/library/oar/handle/123456789/401 Sun, 21 Dec 2025 11:50:43 GMT 2025-12-21T11:50:43Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/142219 Title: The hidden health benefits of Christmas festive foods Abstract: As the festive season approaches, kitchens around the world begin to fill with the nostalgic aromas of roasting chestnuts, citrus zest, cinnamon, mulled wine, and freshly baked treats. Christmas may be known for indulgence, but many of the foods traditionally enjoyed during the season offer remarkable nutritional value. Behind the sparkle of celebration lies a rich tapestry of ingredients that support immunity, digestion, heart health, and overall wellbeing - benefits we often overlook in the rush of December festivities. [excerpt] Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/142219 2025-12-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/141826 Title: Mpox : understanding the re-emergence of monkeypox in modern times Abstract: In recent years, the global community has found itself in a rnlentless struggle against a series of infectious diseases. Amid the chaos of Covid-19, a more unfamiliar virus began to resurface in 2022 - Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox. Historically isolated to parts of West and Central Africa, the sudden spread of this virus to new regions raised global concern. This article explores the epidemiology, history, spread, symptoms, and global response to Mpox, as well as what the future may hold. Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/141826 2025-11-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/141610 Title: Genetic, behavioural and molecular studies of Gemin3 using drosophila melanogaster Abstract: N/A Description: Ph.D.(Melit.) Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/141610 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/141609 Title: Development of an innate immune cell tolerance model Abstract: Sepsis has been defined as the ‘life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection’ carrying a poor prognosis and high mortality rates, both during its progression, as well as after hospital discharge, rendering it quite the adversary to modern medicine. One contributory aspect to this high mortality rates is sepsis-induced immune suppression, where cells of the innate immune system enter a state of tolerance and functional reprogramming, dampening any subsequent immune reaction to secondary infections. The work done in this dissertation aimed to develop an in vitro model of immune tolerance that serves as a standard on which future experimentation may be carried out. This was done by isolating and purifying human primary monocytes from young blood donors, characterising them using CD14, HLA-DR and FACS flowcytometry. Subsequently, a re-stimulation protocol was applied using bacterial LPS in order to induce endotoxin tolerance. The success in generating the tolerant state was assessed following the generation of significant differences in the mean cytokine secretion levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-10 using ELISA and statistical computation, as well as through the confirmation of a retention in overall cell viability throughout using 7-AAD. It was found that a tolerant state was induced within the monocytes and macrophages, with TNF-α producing the most significant difference in mean secretion concentrations between the first and second stimulation, generating a pvalue of 7.824x10-4 . The differences in IL-1β and IL-10 secretion levels were 0.000542794 and 0.018214324, respectively. Following 7-AAD analysis, the overall cell viability was retained, indicating the successful acquisition of a tolerant state within the CD14+ , HLADR+ cell population. Description: B.Sc. (Hons) Med. Biocem.(Melit.) Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/141609 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z