-hydroxide-mediated (CHM) method is one of the recent chemical synthesis routes that have gained considerable importance in research due to their effortlessness and versatile nature, covering a broad range of nanomaterials to prepare.

Numerical Evaluation Of Microwave Thermal Ablation To Treat Small Adrenocortical Masses, G. Ruvio, J. Eaton-Evans, A. Shahzad, M. O’Halloran

Articles

In this paper microwave thermal ablation is numerically evaluated in the context of a treatment for Conn’s Syndrome. This condition is caused by a benign shallow tumour in the cortex of adrenal gland. The modelling and design of microwave applicator to deliver thermal ablation to the adrenal gland requires accurate tissue characterisation. Measuring the dielectric properties of the constituent tissues in the adrenal gland, i.e. cortex and medulla, enables more accurate numerical modelling for electromagnetic and thermal simulations. This study presents an anatomically and dielectrically realistic numerical model of the adrenal gland, and investigates the feasibility of applying controlled heating …

Investigating Prosodic Accommodation In Clinical Interviews With Depressed Patients, Brian Vaughan, Carolina De Pasquale, Lorna Wilson, Charlie Cullen, Brian Lawlor

Conference Papers

Six in-depth clinical interviews, involving six elderly female patients (aged 60+) and one female psychiatrist, were recorded and analysed for a number of prosodic accommodation variables.

Our analysis focused on pitch, speaking time, and vowel-space ratio. Findings indicate that there is a dynamic manifestation of prosodic accommodation over the course of the interactions. There is clear adaptation on the part of the psychiatrist, even going so far as to have a reduced vowel-space ratio, mirroring a reduced vowel-space ratio in the depressed patients. Previous research has found a reduced vowel-space ratio to be associated with psychological distress; however, we suggest …

Protection Of Triplet Excited State Materials From Oxygen Quenching And Photooxidation In Optical Sensing Applications, Mikhail Filatov

Books/Book chapters

No abstract provided.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: A Review Of Front-Line Treatment Options, With A Focus On Elderly Cll Patients, Alma O'Reilly, James Murphy, Sarah Rawe, Mary Garvey

Articles

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) remains the most prevalent form of leukemia in the Western world, with no cure to date. Ongoing and essential research into this heterogeneous disease has led to a number of new treatment options becoming available to CLL patients in the past decade. The present review presents the recent developments in the field of CLL treatment, with the main focus on elderly patients and CLL patients with coexisting comorbidities. The review discusses the current treatment regimens that provide the most promising outcomes for patients in this subgroup, with a number of important clinical trials summarized. These clinical …

Label-Free Discrimination Analysis Of De-Differentiated Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells, Mesenchymal Stem Cells And Their Vascular And Osteogenic Progeny Using Vibrational Spectroscopy, Claire Moloney, Jennifer Mcintyre, Adrian Maguire, Roya Hakimjavadi, Denise Burtenshaw, Gillian Casey, Mariana Di Luca, Mariana Di Luca, Bryan Hennelly, Hugh Byrne, Paul A. Cahill

Doctoral

The accumulation of vascular smooth muscle (SMC)-like cells and stem cell-derived myogenic and osteogenic progeny contributes significantly to arteriosclerotic disease. This study established whether label-free vibrational spectroscopy can discriminate de-differentiated ‘synthetic’ SMCs from undifferentiated stem cells and their myogenic and osteogenic progeny in vitro, compared with conventional immunocytochemical and genetic analyses. TGF-β1- and Jagged1-induced myogenic differentiation of CD44+ mesenchymal stem cells was confirmed in vitro by immunocytochemical analysis of specific SMC differentiation marker expression (α-actin, calponin and myosin heavy chain 11), an epigenetic histone mark (H3K4me2) at the myosin heavy chain 11 locus, promoter transactivation and mRNA transcript levels. Osteogenic …

Awareness And Prevalence Of Human Milk Sharing And Selling In The United States, Elizabeth O'Sullivan, Sheelagh R. Geraghty, Kathleen Maher Rasmussen

