Poor sleep and resultant under-recovery can negatively impact training adaptations, increase the risk of injury and reduce subsequent performance. Due to the 'food first' approach adopted by many ...athletes, there is scope for investigation of 'functional food' based interventions (i.e., kiwifruit contains melatonin which plays a role in circadian rhythm regulation) designed to promote athlete recovery and/or enhance sleep quality and quantity.
Following the baseline assessment (Week 1) all subjects began the intervention (Weeks 2-5). During the 4-week intervention, participants were asked to consume 2 medium-sized green kiwifruit (
) an hour before bed. Participants completed a questionnaire battery at baseline and post-intervention, and a daily sleep dairy for the duration of the study.
The results demonstrated a positive impact of kiwifruit consumption on key aspects of sleep and recovery in elite athletes. From baseline to post-intervention, there were clinically significant improvements in sleep quality (i.e., improved PSQI global scores and sleep quality component scores) and improvements in recovery stress balance (reduced general stress and sports stress scales). Moreover, the intervention improved sleep as evidenced by significant increases in total sleep time and sleep efficiency % and significant reductions in number of awakenings and wake after sleep onset.
The findings broadly suggested that kiwifruit does impact positively on sleep and recovery in elite athletes.
Rational design and robust formulation processes are critical for optimal delivery of mRNA by lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Varying degrees of heterogeneity in mRNA-LNPs can affect their biophysical ...and functional properties. Given the profound complexity of mRNA-LNPs, it is critical to develop comprehensive and orthogonal analytical techniques for a better understanding of these formulations. To this end, we developed a robust ultracentrifugation method for density-based separation of subpopulations of mRNA-LNPs. Four LNP formulations encapsulating human erythropoietin (hEPO) with varying functionalities were synthesized using two ionizable lipids, A and B, and two helper lipids, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE) and 1,2-dierucoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DEPE), along with cholesterol and DMG-PEG-2K. Upon ultracentrifugation on a sucrose gradient, a distinct pattern of “fractions” was observed across the gradient, from the less dense topmost fraction to the increasingly denser bottom fractions, which were harvested for comprehensive analyses. Parent LNPs, A-DOPE and B-DOPE, were resolved into three density-based fractions, each differing significantly in the hEPO expression following intravenous and intramuscular routes of administration. Parent B-DEPE LNPs resolved into two density-based fractions, with most of the payload and lipid content being attributed to the topmost fraction compared to the lower one, indicating some degree of heterogeneity, while parent A-DEPE LNPs showed remarkable homogeneity, as indicated by comparable in vivo potency, lipid numbers, and particle count among the three density-based fractions. This study is the first to demonstrate the application of density gradient-based ultracentrifugation (DGC) for a head-to-head comparison of heterogeneity as a function of biological performance and biophysical characteristics of parent mRNA-LNPs and their subpopulations.
Aims
To ascertain the length of time defendants wait for a Mental Health Act assessment (MHAA) and where necessary, how long they are waiting for a hospital bed.
Background
The Liaison and Diversion ...Service in North West London (the Service) is provided by Central North West London Foundation NHS Trust (CNWL), Barnet Enfield Haringey (BEH) and Together to Willesden Magistrates Court in North West London.
One of the core activities of the Service is diverting individuals from the criminal justice system to hospital under the Mental Health Act (MHA).
The Code of Practice allows for a period of 14 days between the medical recommendation and conveyance to hospital. Defendants needing admission under MHA are remanded to custody if a bed is not available. This prevents them from receiving the assessment and care they need. We consider that all defendants found to be liable to detention under the MHA should be admitted to a hospital bed on the same day.
Method
Data were collected between October 2018 and February 2019. All patients referred for a MHAA were included. The time a MHAA was requested, took place as well as how long the defendant waited for a bed was noted.
Result
A total of 42 MHAA were requested. 25 individuals were detained under Section 2 of the MHA 1983.
The time between referral for a MHAA and the MHAA taking place was obtained in 25 of the 42 referrals. The range of times between a referral being made and the assessment taking placed varied between 1.5 hours and 22 hours. Two defendants were remanded overnight in prison as the MHAA could not take place on the same day as the referral.
In the 25 cases where an application for detention under Section 2 of the MHA was made, beds were not available on the same day in 7 cases. In 4 cases defendants required remand in prison custody due to beds not being available.
Conclusion
There were some limitations to this audit as data were not available for all 42 individuals referred for a MHAA.
