Bovine Serum Albumin Adsorption to Iron-Oxide Coated Sands Can Change Microsphere Deposition Mechanisms

Particulate colloids often occur together with proteins in sewage-impacted water. Using Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) as a surrogate for protein in sewage, column experiments investigating the capacity of iron-oxide coated sands to remove latex microspheres from water revealed that microsphere attenuation mechanisms depended on antecedent BSA coverage. Dual pulse experiment (DPE) results suggested that where all BSA was adsorbed, subsequent multiple pore volume microsphere breakthrough curves reflected progressively reduced colloid deposition rates with increasing adsorbed BSA content. Modelling colloid responses suggested adsorption of 1 µg BSA generated the same response as blockage by between 7.1x108 and 2.3x109 deposited microspheres. By contrast, microsphere responses in DPEs where BSA coverage of the deposition sites approached/ reached saturation revealed the coated sand maintained a finite capacity to attenuate microspheres, even when incapable of further BSA adsorption. Subsequent microsphere breakthrough curves demonstrated the matrix’s colloid attenuation capacity progressively increased with continued microsphere deposition. Experimental findings suggested BSA adsorption on the sand surface approaching/ reaching saturation generated attractive deposition sites for colloids, which became progressively more attractive with further colloid deposition (filter ripening). Results demonstrate that adsorption of a single type of protein may either enhance or inhibit colloid mobility in saturated porous media.

Simple method for the rapid simultaneous screening of photocatalytic activity over multiple positions of self-cleaning films

An intelligent ink, previously shown to be capable of rapidly assessing photocatalytic activity, was simply applied via a felt-pen onto a commercially available piece of Activ (TM) self-cleaning glass. The ink, comprising of redox dye resazurin and the sacrificial electron donor glycerol within an aqueous hydroxy ethyl cellulose (HEC) polymer media, was photocatalytically degraded in a two-step process. The key initial stage was the photo-reductive conversion of resazurin to resorufin, whereby a colour change from blue to pink occurred. The latter stage was the subsequent photo-reduction of the resorufin, where a slower change from pink to colourless was seen. Red and green components of red-green-blue colour extracted from flat-bed scanner digital images of resazurin ink coated photocatalytic films at intervals during the photocatalysis reaction were inversely proportional to the changes seen via UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and indicative of reaction kinetics. A 3 x 3 grid of intelligent ink was drawn onto a piece of Activ (TM) and a glass blank. The photocatalysis reaction was monitored solely by flat-bed digital scanning. Red-green-blue values of respective positions on the grid were extracted using a custom-built program entitled RGB Extractor (c). The program was capable of extracting a number of 5 x 5 pixel averages of red-green-blue components simultaneously. Allocation of merely three coordinates allowed for the automatic generation of a grid, with scroll-bars controlling the number of positions to be extracted on the grid formed. No significant change in red and green components for any position on the glass blank was observed; however, the Activ (TM) film displayed a homogenous photo-reduction of the dye, reaching maxima in red and minima in green components in 23 +/- 3 and 14 +/- 2 min, respectively. A compositionally graded N-doped titania film synthesised in house via a combinatorial APCVD reaction was also photocatalytically tested by this method where 247 positions on a 13 x 19 grid were simultaneously analysed. The dramatic variation in photocatalysis observed was rapidly quantified for all positions (2-3 hours) allowing for correlations to be made between thicknesses and N : Ti% compositions attained from Swanepoel and WDX analysis, respectively. N incorporation within this system was found to be detrimental to film activity for the photocatalysis reaction of intelligent ink under 365 nm light.

Photomineralisation of 4-chlorophenol sensitised by TiO2 thin films

The results of a study of the oxidative mineralisation of 4-CP by oxygen, sensitised by thin films of Degussa P25 TiO2, are reported. The films are used under conditions in which the kinetics of photomineralisation are independent of mass transfer effects and stable towards repeated irradiation. Using a TiO2 film, the process goes through the same mechanism as a TiO2 dispersion, generating the same intermediates, namely: 4-chlorocatechol and hydroquinone. The kinetics of photomineralisation show clear differences between a TiO2 film and a dispersion. With TiO2 films the initial rate of photomineralisation is strongly dependent upon photocatalyst loading, (units; g dm(-3)) reaching a distinct maximum, which appears to be associated with the formation of a monolayer of aggregated particles - the diameter of the aggregated particles is estimated as 0.44 mu m. A simple 2D model is presented to help illustrate the features of such a system. With TiO2 dispersions the rate usually reaches a plateau at ca. 0.5 g dm(-3) of TiO2. For TiO2 films the initial rate depends directly upon the incident light intensity, implying that the photocatalytically active particles are under low illumination conditions, partially shielded by the other particles making up each aggregated particle. In contrast, with TiO2 dispersions R-i depends upon I-0.64, implying that the different light intensities used spanned both the high (R(i)proportional to I-1/2) and low (R(i)proportional to I) intensity kinetic regions. The kinetics of photomineralisation of 4-CP, sensitised by TiO2 films obey the same Langmuir-Hinshelwood expressions as found in most semiconductor photocatalyst work conducted with TiO2 dispersions. However, in a study of the variation R-i as a function of [4-CP] and [O-2] the values for the maximum rates were larger, and those for the apparent Langmuir adsorption coefficients were smaller, than those found for TiO2 dispersions. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