Articles

There are limited data available about the prevalence of human milk (HM) sharing and selling in the general population. We aimed to describe attitudes toward HM selling among participants in a qualitative‐interview study and prevalence of HM sharing and selling among a national sample of U.S. mothers. Mothers (n = 41) in our qualitative‐interview study felt that sharing or donating HM was more common than selling; none had ever purchased or sold HM. Three themes related to HM selling emerged from this work: questioning the motives of those selling HM, HM selling limits access to HM to those with money, …

Enabling Quantification Of Protein Concentration In Human Serum Biopsies Using Attenuated Total Reflectance – Fourier Transform Infrared (Atr-Ftir) Spectroscopy, Kate Spalding, Franck Bonnier, Clément Bruno, Hélène Blasco, Ruth E. Board, Isabelle Benz-De-Bretagne, Hugh Byrne, Holly J. Butler, Igor Chourpa, Pretheepan Radhakrishnan, Matthew J. Baker

Articles

Changes in protein concentrations within human blood are used as an indicator for nutritional state, hydration and underlying illnesses. They are often measured at regular clinical appointments and the current analytical process can result in long waiting times for results and the need for return patient visits. Attenuated total reflectance – Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy has the ability to detect minor molecular differences, qualitatively and quantitatively, in biofluid samples, without extensive sample preparation. ATR-FTIR can return an analytical measurement almost instantaneously and therefore could be deemed as an ideal technique for monitoring molecular alterations in blood within the clinic. …

Reactive Oxygen Species And Nitric Oxide Signaling In Bystander Cells, Kishore Kumar Jella, Roisin Moriarty, Brendan Mcclean, Hugh Byrne, Fiona Lyng

Articles

It is now well accepted that radiation induced bystander effects can occur in cells exposed to media from irradiated cells. The aim of this study was to follow the bystander cells in real time following addition of media from irradiated cells and to determine the effect of inhibiting these signals. A human keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT cells, was irradiated (0.005, 0.05 and 0.5 Gy) with γ irradiation, conditioned medium was harvested after one hour and added to recipient bystander cells. Reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, Glutathione levels, caspase activation, cytotoxicity and cell viability was measured after the addition of irradiated …

A Simple Model For Cell Type Recognition Using 2d-Correlation Analysis Of Ftir Images From Breast Cancer Tissue, Mohamed H.M. Ali, Fazle Rakib, Khalid A. Al-Saad, Rafif Al-Saady, Fiona Lyng, Erik Goormaghtigh

Articles

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer after lung cancer. So far, in clinical practice, most cancer parameters originating from histopathology rely on the visualization by a pathologist of microscopic structures observed in stained tissue sections, including immunohistochemistry markers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy provides a biochemical fingerprint of a biopsy sample and, together with advanced data analysis techniques, can accurately classify cell types. Yet, one of the challenges when dealing with FTIR imaging is the slow recording of the data. One cm2 tissue section requires several hours of image recording. We show in the present paper that …

Raman Spectroscopic Detection Of High-Grade Cervical Cytology: Using Morphologically Normal Appearing Cells, Shiyamala Duraipandian, Damien Traynor, Padraig Kearney, Cara M. Martin, John J. O'Leary, Fiona Lyng

Articles

This study aims to detect high grade squamous intraepithelial cells (HSIL) by investigating HSIL associated biochemical changes in morphologically normal appearing intermediate and superficial cells using Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectra (n = 755) were measured from intermediate and superficial cells from negative cytology ThinPrep specimens (n = 18) and from morphologically normal appearing intermediate and superficial cells from HSIL cytology ThinPrep specimens (n = 17). The Raman data was subjected to multivariate algorithms including the standard principal component analysis (PCA)-linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) together with random subsets cross-validation for discriminating negative cytology from …

Toxicology Of Engineered Nanoparticles: Focus On Poly(Amidoamine) Dendrimers, Pratap Naha, Sourav Prasanna Mukherjee, Hugh Byrne

Articles

Engineered nanomaterials are increasingly being developed for paints, sunscreens, cosmetics, industrial lubricants, tyres, semiconductor devices, and also for biomedical applications such as in diagnostics, therapeutics, and contrast agents. As a result, nanomaterials are being manufactured, transported, and used in larger and larger quantities, and potential impacts on environmental and human health have been raised. Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers are specifically suitable for biomedical applications. They are well-defined nanoscale molecules which contain a 2-carbon ethylenediamine core and primary amine groups at the surface. The systematically variable structural architecture and the large internal free volume make these dendrimers an attractive option for drug …

