An abundance of swimming animals have converged upon a common swimming strategy using multiple propulsors coordinated as metachronal waves. The shared kinematics suggest that even morphologically and ...systematically diverse animals use similar fluid dynamic relationships to generate swimming thrust. We quantified the kinematics and hydrodynamics of a diverse group of small swimming animals who use multiple propulsors, e.g. limbs or ctenes, which move with antiplectic metachronal waves to generate thrust. Here we show that even at these relatively small scales the bending movements of limbs and ctenes conform to the patterns observed for much larger swimming animals. We show that, like other swimming animals, the propulsors of these metachronal swimmers rely on generating negative pressure along their surfaces to generate forward thrust (i.e., suction thrust). Relying on negative pressure, as opposed to high pushing pressure, facilitates metachronal waves and enables these swimmers to exploit readily produced hydrodynamic structures. Understanding the role of negative pressure fields in metachronal swimmers may provide clues about the hydrodynamic traits shared by swimming and flying animals.
Biofilms are complex environments where matrix effects from components such as extracellular polymeric substances and proteins can strongly affect SERS performance. Here the interactions between ...SERS-enhancing Ag and Au particles were studied using
biofilms (
-biofilms), which were more homogenous than
biofilm samples. This allowed systematic quantitative studies, where samples could be accurately diluted and analysed, to be carried out. Strong signals from intrinsic marker compounds were found for the
and
extracted
-biofilms, which the standard addition method showed were due to 2 × 10
mol dm
pyocyanin or the equivalent of 1 × 10
mol dm
adenine, respectively. The
-biofilms hindered aggregation of Ag colloids more than Au but for both Au and Ag nanospheres the presence of
-biofilm reduced SERS signals through a combination of poorer aggregation and blocking of surface sites. For Ag, the effect of lower aggregation was to reduce the signals by a factor of
2×, while site blocking gave a further 10× reduction for adenine. Similar results were found for Au nanospheres with adenine, although these particles gave low enhancement with pyocyanin. Nanostars were found to be unaffected by reduced aggregation and also showed lower site blocking effects, giving more reproducible signals than those from aggregated particles, which compensated for their lower enhancement factor. These results provide a rational basis for selecting enhancing substrates for use in
studies, where the further complexity means that it is important to begin with well-understood and controllable enhancing media.
Supporting smoking cessation Zwar, Nicholas A; Mendelsohn, Colin P; Richmond, Robyn L
BMJ (Online),
01/2014, Letnik:
348, Številka:
jan14 4
Journal Article, Book Review
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Despite the decrease in prevalence of tobacco use in developed countries, smoking remains the most common preventable cause of disease and death in the world today. Advice on smoking cessation from ...doctors and other health professionals has been shown to improve quit rates and is highly cost effective.1 Given the importance to health of tobacco use and the benefits of cessation, every doctor should encourage attempts to stop, be able to provide brief smoking cessation intervention, and be aware of referral options (see box 1). Over the past decade there have been advances in the science and practice of smoking cessation support. These include new medicines to treat nicotine dependence, new ways of using existing medicines, and increasing use of technology to support behavioural change. This review provides an update on evidence based approaches to maximise the effectiveness of the treatment of tobacco dependence. Sources and selection criteria: This review is based on evidence synthesis from relevant Cochrane systematic reviews; review and distillation of clinical practice guidelines from Australia, the United States, and New Zealand; information from UK National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training (www.ncsct.co.uk); and other evidence from the authors' personal libraries. We have focused on developments since the review by Aveyard and West in 2007.2
Micropatterned nickel titanium (commonly known as nitinol) thin films with complex designs, high structural resolution and excellent biocompatibility can be cheaply fabricated using magnetron ...sputtering. Here, we show that these benefits can be leveraged to fabricate micromesh implants that are loaded with tumour-specific human chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells for the treatment of solid tumours. In a mouse model of non-resectable ovarian cancer, the cell-loaded nitinol thin films spatially conformed to the implantation site, fostered the rapid expansion of T cells, delivered a high density of T cells directly to the tumour and significantly improved animal survival. We also show that self-expandable stents that were coated with T-cell-loaded films and implanted into subcutaneous tumours in mice improved the duration of stent patency by delaying tumour ingrowth. By providing direct access to tumours, CAR-T-cell-loaded micropatterned nitinol thin films can improve the effects of cell-based therapies.