Individuals referred for MHAA by the Service had both medical recommendations completed within 5 days and those who required admission to hospital were admitted within 14 days of the recommendations being completed.
Whilst these standards are being met, individuals referred for MHAA and those requiring admission to hospital are still facing remand to custody.
Triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are difficult to treat successfully due to the lack of targeted therapies. Instead, cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the most efficient treatments ...available. A common issue with chemotherapy is the development of multi-drug resistance in tumours, reducing the long-term efficacy of treatments. Studies have shown that elevated circulating cholesterol in TNBC patients associates with an increased risk of treatment failure. Liver x receptors (LXRs) are transcription factors activated by the cholesterol derivates, oxysterols. Their primary function is the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis but they also regulate expression of chemotherapy resistance protein, P-glycoprotein (Pgp), in non-cancer tissue. Previous work from the Thorne Lab has demonstrated that oxysterol-LXR signalling can induce Pgp expression in TNBC cells and subsequently enhance resistance to chemotherapy. My first aim was to demonstrate whether intratumour oxysterol content and the proteins responsible for their production correlated with Pgp expression in TNBC tumours, finding this to be true. As oxysterols can be sourced from a variety of cells in the tumour microenvironment (TME), I then investigated whether the fibroblasts of the TME contribute to LXR-mediated upregulation of epithelial Pgp expression. Here, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) were shown to be potent activators of LXR signalling in epithelial cells through in silico, in vitro and in vivo work in TNBC. CAFs were also shown to upregulate epithelial Pgp expression. Finally, the role of cholesterol esterification was also investigated as this can reduce intratumour oxysterol levels. To achieve this, I performed a meta-analysis that demonstrated how cholesterol esterification enhanced cancer progression through many mechanisms, one of which being through increased intratumour oxysterol content. In summary, LXR ligands and the enzymes that produce them positively associate with Pgp in TNBC tumours. Furthermore, CAFs are able to secrete oxysterols that activate LXR and induce expression of Pgp in epithelial cells. Finally, I have demonstrated that other cholesterol modifications, such as esterification also influence cancer progression.
Have Some Serious Fun Ellis, Gordon
Chemical engineering progress,
03/2010, Letnik:
106, Številka:
3
Magazine Article
Recenzirano
Participating teams are required to adhere to a strict regimen of safety training and compliance standards. Prior to each competition, students receive mandatory training in safe practices, sponsored ...by AIChE and the Safety and Chemical Engineering Education (SAChE) program. They are also required to submit an engineering package containing job safety analysis (JSA) forms and other documentation.
Strategically sited renewable energy generation could provide about 500 TWh/yr by 2020 and by 2035 another 1,100 TWh/yr. By 2035, coal-fired plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS) could provide ...as much as 1 ,200 TWh/yr through repowering and retrofits of existing plants and as much as 1 ,800 TWh/yr through new plant construction - in effect replacing the entire existing coal power fleet with CCS coal power.
When Christopher Morgan started his chemical engineering studies at the Univ. of Buffalo, he was not exactly clear on where the track would lead, and he still isn't. "I took up chemical engineering," ...he says, "because I knew I wanted a challenging major, and because it combined one of my strengths - math - with one of my interests, chemistry.
One of the most exciting implications of the finding is that carbon fiber and composites, used to make different types of vehicles, could be strengthened by nanotubes. "Composites are durable, but ...fail under certain loading conditions, similar to the way plywood flakes and splinters apart," says Stephen Steiner, an MIT graduate student and the lead author of a paper on the work. "But what if you could reinforce composites at the microlevel with nanotubes, the way that rebar reinforces concrete...
Chemicals should be safe for their intended me. Ensuring chemical safety is a shared responsibility of industry and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Industry should be responsible for ...providing sufficient information for EPA to make timely decisions about safety. EPA's responsibility includes making safe-use determinations for high-priority chemicals, focusing on the substances' most significant uses and exposures.
GRAND CHALLENGES FOR ENGINEERING Ellis, Gordon
Chemical engineering progress,
04/2008, Letnik:
104, Številka:
4
Magazine Article
Recenzirano
Meeting the Grand Challenges will require the full integration of engineers, scientists, policy-makers, governments, and the public-at-large to make change happen. 'Twenty-first century engineering ...will not be a static undertaking," said Charles M. Vest. "It's going to advance and change in an organic and rapid way."
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