Correlating Alpine glaciation with Adriatic sea-level changes through lake and alluvial stratigraphy

We compare lake and alluvial stratigraphy along a frame connecting the southern Alpine foothills and the Adriatic Sea, with the aim of matching the effects of Alpine glaciation and sea-level changes on sedimentation during the last glacial cycle. The palynostratigraphy of Lake Fimon provided proxies for regional vegetation and climate change and was coupled with sediment petrography, loss on ignition and magnetic susceptibility, disentangling alluvial phases from fluvioglacial activity related to culminations of the southeastern Alpine glaciers. The Fimon area was not reached by alluvial fans during the penultimate glacial maximum, nor by the sea transgression during the last interglacial, but a closed lake soon developed at the Eemian onset due to enhanced rainfall. Sea-level fall at glacial inception triggered the entrenchment of the drainage network in the plain reaching the outer Fimon Basin. Slow aggradation, but no sign of fluvioglacial activity, lasted to 38.2 +/- 1.45 cal. ka BP, when a major forest withdrawal took place, coeval to the spread of alluvial fans. By 27.5 perpendicular to 0.5 cal. ka BP the Fimon Basin was dammed by the Brenta outwash system. The main step of of forest recovery commenced at around (15.8) cal. ka BP, when apex trenching of the outwash fans was triggered by the glacier's decay. Copyright (C) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Soft X-ray harmonic comb from relativistic electron spikes

We demonstrate a new high-order harmonic generation mechanism reaching the "water window" spectral region in experiments with multiterawatt femtosecond lasers irradiating gas jets. A few hundred harmonic orders are resolved, giving mu J/sr pulses. Harmonics are collectively emitted by an oscillating electron spike formed at the joint of the boundaries of a cavity and bow wave created by a relativistically self-focusing laser in underdense plasma. The spike sharpness and stability are explained by catastrophe theory. The mechanism is corroborated by particle-in-cell simulations.

Clinical consequences of mast cell heterogeneity

The heterogeneous morphological, biochemical and functional characteristics of mast cells from different species and from different tissue sites in the same species have been described for over 30 years. Far from being mere histochemical or pharmacological curiosities these differences have far reaching implications for therapeutic practice. This review concentrates on two important areas affected by mast cell heterogeneity, those of adverse reactions to therapeutic agents and the efficacy of anti-allergy therapy.

Semiotics, Presence and the Sublime in the Work of Alvin Lucier

Alvin Lucier, in his uncompromising exploration into the artistic potential of acoustic phenomena, has developed a body of work that remains highly original and hugely influential across many disciplines. His seminal works such as I am sitting in a room and Music for Solo Performer foreshadowed ways of approaching sound that are in common use among electro-acoustic composers, installation artists, as well as in commercial products. Lucier, despite his far reaching influence, is and has always been a composer, and his explorations of acoustics have been singularly focused on the development of a rich body of music. In this article, I investigate Lucier’s unique approach and attitude towards acoustics and aspire to enumerate important aesthetic developments he has made in creating music through the exploration of acoustic phenomena. In particular, this article seeks to investigate the role of semiotics in Lucier’s work, commenting on the pre-linguistic nature of Lucier’s approach to acoustic phenomenon. Here as well, an exploration of Lucier’s musical materials takes place, focusing on his instrumental compositions, specifically Diamonds for One, Two or Three Orchestras, where instruments are used as catalysts to generate in real-time acoustic phenomenon which interact to produce a rich yet intimate world of sound. Finally, Lucier’s approach to semiotics and real-time generation of music is viewed through a sublime aesthetic provoking questions regarding issues of presence and the now.

