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In vitro Antitrypanosomal, Antioxidant and Cytotoxicity Activities, LC MS analysis and Molecular docking analysis of bioactive compounds from Anopyxis klaineana against UDP Galactose 4` Epimerase (GalE) of Trypanosoma brucei
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Trypanosomiasis is a major public health concern worldwide, especially in developing countries 1 Current chemotherapies are highly toxic, resistant and ineffective
Hence, novel effective and potent trypanocides are needed Medicinal plants have been documented to be a potential source for the development of antitrypanosomal
compounds Anopyxis klaineana is an ethnomedicinal plant used in west Africa to treat many ailments including protozoan diseases In this study, we investigated the in vitro
effects of crude methanol extracts and fractions of A klaineana for their antitrypanosomal activities against Trypanosoma brucei using Alamar blue assay Additionally, the crude
extract’s antioxidant and cytotoxicity activities were also determined The phytochemical profiling of the crude extract was determined using LC ESI QTOF MS to identify major
bioactive compounds present Bioactive compounds identified were subjected to molecular docking studies against Trypanosoma brucei’s UDP Galactose 4 Epimerase (TbGalEye
The psychology of Gaelic games: a co-produced scoping review to inform research, policy, and practice
Get PDFGaelic games are a family of indigenous Irish sports played in
Ireland and across the world. With recent growth in research on
the psychology of Gaelic games and developments in sport
science policy in this context, there is a need to map and clarify
understanding of psychology in Gaelic games. Against this
backdrop, we conducted a scoping review that aimed to identify
and synthesise current literature on the psychology of Gaelic
games, with the intention of generating findings that could have
implications for research, policy, and practice. After electronic
database searches and manual searches up to September 2023,
we included data from 42 articles involving 4963 Gaelic games
participants in the review. We organised findings into eight
categories: mental health and wellbeing; burnout; youth coaching
practices; psychology of injury; attentional processes; optimal
experiences and performing under pressure; identity; and female
coach development. In light of the findings, we offer (a) five
recommendations for researchers to strengthen the quality of
research in future, and (b) five implications for policy and
practice, some of which might also be transferable to other sport
contexts. We believe that consideration of our recommendations
for research can build a stronger and more coherent evidence
base for policy and practice. By doing so, this can ultimately lead
to more meaningful and tangible benefits for all in Gaelic games.ye
Converging lifeworlds : an exploration of the links between children, food and friendship in Irish primary schools /
No full textThis study aims to increase understanding of children’s peer relations in school food
practices and to explore the relational strategies that children employ in their everyday
lifeworlds as a means of comprehending children’s meanings and experiences in this
area. This contributes to an awareness of children's navigation of the structural
constraints of school to harness small opportunities for friendship and underlines the
significance of sociality around school food experiences. It draws on a
phenomenological existentialist theoretical framework examining children’s
experience of space, time and practice in their lifeworlds. The research objectives are
to: explore children’s school food practices in the company of peers, to understand
how food manifests in friendship; examine children’s interactions and visual
depictions of food in peer relationships, to ascertain children’s meaning-making in this
school context; and locate the findings in the broader context of children’s lives and
culture, to identify implications for policy and practice.
The research question guiding the study asked what is the significance of food
practices in children’s lifeworlds? This question is focused on children’s lived
experience and their peer relationships centred around school food events. With
limited recent exceptions (Baines and MacIntyre, 2019; Stone and Murakami, 2021;
2023), the links between children, food and friendship have remained largely
unexplored as extant literature focuses on food in family and institutional contexts
without any reference to friendship practices. This is addressed through the study, as is
the gap in the literature on the transactional value of food in children’s peer
relationships. Sixty-eight children from three primary schools participated in the study.
An interpretative research paradigm informed the qualitative study that focused on
reality as subjective and individually constructed. Children’s voice was central and a
number of creative (arts-based) research methods were employed in the classroom to
explore children’s understandings of food and friendship. Thematic analysis of data
was conducted over two phases.
