Calcium oxalate crystals in cacao trees and their interactions with cadmium.

Cadmium (Cd) concentrations in cacao beans from Latin America often exceed limits for trading. A better understanding of the mechanisms of Cd accumulation in Theobroma cacao L. trees is necessary to advance mitigation strategies.

Peptide-Mediated Transport Across the Intact Tympanic Membrane Is Intracellular, with the Rate Determined by the Middle Ear Mucosal Epithelium.

The tympanic membrane forms an impenetrable barrier between the ear canal and the air-filled middle ear, protecting it from fluid, pathogens, and foreign material entry. We previously screened a phage display library and discovered peptides that mediate transport across the intact membrane. The route by which transport occurs is not certain, but possibilities include paracellular transport through loosened intercellular junctions and transcellular transport through the cells that comprise the various tympanic membrane layers.

Using optimized monochromatic energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence to determine the cadmium concentration in cacao and soil samples.

Following the implementation of food safety limits on cadmium (Cd) in cacao products, there has been a growing demand for monitoring Cd in cacao tissues and soils. Traditional methods like acid digestion followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) are time-consuming and costly. X-ray Fluorescence is an alternative technique that offers advantages in terms of speed, cost, ease of use and less environmental impact.

Ageism and Ableism in Individuals Aging with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Biomedical and structural factors impact oral health for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The onset of age prevalent chronic diseases and conditions can result in new cognitive or physical disabilities leaving individuals with IDD to contend with ageism as well as ableism and further exclusion from the oral health care systems. Environments and attitudes that inform how health care systems are built and maintained significantly impact quality of life and outcomes, more than the fact of being disabled or old.