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Mass spectrometry imaging of ancient teeth proteomes
Get PDFThis is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Dekker, J., Larson, T., Tzvetkov, J., Harvey, V. L., Dowle, A., Hagan, R., Genever, P., Schrader, S., Soressi, M., & Hendy, J. (2023). Spatial analysis of the ancient proteome of archeological teeth using mass spectrometry imaging. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 37(8), article-number e9486], which has been published in final form at [https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9486]. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited."RATIONALE
Proteins extracted from archaeological bone and teeth are utilised for investigating the phylogeny of extinct and extant species, the biological sex and age of past individuals, as well as ancient health and physiology. However, variable preservation of proteins in archaeological materials represents a major challenge.
METHODS
In order to better understand the spatial distribution of ancient proteins preserved within teeth, we apply Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionisation Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MALDI-MSI) for the first time to bioarchaeological samples to visualise the intensity of proteins in archaeological teeth thin sections. We specifically explore the spatial distribution of four proteins (collagen type I, of which chains alpha -1 and 2, alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein, haemoglobin subunit alpha and myosin light polypeptide 6).
RESULTS
We successfully identify ancient proteins in archaeological teeth thin sections using mass spectrometry imaging. The data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD038114. However, we observe that peptides did not always follow our hypotheses for their spatial distribution, with distinct differences observed in the spatial distribution of several proteins, and occasionally between peptides of the same protein.
CONCLUSIONS
While it remains unclear what causes these differences in protein intensity distribution within teeth, as revealed by MALDI-MSI in this study, we demonstrate that MALDI-MSI can be successfully applied to mineralised bioarchaeological tissues to detect ancient peptides. In future applications, this technique could be particularly fruitful not just for understanding the preservation of proteins in a range of archaeological materials, but making informed decisions on sampling strategies and the targeting of key proteins of archaeological and biological interest
Book Review: British Battles 493-937: Mount Badon to Brunanburh by Andrew Breeze
Get PDFThis is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Northern History on 01/02/2023, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/0078172X.2023.2169219A review of Andrew Breeze, British Battles 493-937: Mount Badon to Brunanburh (London: Anthem Press, 2021)
How to Use the Six-Step Digital Ethnography Framework to Develop Buyer Personas: The Case of Fan Fit
Get PDFBackground: One of the key features of digital marketing is customer centricity, which can be applied to the domain of health.
This is expressed through the ability to target specific customer segments with relevant content using appropriate channels and
having data to track and understand each interaction. In order to do this, marketers create buyer personas based on a wide spectrum of quantitative and qualitative data. Digital ethnography is another established method for studying web-based communities. However, for practitioners, the complexity, rigor, and time associated with ethnographical work are sometimes out of reach.
Objective: This paper responds to the gaps in the practically focused method of using social media for digital ethnography to
develop buyer personas. This paper aims to demonstrate how digital ethnography can be used as a way to create and refine buyer personas.
Methods: Using a case study of the Fan Fit smartphone app, which aimed to increase physical activity, a digital ethnography
was applied to create a better understanding of customers and to create and refine buyer personas.
Results: We propose two buyer personas, and we develop a 6-step digital ethnography framework designed for the development
of buyer personas.