Oceanic ctenophores are widespread predators on pelagic zooplankton. While data on coastal ctenophores often show strong top-down predatory impacts in their ecosystems, differing morphologies, prey ...capture mechanisms and behaviors of oceanic species preclude the use of coastal data to draw conclusion on oceanic species. We used high-resolution imaging methods both in situ and in the laboratory to quantify interactions of Ocyropsis spp. with natural copepod prey. We confirmed that Ocyropsis spp. uses muscular lobe contraction and a prehensile mouth to capture prey, which is unique amongst ctenophores. This feeding mechanism results in high overall capture success whether encountering single or multiple prey between the lobes (71 and 81% respectively). However, multiple prey require several attempts for successful capture whereas single prey are often captured on the first attempt. Digestion of adult copepods takes 44 min at 25 °C and does not vary with ctenophore size. At high natural densities, we estimate that Ocyropsis spp. consume up to 40% of the daily copepod standing stock. This suggests that, when numerous, Ocyropsis spp. can exert strong top-down control on oceanic copepod populations. At more common densities, these animals consume only a small proportion of the daily copepod standing stock. However, compared to data from pelagic fishes and oceanic medusae, Ocyropsis spp. appears to be the dominant copepod predator in this habitat.
•Accurate LVO detection on 4D-CTA data is feasible using AI.•This is feasible on the raw image data without relying on perfusion maps.•Our work shows that image-level LVO detection on noisier CT ...images is feasible.
Automated image-level detection of large vessel occlusions (LVO) could expedite patient triage for mechanical thrombectomy. A few studies have previously attempted LVO detection using artificial intelligence (AI) on CT angiography (CTA) images. To our knowledge this is the first study to detect LVO existence and location on raw 4D-CTA/ CT perfusion (CTP) images using neural network (NN) models.
Retrospective study using data from a level-I stroke center was performed. A total of 306 (187 with LVO, and 119 without) patients were evaluated. Image pre-processing included co-registration, normalization and skull stripping. Five consecutive time-points for each patient were selected to provide variable contrast density in data. Additional data augmentation included rotation and horizonal image flipping. Our model architecture consisted of two neural networks, first for classification (based on hemispheric asymmetry), followed by second model for exact site of LVO detection. Only cases deemed positive by the classification model were routed to the detection model, thereby reducing false positives and improving specificity. The results were compared with expert annotated LVO detection.
Using a 80:20 split for training and validation, the combination of both classification and detection model achieved a sensitivity of 86.5%, a specificity of 89.5%, and an accuracy of 87.5%. A 5-fold cross-validation using the entire data achieved a mean sensitivity of 82.7%, a specificity of 89.8%, and an accuracy of 85.5% and a mean AUC of 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85-0.93).
Our findings suggest that accurate image-level LVO detection is feasible on CTP raw images.
The longissimus (n=118) (LL), semimembranosus (n=104) (SM) and biceps femoris (n=134) (BF) muscles were collected from lamb and sheep carcases and aged for 5days (LL and SM) and 14days (BF) to study ...the impact of muscle characteristics on tenderness as assessed by shear force (SF) and sensory evaluation. The impact of gender, animal age, collagen content, sarcomere length (SL), desmin degradation, ultimate pH and intramuscular fat (IMF) on tenderness was examined. The main factors which influenced SF of the LL were IMF, SL and desmin degradation, but for sensory tenderness, IMF, ultimate pH and gender were the main factors. The SF and sensory tenderness of the SM was best predicted by the degree of desmin degradation. For the BF soluble collagen and animal age both influenced SF. Different factors affect tenderness across muscles and not one prediction model applied across all muscles equally well.
•IMF, proteolysis and sarcomere length influence shear force of the longissimus.•Sensory tenderness of the longissimus was impacted by intramuscular fat, pH and sex.•For the semimembranosus only proteolysis affected shear force.•For the semimembranosus only proteolysis influenced sensory tenderness.•For the biceps femoris collagen solubility and animal age influenced shear force.
The electrochemical reduction of CO2 is a promising route to convert carbon emissions into valuable chemicals and fuels. In electrolyzers producing multi-carbon products, 70%–95% of the supplied CO2 ...is converted to (bi)carbonates, limiting the carbon efficiency of electrochemical CO2 conversion. These (bi)carbonate anions can be lost to the aqueous electrolyte, converted back to gaseous CO2 and diluted in the anode tail gas, and/or combined with alkali metal cations from the electrolyte to form solid salt precipitates. Here, we report a microchanneled solid electrolyte that allows for the recapture and recycling of (bi)carbonate ions before reaching the anode, reducing CO2 loss to ∼3%. We demonstrate CO2 electroreduction to multi-carbon products with 77% selectivity without the use of alkali metal cations, by incorporating fixed quaternary ammonium cations. This system simultaneously achieves near-zero CO2 loss, high selectivity toward multi-carbon products, and stable operation at an industrially relevant current density over 200 h.
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•MSE reduces CO2RR reactant loss to near-zero (∼3%)•Fixed cations in the MSE enable alkali metal cation free operation•Selective multi-carbon production (77%) at industrially relevant current densities•Stable continuous electrolysis for >200 h at a current density of 100 mA cm−2
CO2 electrolysis is a promising technology to convert carbon emissions into valuable chemicals and fuels. In conventional CO2 electrolyzers, the majority of the reactant CO2 is lost to (bi)carbonate formation, limiting the carbon efficiency of electrochemical CO2 conversion. Here, we report a microchanneled solid electrolyte that allows for the internal recapture and recycle of (bi)carbonate ions before they are lost to the anode, drastically reducing the CO2 loss. By incorporating fixed quaternary ammonium cations, we demonstrate CO2 electroreduction to multi-carbon products without the use of alkali metal cations, the latter of which cause destructive salt precipitation. This system simultaneously achieves near-zero CO2 loss, high selectivity toward multi-carbon products, and stable operation at an industrially relevant current density.