The study findings demonstrate that there is a veritable richness in children’s everyday
food and friendship practices as evidenced in their creative representations. Children’s
practices call attention to their converging lifeworlds and the huge significance of their
peer relationships through food. They also highlight the structural constraints that
children experience and navigate in school around friendship, gender, and ethnicity.
The negative framing of children's peer food practices prevents a better understanding
of peer relations around food and the importance of exchanges during food events.
Within the analysis chapters there is firstly a discussion of the constraints of time and
space within children's school lifeworld. Children demonstrate their appreciation that
food events are a key moment for relaxation of these constraints where they can
provide alternative readings of their experience that go beyond the normative.
Secondly, children adapt their food and friendship practices within and beyond school
to harness the transformative potential of food in their relationships. Limits on
sociality encourage children to extend their food practices with peers beyond school as
soon as they can. Through analysis it was discovered that children's use of the
theoretical space of 'otherlife' for their tactics enables deepened relationality and
nimble sharing of experiences. The study’s contribution is an enhanced theoretical,
methodological and empirical understanding of children’s school friendships as they
relate to food and eating.ye
Evaluation of rapid diagnostic detection methods for a range of clinically significant antigens /
No full textAccurate and timely diagnosis is essential in the management and treatment of any disease.
Point of care testing is used to generate a result quickly, so that appropriate care and
treatment can be implemented. The research in this thesis focused on the development,
evaluation, and optimisation of diagnostic methods at a point of need level, for detection of
a range of biomarkers - NGAL, MAP Protoplasmic antigen (PPA) and a conserved sequence for
the detection of group B streptococcus (proprietary, HiberGene Diagnostics), using two
different rapid diagnostic methods; LFIA and LAMP technology.
Work on an NGAL LFIA assay resulted in the development of a reliable biotinylated goat IgG
control line, that was consistently detected throughout the study. Several LFIA formats were
investigated for the detection of an NGAL test line. A successful NGAL competitive/inhibition
assay was developed, however, the assay performed poorly during repeatability and
reproducibility testing and further work is needed.
An LFIA for detection of Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis (MAP) through detection of MAP
Protoplasmic antigen (PPA) was also investigated. Two working control lines were developed
using bovine IgG and rabbit anti-sheep antibody. It did, however, prove difficult to develop a
PPA test line and investigations failed to elucidate the underlying cause. Further exploratory
studies to explore the purity of the PPA antigen may prove central to progression of this work.
A GBS-UNG LAMP assay for the detection of group B streptococcus (GBS) was developed to
replace the existing assay formulation currently employed by HiberGene Diagnostics. The
results of this study indicate that the incorporation of UNG has the ability to degrade carry
over amplicon at a concentration of 3x104 CFU/ml in a simulated clinical sample. The
development of the new GBS-UNG assay also led to an improved formulation and
performance of the existing GBS-dTTP based assay in terms of sensitivity, time of detection,
and contamination control.
This study provides the basis for further development of these LFIA assays for detection of
NGAL and MAP. In the future these assays could provide an opportunity for early detection
which would aid in decisions regarding treatment plans and potentially affect prognosis. In
addition, the new formulation for the GBS assay may be adopted by industry to improve
current testing methods, most notably preventing carryover contamination.n
The relationship between transformational leadership and follower employee work engagement in a remote working environment. Conference poster
No full textThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused many organisations to shift to remote environments. 1
Corporate giants such as Facebook, Google, and Amazon expect around 50% of their workforce to work remotely in the next five to ten years. Research suggests that transformational leadership is suited for most sectors and industries, not only military environments
Treatment with levosimendan in an experimental model of early ventilator-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction
No full textIntroduction: Mechanical ventilation (MV) is a life-saving approach in critically ill patients. However, it may affect the diaphragmatic structure and function, beyond the lungs. Levosimendan is a calcium sensitizer widely used in clinics to improve cardiac contractility in acute heart failure patients. In vitro studies have demonstrated that levosimendan increased force-generating capacity of the diaphragm in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. Thus the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of levosimendan administration in an animal model of ventilator-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction (VIDD) on muscle contraction and diaphragm muscle cell viability.
Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats underwent prolonged MV (5 hours). VIDD+Levo group received a starting bolus of levosimendan immediately after intratracheal intubation and then an intravenous infusion of levosimendan throughout the study. Diaphragms were collected for ex vivo contractility measurement (with electric stimula-tion), histological analysis and Western blot analysis. Healthy rats were used as the control.
Results: Levosimendan treatment maintained an adequate mean arterial pressure during the entire experimen-tal protocol, preserved levels of autophagy-related proteins (LC3BI and LC3BII) and the muscular cell diameter demonstrated by histological analysis. Levosimendan did not affect the diaphragmatic contraction or the levels of proteins involved in the protein degradation (atrogin).
Conclusions: Our data suggest that levosimendan preserves muscular cell structure (cross-sectional area) and muscle autophagy after 5 hours of MV in a rat model of VIDD. However, levosimendan did not improve diaphragm contractile efficiency.ye
Rapid Screening for Mycosporine-like Amino Acids (MAAs) of Irish Marine Cyanobacteria and Their Antioxidant Potential
No full textThe present study evaluated 53 Irish marine cyanobacteria intending to identify potential producers of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) to meet the increasing demand for replacing chemical sunscreen with bio-sunscreen. The biodiscovery analysis using absorption spectra of methanolic extracts identified eight cyanobacteria as potential MAAs producers with a specific content of 0.114–0.511 A* mg DW−1. Leptolyngbya tenuis SABC010201 was found to possess notably higher MAAs content. LC-MS analysis identified a total of eight different types of known MAAs (mycosporine-glutamicol, mycosporine-glutaminol-glucoside, mycosporine-serinol, mycosporine-taurine, palythine, palythine-threonine-sulphate, porphyra-334, and usujirene) in eight cyanobacteria, while four compounds were considered unknown UV-absorbing compounds with specific mass and absorption maximum. For example, two unknown compounds with, respectively, [M-H]- values of 219.0557 and 289.0730 and lambda max of 314 and 326 nm, were detected in three cyanobacteria Leptolyngbya tenuis SABC010201, Phormidium angustissimum SABC020801, and Schizothrix sp. SABC022401. These two unknown compounds were named M-314 and M-326, respectively. Antioxidant activities of total MAAs of all cyanobacteria showed considerable amounts of DPPH, FRAP, and ORAC activities. Considering the specific MAAs content and antioxidant activities, Leptolyngbya africana SABC021601 was considered the best producer of MAAs.ye
Pulsed ultraviolet (PUV) disinfection of artifcially contaminated seawater seeded with high levels of pathogen disease indicators as an alternative for the shellfish industry depuration systems
Get PDFThe increase in pathogen levels in seawater threatens the safety of entire aquatic ecosystems. Foodborne pathogens can potentially accumulate in shellfish, especially in filter feeders such as bivalves, requiring an efficient depuration process before consumption. Alternative approaches to promote a cost-efficient purge at depuration plants are urgently needed. A small prototype pulsed ultraviolet (PUV) light recirculation system was designed, and its depuration potential was tested in a seawater matrix artificially contaminated with high levels of microbial pathogens Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Bacillus cereus and Candida albicans. The analysis of treatment parameters including voltage, number of pulses and duration of treatment was performed to ensure the highest reduction in contaminant levels. Optimal PUV disinfection was attained at 60 pulses/min at 1 kV for 10 min (a UV output of 12.9 J/cm2). All reductions were statistically significant, and the greatest was observed for S. aureus (5.63 log10), followed by C. albicans (5.15 log10), S. typhimurium (5 log10), B. cereus (4.59 log10) and E. coli (4.55 log10). PUV treatment disrupted the pathogen DNA with the result that S. aureus, C. albicans and S. typhimurium were not detectable by PCR. Regulations were reviewed to address the applicability of PUV treatment as a promising alternative to assist in the reduction of microbial pathogens at depuration plants due to its high efficiency, short treatment period, high UV dose and recirculation system as currently employed in shellfish depuration plants
An investigative analysis of how influential leadership and change management strategies were during the transitional phase to a Technological University /
Get PDFIn Ireland, it is evidenced through the Hunt report (2011) and current literature that Higher
education has had a significant role in furthering the development of Ireland’s economy and its
society. Over the last decade in Ireland, it has been very evident that the Higher Education
System in Ireland has been very much operating on a two-tier level education system.