Improved Removal Of Blood Contamination From Thinprep Cervical Cytology Camples For Raman Spectroscopic Analysis, Damien Traynor, Shiyamala Duraipandian, C.Ara M. Martin, John J. O'Leary, Fiona Lyng

Articles

There is an unmet need for methods to help in the early detection of cervical precancer. Optical spectroscopy-based techniques, such as Raman spectroscopy, have shown great potential for diagnosis of different cancers, including cervical cancer. However, relatively few studies have been carried out on liquid-based cytology (LBC) pap test specimens and confounding factors, such as blood contamination, have been identified. Previous work reported a method to remove blood contamination before Raman spectroscopy by pretreatment of the slides with hydrogen peroxide. The aim of the present study was to extend this work to excessively bloody samples to see if these could …

A Study Of Hormonal Effects In Cervical Smear Samples Using Raman Spectroscopy, D. Traynor, P. Kearney, I. Ramos, C. M. Martin, J. J. O'Leary, Fiona Lyng

Articles

Raman spectroscopy is a powerful tool that has the potential to be used as a screening method for cervical cancer. It is a label-free, low-cost method providing a biochemical fingerprint of a given sample. The objective of this study was to address patient-to-patient variability contributed by hormonal effects due to the menstrual cycle, the use of hormone-based contraceptives (HC) and the onset of menopause, and to determine if these changes would affect the ability to successfully identify dyskaryotic cells. Raman spectra were recorded from unstained ThinPrep cervical samples (45 cytology negative and 15 high-grade dyskaryosis (high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, HSIL) …

Microencapsulated Ascorbic Acid: Development, Characterization, And Release Profile In Simulated Gastrointestinal Fluids, Michele Cristina Rodrigues Da Cruz, Camila Augusto Perussello, Maria Lúcia Masson

Articles

The aim of this study was to produce ascorbic acid (AA) microcapsules by complex coacervation, characterize them, and evaluate the release profile in simulated gastrointestinal fluids. The microcapsules were made of gelatin and pectin at concentrations of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0%. The coacervated microcapsules were assessed for morphology (by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy), water activity (Aw), hygroscopicity, solubility, encapsulation efficiency (EE), thermal behavior, and AA release profile. The AA microcapsules were characterized by low solubility, low hygroscopicity, high thermal stability, and low diameter (<10 μm), with EE ranging from 23.7 to 94.3%. The release profile was faster in gastric fluid (pH 1.8) than in intestinal fluid (pH 6.8). The sample containing 2.0% of wall material and 50% (w/w) of the simple emulsion (core) had the highest EE and the best in vitro release profile, with release of only 68% of AA in 120 min in the gastric fluid.

Practical applications Ascorbic acid (AA) is widely used in the food industry as an …

Fatigue And Damage Of Porcine Pars Interarticularis During Asymmetric Loading, Colin Bright, Stephen Tiernan, Fiona Mcevoy, Pat Kiely

Articles

If the articular facets of the vertebra grow in an asymmetric manner, the developed bone geometry causes an asymmetry of loading. When the loading environment is altered by way of increased activity, the likelihood of acquiring a stress fracture may be increased. The combination of geometric asymmetry and increased activity is hypothesised to be the precursor to the stress fracture under investigation in this study, spondylolysis. This vertebral defect is an acquired fracture with 7% prevalence in the paediatric population. This value increases to 21% among athletes who participate in hyperextension sports. Tests were carried out on porcine lumbar vertebrae, …

Nutritional Supplementation In The Treatment Of Glaucoma: A Systematic Review, Ekaterina Loskutova, Colm O’Brien, Igor Loskutov, James Loughman

Articles

Current treatment strategies for glaucoma are limited to halting disease progression and do not restore lost visual function. Intraocular pressure is the main risk factor for glaucoma, and intraocular pressure–lowering treatment remains the mainstay of glaucoma treatment, but even successful intraocular pressure reduction does not stop the progression of glaucoma in all patients. We review the literature to determine whether nutritional interventions intended to prevent or delay the progression of glaucoma could prove to be a valuable addition to the mainstay of glaucoma therapy. A total of 33 intervention trials were included in this review, including 21 randomized controlled …