Timekeeping strategies operate independently from spatial and accuracy demands in beat-interception movements

The prevailing paradigm for researching sensorimotor synchronisation in humans involves finger tapping and temporal accuracy measures. However, many successful sensorimotor synchronisation actions require not only to be 'in time', but also to be in a predefined spatial position. Reaching this spatial position in many everyday actions often exceeds the average amplitude of a finger movement. The aim of this study is to address how people coordinate their movement to be in the right place at the right time when the scale of the movement varies. Does the scale of the movement and accuracy demands of the movement change the ability to accurately synchronise? To address these questions, a sensorimotor synchronisation task with three different inter-beat intervals, two different movement amplitudes and two different target widths was used. Our experiment demonstrated that people use different timing strategies-employing either a movement strategy (varying movement time) or a waiting strategy (keeping movement time constant) for large-scale movements. Those two strategies were found to be equally successful in terms of temporal accuracy and variability (spread of errors). With longer interval durations (2.5 and 3.5 s), variability of sensorimotor synchronisation performance increased (measured as the spread of errors). Analysing the data using the Vorberg and Wing (Handbook of perception and action. Academic Press, New York, pp 181-262, 1996) model shows a need to develop further existing timing models of sensorimotor synchronisation so that they could apply to large-scale movements, where different movement strategies naturally emerge.

Androgen deprivation results in time-dependent hypoxia in LNCaP prostate tumours; informed scheduling of the bioreductive drug AQ4N improves treatment response

Androgen withdrawal induces hypoxia in androgen-sensitive tissue; this is important as in the tumour microenvironment hypoxia is known to drive malignant progression. This study examined the time-dependent effect of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) on tumour oxygenation and investigated the role of ADT-induced hypoxia on malignant progression in prostate tumours. LNCaP xenografted tumours were treated with anti-androgens and tumour oxygenation measured. Dorsal skin fold chambers (DSF) were used to image tumour vasculature in vivo. Quantitative PCR (QPCR) identified differential gene expression following treatment with bicalutamide. Bicalutamide and vehicle-only treated tumours were re-established in vitro and invasion and sensitivity to docetaxel were measured. Tumour growth delay was calculated following treatment with bicalutamide combined with the bioreductive drug AQ4N. Tumour oxygenation measurements showed a precipitate decrease following initiation of ADT. A clinically relevant dose of bicalutamide (2mg/kg/day) decreased tumour oxygenation by 45% within 24h, reaching a nadir of 0.09% oxygen (0.67±0.06 mmHg) by day 7; this persisted until day 14 when it increased up to day 28. Using DSF chambers, LNCaP tumours treated with bicalutamide showed loss of small vessels at days 7 and 14 with revascularization occurring by day 21. QPCR showed changes in gene expression consistent with the vascular changes and malignant progression. Cells from bicalutamide-treated tumours were more malignant than vehicle-treated controls. Combining bicalutamide with AQ4N (50mg/kg; single dose) caused greater tumour growth delay than bicalutamide alone. This study shows that bicalutamide-induced hypoxia selects for cells that show malignant progression; targeting hypoxic cells may provide greater clinical benefit.

Training-induced modifications of corticospinal reactivity in severely affected stroke survivors

When permitted access to the appropriate forms of rehabilitation, many severely affected stroke survivors demonstrate a capacity for upper limb functional recovery well in excess of that formerly considered possible. Yet, the mechanisms through which improvements in arm function occur in such profoundly impaired individuals remain poorly understood. An exploratory study was undertaken to investigate the capacity for brain plasticity and functional adaptation, in response to 12-h training of reaching using the SMART Arm device, in a group of severely affected stroke survivors with chronic upper limb paresis. Twenty-eight stroke survivors were enroled. Eleven healthy adults provided normative data. To assess the integrity of ipsilateral and contralateral corticospinal pathways, transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied to evoke responses in triceps brachii during an elbow extension task. When present, contralateral motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) were delayed and reduced in amplitude compared to those obtained in healthy adults. Following training, contralateral responses were more prevalent and their average onset latency was reduced. There were no reliable changes in ipsilateral MEPs. Stroke survivors who exhibited contralateral MEPs prior to training achieved higher levels of arm function and exhibited greater improvements in performance than those who did not initially exhibit contralateral responses. Furthermore, decreases in the onset latency of contralateral MEPs were positively related to improvements in arm function. Our findings demonstrate that when severely impaired stroke survivors are provided with an appropriate rehabilitation modality, modifications of corticospinal reactivity occur in association with sustained improvements in upper limb function.

Microneedle-mediated vaccine delivery:harnessing cutaneous immunobiology to improve efficacy

INTRODUCTION: Breaching the skin's stratum corneum barrier raises the possibility of the administration of vaccines, gene vectors, antibodies and even nanoparticles, all of which have at least their initial effect on populations of skin cells. AREAS COVERED: Intradermal vaccine delivery holds enormous potential for improved therapeutic outcomes for patients, particularly those in the developing world. Various vaccine-delivery strategies have been employed, which are discussed in this review. The importance of cutaneous immunobiology on the effect produced by microneedle-mediated intradermal vaccination is also discussed. EXPERT OPINION: Microneedle-mediated vaccines hold enormous potential for patient benefit. However, in order for microneedle vaccine strategies to fulfill their potential, the proportion of an immune response that is due to the local action of delivered vaccines on skin antigen-presenting cells, and what is due to a systemic effect from vaccines reaching the systemic circulation, must be determined. Moreover, industry will need to invest significantly in new equipment and instrumentation in order to mass-produce microneedle vaccines consistently. Finally, microneedles will need to demonstrate consistent dose delivery across patient groups and match this to reliable immune responses before they will replace tried-and-tested needle-and-syringe-based approaches.