CO2 electrolysis is a promising technology that can utilize intermittent renewable electricity to mitigate CO2 emissions. In conventional electrolyzers, most of the reactant CO2 is lost to parasitic side reactions, limiting the electrochemical conversion of CO2 into valuable products. Here, we present a microchanneled solid electrolyte that internally regenerates and recycles CO2, thereby eliminating CO2 loss. Implementing fixed cations in place of traditional alkali metal cations enables stable and selective CO2 electrolysis to multi-carbon products.
Multimorbidity, the presence of two or more chronic conditions, affects over 60 % of patients in primary care. Due to its association with polypharmacy, the development of interventions to optimise ...medication management in patients with multimorbidity is a priority. The Behaviour Change Wheel is a new approach for applying behavioural theory to intervention development. Here, we describe how we have used results from a review of previous research, original research of our own and the Behaviour Change Wheel to develop an intervention to improve medication management in multimorbidity by general practitioners (GPs), within the overarching UK Medical Research Council guidance on complex interventions.
Following the steps of the Behaviour Change Wheel, we sought behaviours associated with medication management in multimorbidity by conducting a systematic review and qualitative study with GPs. From the modifiable GP behaviours identified, we selected one and conducted a focused behavioural analysis to explain why GPs were or were not engaging in this behaviour. We used the behavioural analysis to determine the intervention functions, behavioural change techniques and implementation plan most likely to effect behavioural change.
We identified numerous modifiable GP behaviours in the systematic review and qualitative study, from which active medication review (rather than passive maintaining the status quo) was chosen as the target behaviour. Behavioural analysis revealed GPs' capabilities, opportunities and motivations relating to active medication review. We combined the three intervention functions deemed most likely to effect behavioural change (enablement, environmental restructuring and incentivisation) to form the MultimorbiditY COllaborative Medication Review And DEcision Making (MY COMRADE) intervention. MY COMRADE primarily involves the technique of social support: two GPs review the medications prescribed to a complex multimorbid patient together. Four other behavioural change techniques are incorporated: restructuring the social environment, prompts/cues, action planning and self-incentives.
This study is the first to use the Behaviour Change Wheel to develop an intervention targeting multimorbidity and confirms the usability and usefulness of the approach in a complex area of clinical care. The systematic development of the MY COMRADE intervention will facilitate a thorough evaluation of its effectiveness in the next phase of this work.
Although 70% of people with epilepsy (PWE) achieve seizure freedom following an appropriate antiepileptic drug (AED) regime, evidence suggests that adherence to AEDs by PWE is suboptimal. ...Nonadherence to AEDs is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations, with reduced adherence also correlating to a lower quality of life, decreased productivity, and loss of employment. Furthermore, research indicates that medication errors which are widespread in chronic disease are less well studied in epilepsy but are likely also to contribute to avoidable disease morbidity and mortality.
The goals of this project were to determine rates of medication adherence by self-reported questionnaire and its links to perceived medication error in a cohort of PWE attending a general epilepsy outpatient clinic. Following a plan-do-study-act cycle, it was found that the most appropriate methodology for conducting was in the form of a bespoke 9-item self-administered questionnaire. One hundred eighty-six PWE completed a nine-question questionnaire asking patients about their own medication adherence habits and their perception that they were previously exposed to medication error.
This study found that 41% of respondents reported suboptimal adherence to AED therapy, while 28.5% of respondents self-reported that they unintentionally do not take their AED medication on an occasional, regular, or frequent basis. A 5.9% of respondents self-reported that they intentionally do not take their medication as prescribed. A 6% of respondents self-reported that they are both unintentionally and intentionally nonadherent to their AED therapy. No significant associations were demonstrated between age, sex, perceived effectiveness of medication, feelings of stigma/embarrassment, adverse effects or additional neurological comorbidities, and unintentional or intentional nonadherence.
A 28.5% of respondents to the questionnaire reported that they perceived themselves to have been subjected to medication error. Prescribing errors were the most common form of perceived medication error, followed by dispensing errors, then administration errors. Significant associations were found between ineffective medication and feelings of stigma or embarrassment about epilepsy with perceived prescribing errors. Intentional nonadherence to medication was significantly associated with perceived dispensing errors.
•Medication Safety is of critical importance to optimal chronic disease management.•186 people with epilepsy completed a self-administered anti-epileptic drug adherence and perception of medication error survey.•41% of respondents reported sub optimal adherence to anti-epileptic drug therapy.•28.5% of respondents reported that they perceived themselves to be a victim of a medication error.•Significant associations were found between ineffective medication & feelings of stigma with perceived prescribing errors.
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