Conclusions: The key contribution of this work is the proposal of a 6-step digital ethnography framework designed for the
development of buyer personas. We highlight that the 6-step digital ethnography could be a robust tool for practitioners and
academicians to analyze digital communications for the process of creating and updating data-driven buyer personas to create
deeper insights into digital and health marketing efforts
Working smarter, not harder, to address the gender pay gap in the legal profession
No full textBlog opinion piece discussing the need to work in a more nuanced and efficient manner to address the gender pay gap within the legal sector
Antecedents of destination advocacy using symmetrical and asymmetrical modeling techniques
Get PDFThis is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in The Service Industries Journal on 16/12/2023, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2146098This study uses a multi-method approach to examine antecedents of destination advocacy. Data were collected from 549 respondents via Amazon MTurk. A symmetrical analysis based on partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and asymmetrical analysis based on fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis explore how combinations of various antecedents, including hospitality, perceived authenticity, destination experience quality, and destination love lead to high and low levels of destination advocacy. Findings indicate that hospitality and authenticity significantly impact destination experience quality. Moreover, destination experience quality and destination love have a significant impact on destination advocacy. Finally, fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) results reveal that a high level of hospitality and destination quality leads to destination advocacy
Developing A High-performance Liquid Chromatography Method for Simultaneous Determination of Loratadine and its Metabolite Desloratadine in Human Plasma
Get PDFBackground: Allergic diseases are considered as the major burden on public health with increased prevalence globally. Histamine H1-receptor antagonists are the foremost commonly used drugs in the treatment of allergic
disorders. The target drug in this study, loratadine, belongs to this class of drugs and its biometabolite desloratadine which is also a non-sedating H1 receptor antagonist with anti-histaminic activity being 2.5 to 4 times greater than loratadine. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel isocratic Reversed-phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) method for rapid and simultaneous separation and determination of loratadine and its
metabolite, desloratadine in human plasma.
Methods: The drug extraction method from plasma was based on protein precipitation technique. The separation was carried out on a Thermo Scientific BDS Hypersil C18 column (5μm, 250 x 4.60 mm) in a mobile phase of MeOH:
0.025M KH2PO4 adjusted to pH 3.50 using orthophosphoric acid (85: 15, v/v) at an ambient temperature. The flow rate was maintained at 1 mL/min and maximum absorption was measured using the PDA detector at 248 nm.
Results: The retention times of loratadine and desloratadine in plasma samples were recorded to be 4.10 and 5.08 minutes, respectively, indicating a short analysis time. Limits of detection were found to be 1.80 and 1.97 ng/mL for loratadine and desloratadine, respectively, showing a high degree of sensitivity of the method. The method was then validated according to FDA guidelines for the determination of the two analytes in human plasma.
Conclusion: The results obtained indicate that the proposed method is rapid, sensitive in the nanogram range, accurate, selective, robust and reproducible compared to other reported methods
The cariogenic effect of starch on oral microcosm grown within the dual constant depth film fermenter
Get PDFEvidence on the link between starch intake and caries incidence is conflicting, therefore the cariogenicity of starch compared with sucrose was explored using a dual Constant Depth Film Fermenter (dCDFF) biotic model system. Bovine enamel discs were used as a substrate and the dCDFF was inoculated using human saliva. CDFF units were supplemented with artificial saliva growth media at a constant rate to mimic resting salivary flow rate over 14 days. The CDFF units were exposed to different conditions, 2 % sucrose or 2 % starch 8 times daily and either no additional fluoride or 1450 ppm F- twice daily. Bovine enamel discs were removed at intervals (days 3, 7, 10 and 14) for bacterial enumeration and enamel analysis using Quantitative Light Induced Fluorescence (QLF) and Transverse Microradiography (TMR).
Results showed that in the absence of fluoride there was generally no difference in mineral loss between enamel exposed to either sucrose or starch when analysed using TMR and QLF (P > 0.05). In the presence of fluoride by day 14 there was significantly more mineral loss under starch than sucrose when analysed with TMR (P < 0.05).
It was confirmed that starch and sucrose are similarly cariogenic within the dCDFF in the absence of fluoride. With the aid of salivary amylase, the bacteria utilise starch to produce an acidic environment similar to that of bacteria exposed to sucrose only. In the presence of fluoride, starch was more cariogenic which may be due to the bacteria producing a more hydrophobic intercellular matrix lowering the penetration of fluoride through the biofilm. This is significant as it indicates that the focus on sugars being the primary cause of caries may need re-evaluating and an increase in focus on carbohydrates is needed as they may be similarly cariogenic as sugars if not more so
Links of adversity in childhood with mental and physical health outcomes: A systematic review of longitudinal mediating and moderating mechanisms
Get PDFThis document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a published work that appeared in final form in [Trauma, Violence, & Abuse]. To access the final edited and published work see http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/15248380221075087].Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with causes of early death, addiction, mental illness, and poor
health. However, studies investigating underlying mechanisms often rely on cross-sectional data or inappropriate study designs.
