CORA
Cork Open Research Archive (CORA) is UCC’s Open Access institutional repository which enables UCC researchers to make their research outputs freely available and accessible.
UCC Research Communities
Recent Submissions
Pouring cold water on fake news: A qualitative review of misinformation related to burns first aid
(Oxford University Press, 2023-11-24) O’Leary, Annmarie; O’Connor, Cathal; Gibson, Louise; Murphy, Michelle
Health misinformation is pervasive on the internet and social media and can have wide-ranging and devastating repercussions. Burn injuries are highly prevalent, especially in resource-poor countries with less rigorous health and safety regulations and reduced access to quality healthcare, and especially among the pediatric population who rely on caregivers to tend to their injuries. Correct first aid is crucial to improving burn outcomes and avoiding further complications. The aim of this study was to qualitatively assess the content of misinformation related to burns online. A literature search was conducted on PubMed using the search terms “burns” OR “burn injury” OR “burns trauma” OR “major burns” AND “first aid” AND “conspiracy” OR “disinformation” OR “misinformation” OR “fake news.” Combinations of these terms were searched via Google, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and PubMed. Key areas of misinformation included unfounded use of “natural” remedies, injudicious use of antibiotics, omission of key steps of first aid, and errors in specific details of first aid. Clinicians should be aware of misinformation available online related to first aid for burns, be aware that patients presenting with burns may have caused further injury with insufficient first aid or inappropriate home remedies, and lead public health campaigns to educate on the initial emergency management of burns.
Bacteriocin diversity, function, discovery and application as antimicrobials
(Springer Nature, 2024-05-10) Sugrue, Ivan; Ross, R. Paul; Hill, Colin
Bacteriocins are potent antimicrobial peptides that are produced by bacteria. Since their discovery almost a century ago, diverse peptides have been discovered and described, and some are currently used as commercial food preservatives. Many bacteriocins exhibit extensively post-translationally modified structures encoded on complex gene clusters, whereas others have simple linear structures. The molecular structures, mechanisms of action and resistance have been determined for a number of bacteriocins, but most remain incompletely characterized. These gene-encoded peptides are amenable to bioengineering strategies and heterologous expression, enabling metagenomic mining and modification of novel antimicrobials. The ongoing global antimicrobial resistance crisis demands that novel therapeutics be developed to combat infectious pathogens. New compounds that are target-specific and compatible with the resident microbiota would be valuable alternatives to current antimicrobials. As bacteriocins can be broad or narrow spectrum in nature, they are promising tools for this purpose. However, few bacteriocins have gone beyond preclinical trials and none is currently used therapeutically in humans. In this Review, we explore the broad diversity in bacteriocin structure and function, describe identification and optimization methods and discuss the reasons behind the lack of translation beyond the laboratory of these potentially valuable antimicrobials.
Architecture, Film, and the In-between: Spatio-Cinematic Betwixt, edited by Vahid Vadat and James F. Kerestes
(Film and Screen Media, University College Cork, 2024-07-02) Weidner, Shannon; Murphy, Jill
Dark Scenes from Damaged Earth: The Gothic Anthropocene,edited by Justin D. Edwards, Rune Graulund, and Johan Höglund
(Film and Screen Media, University College Cork, 2024-07-02) Franklin, David; Murphy, Jill
American Mass Incarceration and Post-Network Quality Television, by Lee A. Flamand
(Film and Screen Media, University College Cork, 2024-07-02) Patten, Harrison; Murphy, Jill