China’s National Security Review: a tit-for-tat response?

China is gradually taking its place as a major regulator, exercising concurrent jurisdiction of the national security review along with the US and EU over high-profile cross-border mergers and acquisitions. The National Security Review (NSR) regulatory regime of foreign acquisitions has attracted significant attention recently with the establishment of China's counterpart to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Due to the intensified activities of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) that are closely linked with states, CFIUS's broad discretion to deal with China's SWF-based investment may have a far-reaching impact on China's implementation of the newly enacted NSR regime. It is essential to design a mechanism that allows SWFs to maximise their positive attributes while safeguarding the apolitical integrity of the marketplace. Any disproportionate use of the NSR regime would inevitably bring about more unintended consequences, such as tit-for-tat protectionism. This represents an imminent threat to the tenuous recovery from the recent economic crisis, largely because of the increasingly intertwined and interdependent nature of the global financial markets. It is of utmost significance to evaluate the extent to which the updated legislation strikes a reasonable balance between preserving genuine national security interests and maintaining an open environment for investment.

Courts and Consociations: Human Rights versus Power-sharing

Consociations are power-sharing arrangements, increasingly used to manage ethno-nationalist, ethno-linguistic, and ethno-religious conflicts. Current examples include Belgium, Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Burundi, and Iraq. Despite their growing popularity, they have begun to be challenged before human rights courts as being incompatible with human rights norms, particularly equality and non-discrimination.

Courts and Consociations examines the use of power-sharing agreements, their legitimacy, and their compatibility with human rights law. Key questions include to what extent, if any, consociations conflict with the liberal individualist preferences of international human rights institutions, and to what extent consociational power-sharing may be justified to preserve peace and the integrity of political settlements.

In three critical cases, the European Court of Human Rights has considered equality challenges to important consociational practices, twice in Belgium and then in Sejdic and Finci v Bosnia regarding the constitution established for Bosnia Herzegovina under the Dayton Agreement. The Court's decision in Sejdic and Finci has significantly altered the approach it previously took to judicial review of consociational arrangements in Belgium. This book accounts for this change and assess its implications. The problematic aspects of the current state of law are demonstrated. Future negotiators in places riven by potential or actual bloody ethnic conflicts may now have less flexibility in reaching a workable settlement, which may unintentionally contribute to sustaining such conflicts and make it more likely that negotiators will consider excluding regional and international courts from reviewing these political settlements.

Courts and Consociations:How human rights courts may destabilize power-sharing settlements

We consider the use of consociational arrangements to manage ethno-nationalist, ethno-linguistic, and ethno-religious conflicts, and their compatibility with non-discrimination and equality norms. Key questions include to what extent, if any, consociations conflict with the dictates of global justice and the liberal individualist preferences of international human rights institutions, and to what extent consociational power-sharing may be justified to preserve peace and the integrity of political settlements. In three critical cases, the European Court of Human Rights has considered equality challenges to important consociational practices, twice in Belgium and, most recently, in Sejdic and Finci, concerning the constitutional arrangements established for Bosnia Herzegovina under the Dayton Agreement. The Court’s recent decision in Sejdic and Finci has significantly altered the approach it previously took to judicial review of consociational arrangements in the Belgian cases. We seek to account for this change and assess its implications. We identify problematic aspects of the judgment and conclude that, although the Court’s decision indicates one possible trajectory of human rights courts’ reactions to consociations, this would be an unfortunate development because it leaves future negotiators in places riven by potential or manifest bloody ethnic conflicts with considerably less flexibility in reaching a settlement. That in turn may unintentionally contribute to sustaining such conflicts and make it more likely that advisors to negotiators will advise them to exclude regional and international courts from having standing in the management of political settlements.

Do Recessions Transform Work and Employment? Evidence from Ireland

Two contrasting views tend to dominate the literature on the impact of recessions on employment. One view is that recessions amount to a ‘critical conjuncture’ for work and employment systems, a time when firms try to transform radically existing employment models. The alternative perspective is that firms, constrained mostly by the forces of path dependency, seek to adjust to the immediate or short-term pressures of the recession but otherwise maintain the established way of organizing the employment relationship. The purpose of this article is to contribute to this literature by reporting the findings of a major study of the effects of the recession on work and employment in firms based in Ireland. The main finding to emerge from the study is that firms mostly have made improvised adaptations in response to the crisis and have shied away from far-reaching transformational strategies.