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Gut microbes from the phylogenetically diverse genus Eubacterium and their various contributions to gut health
No full textOver the last two decades our understanding of the gut microbiota and its contribution to health
and disease has been transformed. Among a new ‘generation’ of potentially beneficial microbes to
have been recognized are members of the genus Eubacterium, who form a part of the core human
gut microbiome. The genus consists of phylogenetically, and quite frequently phenotypically,
diverse species, making Eubacterium a taxonomically unique and challenging genus. Several
members of the genus produce butyrate, which plays a critical role in energy homeostasis, colonic
motility, immunomodulation and suppression of inflammation in the gut. Eubacterium spp. also
carry out bile acid and cholesterol transformations in the gut, thereby contributing to their homeostasis. Gut dysbiosis and a consequently modified representation of Eubacterium spp. in the gut,
have been linked with various human disease states. This review provides an overview of
Eubacterium species from a phylogenetic perspective, describes how they alter with diet and age
and summarizes its association with the human gut and various health conditions
Is there evidence for bacterial transfer via the placenta and any role in the colonization of the infant gut? – a systematic review
No full textWith the important role of the gut microbiome in health and disease, it is crucial to understand
key factors that establish the microbial community, including gut colonization during infancy. It
has been suggested that the first bacterial exposure is via a placental microbiome. However, despite many publications, the robustness of the evidence for the placental microbiome and transfer
of bacteria from the placenta to the infant gut is unclear and hence the concept disputed.
Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of the evidence for the role of the placental, amniotic fluid and cord blood microbiome in healthy mothers in the colonization of the infant gut.
Most of the papers which were fully assessed considered placental tissue, but some studied
amniotic fluid or cord blood. Great variability in methodology was observed especially regarding
sample storage conditions, DNA/RNA extraction, and microbiome characterization. No study
clearly considered transfer of the normal placental microbiome to the infant gut. Moreover,
some studies in the review and others published subsequently reported little evidence for a placental microbiome in comparison to negative controls. In conclusion, current data are limited
and provide no conclusive evidence that there is a normal placental microbiome which has any
role in colonization of infant gut
Therapeutic effects of antibiotics loaded cellulose nanofiber and κ-carrageenan oligosaccharide composite hydrogels for periodontitis treatment
No full textPeriodontitis is an infammatory disease that can lead to the periodontal pocket formation and
tooth loss. This study was aimed to develop antimicrobials loaded hydrogels composed of cellulose
nanofbers (CNF) and κ-carrageenan oligosaccharides (CO) nanoparticles for the treatment of
periodontitis. Two antimicrobial agents such as surfactin and Herbmedotcin were selected as the
therapeutic agents and the hydrogels were formulated based on the increasing concentration of
surfactin. The proposed material has high thermal stability, controlled release, and water absorption
capacity. This study was proceeded by investigating the in vitro antibacterial and anti-infammatory
properties of the hydrogels. This material has strong antibacterial activity against periodontal
pathogens such as Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, a signifcant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) production and
a decrease in bioflm formation and metabolic activity of the bacteria was observed in the presence
of hydrogel. Besides, it reduced the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, transcription factor,
and cytokines production in human gingival fbroblast cells (HGF) under infammatory conditions.
In conclusion, the hydrogels were successfully developed and proven to have antibacterial and
anti-infammatory properties for the treatment of periodontitis. Thus, it can be used as an excellent
candidate for periodontitis treatment.Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean Universit
Review of Governing Through Regulation: Public Policy, Regulation and the Law. Eric L. Windholz. Routledge Critical Studies in Public Management, 2018. Xi +282 pp, US$160. ISBN: 9781138935587
No full textAs regulation boomed as an instrument of public policy, from the 1980s, so it has also become a major field for scholarly research which draws on a remarkably wide range of disciplines, including accounting, anthropology, criminology, economics, geography, law, political science and sociology. Regulatory governance today has its own major conferences and journals (notably Regulation & Governance), titled professorships and thriving graduate programmes. In Governing Through Regulation: Public Policy, Regulation and Law, Eric Windholz argues that much of the scholarly literature is insufficiently engaged with and accessible to practitioners. A key objective of this volume is to engage the burgeoning practice community with the central ideas of contemporary regulatory governance scholarship. Windholz’s readership is ‘persons who find themselves working with regulation …’ recognising that the practitioner is increasingly likely to be a postgraduate student of regulation.Update citation detail during checkdate report - A
Fed-batch system for propagation of brewer’s yeast
No full textA novel high-density yeast propagation system has been developed, which produced yeast that performed as well as cropped yeast in commercial brewery trials. This process is capable of producing yeast concentrations 13 times greater than traditional yeast propagation approaches used in breweries to date. The system is based on a controlled fed-batch yeast fermentation, which can produce pitching yeast in as little as 24h. A demonstrator plant was installed in a regional brewery and yeast produced from the test-platform was used to pitch commercial brews. Plant-scale trials have shown that the yeast propagated using this new system had the same fermentation profile compared to control fermentations that used cropped yeast. Volatile analysis showed no significant difference between the control and experimental beers. The experimental beers tasted true-to-type and were released to trade. The new process allows for smaller pitching volumes while maintaining overall beer quality
Reading Transatlantically in the Era of Trump