To prevent the negative sequelae associated with ACEs, it is imperative to understand the mechanisms underlying the
prospective relationship. The aim of this present review was to provide a synthesis and critical evaluation of the literature
regarding the mechanisms underlying this relationship. A search in SCOPUS, MedLine via Ovid, PsycINFO via Ovid, and Web of
Science was performed. Studies that utilised a prospective design assessing ACEs in childhood or adolescence, outcomes in
adulthood, and analysed either a mediating or moderating relationship were included, unless the study relied on informant
report or official records to assess childhood maltreatment types of ACEs. Twenty-two studies examining a longitudinal
mediation or moderation were included in a systematic review. A review of the studies found links to psychopathology,
delinquent and problem behaviours, poor physical health, and poor socioeconomic outcomes. A clear image of underlying
mechanisms is not forthcoming due to (a) poor study design in relation to assessing longitudinal mechanisms, and (b) heterogeneity in the adversities, mechanisms, and outcomes assessed. Based on the review, several gaps and limitations are
highlighted and discussed
Representations of Anorexia Nervosa in National Media: A Frame Analysis of the UK Press
Get PDFThis is an Accepted Manuscript (draft, post-peer-review, pre-copyediting version) of a chapter published by University of Exeter Press in Eating Disorders In Public Discourse on 24/01/2023, available online: https://www.exeterpress.co.uk/products/eating-disorders-in-public-discourse?_pos=1&_sid=296112df3&_ss=rThis study explores the representation of anorexia nervosa in the UK press, to consider its impact, the insights it may offer as a barometer of public opinion and opportunities to consider developments in clinical practice. The study is a development of a previous study by the researchers (Bowen, Lovell & Waller, 2020), which employed an inductive approach to the analysis of anorexia nervosa in newspaper Twitter accounts, to test the viability of using those findings in a deductive study that would offer future opportunities for longitudinal analysis. The study identified four news frames employed by the UK national newspapers: social model; illness model; personal stressors model; and trivialisation model. The illness model, social model and personal stressor models were employed at a relatively similar frequency. The paper considers the implications for stigma, recovery and therapeutic practice
Filling the Gaps in Pharmacy Workforce in Post-Conflict Areas: The Case of 4 Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa
Get PDFBackground: While the pharmacy workforce is the third largest professional healthcare group worldwide, the pharmacy workforce landscape remains unclear in post-conflict areas in sub-Saharan Africa. Method: Key informants were selected for semi-structured interviews due to their role in providing pharmacy services in the selected country: the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, and South Sudan. Transcripts from the interviews were anonymized, coded, and analyzed. Results: Nine participants were recruited (CAR: 2; DRC: 2; Ethiopia: 2; South Sudan: 3), and all except two were pharmacists. Conflict-specific challenges in pharmacy service delivery were identified as the following: unpredictable health needs and/or mismatched pharmaceutical supply, transport difficulties due to insecure roads, and shortage of pharmacy workforce due to brain drain or interrupted schooling. Barriers to health workforce retention and growth were identified to be brain drain as a result of suboptimal living and working conditions or remuneration, the perception of an unsafe work environment, and a career pathway or commitment duration that does not fit the diaspora or expatriate staff. Conclusion: To tackle the barriers of pharmacy health workforce retention and growth, policy solutions will be required and efforts that can bring about long-term improvement should be prioritized. This is essential to achieve universal health coverage and the targets of the sustainable development goals for conflict affected areas, as well as to “leave no one behind”
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