The first tier of the Higher education system was dominated by the Universities while the
second tier was fixed by the Institute of Technology Sector. whereby their teaching model’s
focus was more of a traditional model of education while targeting career minded cohort of
students. Currently, higher education landscape is evolving at a rapid pace through a process
of unprecedented and rapid changes. Hazelthorn et al (2015) suggest that “Technological
universities have initiated various change readiness efforts in the form of lean initiatives and
these change readiness efforts will aid to improve University performance and to make it more
efficient and operate more effectively”. These Institutional changes are brought about with
additional pressure from external influences like the Government and other educational bodies
and external pressure from European Institutions. Owning to these external influences and the
influential recommendations from the National strategy 2030 report, these factors prompted
the Higher Education sector in particular Institute of Technologies to review their
responsibilities and roles and to respond to these external challenges using a more collaborative
and cohesive strategic approach. The National Strategy for Higher education in Ireland 2030
report was an operational framework to enable HEI’s to reform to a more robust system.
Institutes of Technologies needed to reform and become more innovative in terms of its
strategic focus while a transformative approach with local communities was needed to
strengthen its competitiveness and build capacity. For this research study the topic been “An
Investigative analysis of how influential Leadership and Change Management strategies were
in ATU and TU Dublin during the transitional phase to a Technological University”.
Qualitative research was conducted with gathered information from both Institutional leaders
and their Institutional followers. The findings were analysed, re-contextualised with literature
that is current which resulted that leadership styles and change management mechanisms had
an impact on the transition within both TU’s. Several recommendations have been made for
the participating institutions to consider.n
Effect of mechanical recycling on the mechanical properties of PLA-based natural fiber-reinforced composites
Get PDFThe present study investigates the feasibility of utilizing polylactic acid (PLA) and PLAbased
natural fiber-reinforced composites (NFRCs) in mechanical recycling. A conical twin screw
extrusion (CTSE) process was utilized to recycle PLA and PLA-based NFRCs consisting of 90 wt.%
PLA and a 10 wt.% proportion of either basalt fibers (BFs) or halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) for up
to six recycling steps. The recycled material was then injection molded to produce standard test
specimens for impact strength and tensile property analysis. The mechanical recycling of virgin
PLA led to significant discoloration of the polymer, indicating degradation during the thermal
processing of the polymer due to the formation of chromatophores in the structure. Differential
scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis revealed an increase in glass transition temperature (Tg) with
respect to increased recycling steps, indicating an increased content of crystallinity in the PLA. Impact
strength testing showed no significant detrimental effects on the NFRCs’ impact strength up to
six recycling steps. Tensile testing of PLA/HNT NFRCs likewise did not show major decreases in
values when tested. However, PLA/BF NFRCs exhibited a significant decrease in tensile properties
after three recycling steps, likely due to a reduction in fiber length beyond the critical fiber length.
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the fracture surface of impact specimens revealed a decrease
in fiber length with respect to increased recycling steps, as well as poor interfacial adhesion between
BF and PLA. This study presents a promising initial view into the mechanical recyclability of PLAbased
composites.ye