No full textAccording to a comprehensive study of the year 2018 published in the journal Democratization (“State of the World 2018”), democracy is in decline around the world. A retreat in democracy implies a weakening of the conditions that make it possible; that is, a drift towards autocratic rule, a disregard for the rights and protection of minorities, the curtailment of civic freedoms such as the right to assembly and to critical dissent, and a lack of commitment to the rule of law. As the report by Lührmann et al. makes clear, this retreat has been ongoing for at least a decade—as attested to by the breadth and depth of debates and publications on the matter in recent years—and is taking place primarily, though not exclusively, in democratic regions, most notably in Eastern and Western Europe and the United States.Irish Research Council2020-07-22 JG: PDF replaced at publisher\u27s reques
Temperature profiles of private rental housing occupied by third level students in Ireland
No full textThe Irish Government published a National Student Accommodation Strategy to tackle issues surrounding the
availability of accommodation for students in higher education. 23,634 students could not be accommodated with a bed space
supplied by a Higher Education Institution in 2017. Therefore, many students live in private rental accommodation during the
academic year. This paper examines the indoor temperature profiles of private rental housing occupied by third level students in
Ireland. From the results, the temperature levels across the majority of the 16 cases were found to have temperatures below the
recommended 18°C. At least 90% of the recorded temperature data during February for all but three of the cases was less than
18°C, highlighting the poor indoor temperature levels that the students were living in. While the sample size of this study is small
and more research needs to be carried out on this topic in the future, the data suggests more accommodation needs to be provided
for people in higher education that allows them to achieve indoor temperature levels within recommended guidelines
Visual respiratory feedback in Virtual Reality exposure therapy: A pilot study
No full textAs the use of Virtual Reality (VR) expands across fields, new kinds of interaction methods are introduced. This study presents the Visual Heights VR experience that integrates natural breathing as an input method to provide visual respiratory feedback. Incorporating spatial audio, haptic feedback and breath visualisation, the experience aims to be highly immersive. This experience was made to be used as part of a controlled pilot study to see the effect of respiratory feedback on the user’s anxiety levels. The user’s anxiety is assessed by their heart rate, brain electrical activity, skin conductance and respiratory rate. These biosignals are recorded within the experience; captured by external hardware. The pieces of hardware used were Galvanic Skin Response to measure skin conductance, photoplethysmogram to measure heart rate; Electroencephalogram to measure the electrical activity in the brain, and a prototype device that records airflow on an axis from -1 to 1 for respiratory rate. It was found that the aforementioned prototype was not sufficient for calculating the respiratory rate. Results of the controlled study showed that the Visual Heights VR experience delivered the expected positive correlation between skin conductance and perceived height (r=.491, p < .05, N=1543) which suggests it is plausible to be used as a material for further research. As the integration of user’s physiological signals and breathing for visual feedback can contribute to therapeutic uses of VR, research with bigger sample sizes will be conducted to better investigate the relationship between visual respiratory feedback and anxiety using the Visual Heights VR experience
Till death do us part: Exploring the Irish farmer-farm relationship in later life through the lens of ‘Insideness’
No full textThe senior generation’s unwillingness to relinquish managerial duties and retire is a globally recognized
characteristic of intergenerational family farm transfer. This is despite the array of financial incentives put
in place to stimulate and entice the process. Applying Rowles’ concept of ‘insideness’ as a theoretical
framework, this paper brings into focus the suitability and appropriateness of previous and existing farm
transfer policy strategies, by presenting an insightful, nuanced analysis of the deeply embedded attachment
older farmers have with their farms, and how such a bond can stifle the necessary hand over of the farm
business to the next generation. This research employs a multi-method triangulation design, consisting of
a self-administered questionnaire and an Irish adaptation of the International FARMTRANSFERS Survey
in conjunction with complimentary Problem-Centred Interviews, to generate a comprehensive insight into
the intricate, multi-level farmer-farm relationship in later life. The overriding themes to emerge from the
content analysis of the empirical research are farmer’s inherit desire to stay rooted in place in old age and
also to maintain legitimate connectedness within the farming community by remaining active and productive
on the farm. Additionally, there is a strong sense of nostalgia attributed to the farm, as it is found to
represent a mosaic of the farmer’s achievements as well as being a landscape of memories. The paper
concludes by suggesting that a greater focus on the farmer-farm relationship has the potential to finally
unite farm transfer policy efforts with the mind-set of its targeted audience, after decades of disconnect
Protein quality and quantity influence the effect of dietary fat on weight gain and tissue partitioning via host-microbiota changes
No full textWe investigated how protein quantity (10%–30%) and quality (casein and whey) interact with dietary fat (20%–55%) to affect metabolic health in adult mice. Although dietary fat was the main driver of body weight gain and individual tissue weight, high (30%) casein intake accentuated and high whey intake reduced the negative metabolic aspects of high fat. Jejunum and liver transcriptomics revealed increased intestinal permeability, low-grade inflammation, altered lipid metabolism, and liver dysfunction in casein-fed but not whey-fed animals. These differential effects were accompanied by altered gut size and microbial functions related to amino acid degradation and lipid metabolism. Fecal microbiota transfer confirmed that the casein microbiota increases and the whey microbiota impedes weight gain. These data show that the effects of dietary fat on weight gain and tissue partitioning are further influenced by the quantity and quality of the associated protein, primarily via effects on the microbiota.Science Foundation Irelan