Multifunctional bioactive glass scaffolds coated with layers of poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) and poly(n-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) microgels loaded with vancomycin

A new family of multifunctional scaffolds, incorporating selected biopolymer coatings on basic Bioglass® derived foams has been developed. The polymer coatings were investigated as carrier of vancomycin which is a suitable drug to impart antibiotic function to the scaffolds. It has been proved that coating with PLGA (poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)) with dispersed vancomycin-loaded microgels provides a rapid delivery of drug to give antibacterial effects at the wound site and a further sustained release to aid mid to long-term healing. Furthermore, the microgels also improved the bioactivity of the scaffolds by acting as nucleation sites for the formation of HA crystals in simulated body fluid. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Co-owners and severance - determining beneficial entitlement after Stack

The article seeks to examine the effect of a severance of a joint beneficial title following the House of Lords' ruling in Stack v Dowden [2007] 2 AC 432. If, under Stack, the parties' beneficial interests fall to be treated as identical to their legal interests (in effect, giving rise to a joint tenancy both at law and in equity), how does the mechanism of severance of a joint beneficial tenancy actually operate so as to give rise to separate and unequal shares where the parties' common intention has changed by virtue of post-acquisition events? The question is examined by reference to an ambulatory and new constructive trust, as well as where the parties have entered into an express declaration of trust of their beneficial interests.

Reactive processing of polymers:functionalisation of ethylene-propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) in the presence and absence of a co-agent and effect of functionalised EPDM on compatibilisation of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/EPDM blends

Ethylene-propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) was functionalized with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) during melt processing by free radical grafting with peroxide initiation in the presence and absence of a reactive comonomer trimethylolpropane triacrylate (Tris). Increasing the peroxide concentration resulted in an increase in the GMA grafting yield, albeit the overall grafting level was low and was accompanied by higher degree of crosslinking of EPDM which was found to be the major competing reaction. The presence of Tris in the grafting system gave rise to higher grafting yield produced at a much lower peroxide concentration though the crosslinking reactions remained high but without the formation of GMA-homopolymer in either of the two systems. The use of these functionalized EPDM (f-EPDM) samples with PET as compatibilisers in binary and ternary blends of PET/EPDM/f-EPDM was evaluated. The influence of the different functionalisation routes of the rubber phase (in presence and absence of Tris) and the effect of the level of functionality and microstructure of the resultant f-EPDM on the extent of the interfacial reaction, morphology and mechanical properties was also investigated. It is suggested that the mechanical properties of the blends are strongly influenced by the performance of the graft copolymer, which is in turn, determined by the level of functionality, molecular structure of the functionalized rubber and the interfacial concentration of the graft copolymer across the interface. The cumulative evidence obtained from torque rheometry, scanning electron microscopy, SEM, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), tensile mechanical tests and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) supports this. It was shown that binary and ternary blends prepared with f-EPDM in the absence of Tris and containing lower levels of g-GMA effected a significant improvement in mechanical properties. This increase, particularly in elongation to break, could be accounted for by the occurrence of a reaction between the epoxy groups of GMA and the hydroxyl/carboxyl end groups of PET that would result in a graft copolymer which could, most probably, preferentially locate at the interface, thereby acting as an 'emulsifier' responsible for decreasing the interfacial tension between the otherwise two immiscible phases. This is supported by results from FTIR analysis of the fractionated PET phase of these blends which confirm the formation of an interfacial reaction, DMA results which show a clear shift in the T s of the blend components and SEM results which reveal very fine morphology, suggesting effective compatibilisation that is concomitant with the improvement observed in their tensile properties. Although Tris has given rise to highest amount of g-GMA, it resulted in lower mechanical properties than the optimized blends produced in the absence of Tris. This was attributed to the difference in the microstructure of the graft and the level of functionality in these samples resulting in less favourable structure responsible for the coarser dispersion of the rubber phase observed by SEM, the lower extent of T shift of the PET phase (DMA), the lower height of the torque curve during reactive blending and FTIR analysis of the separated PET phase that has indicated a lower extent of the interfacial chemical reaction between the phases in this Tris-containing blend sample. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Co-ownership and severance after Stack

Considers if and how a beneficial joint tenancy arising under the presumption of joint beneficial entitlement following the Supreme Court rulings in Stack v Dowden and Jones v Kernott can come to be severed.

Co-ordination and public administration in a global economy — A Hungarian point of view

The purpose of social co-ordination mechanisms is to co-ordinate the activities of individuals and organisations specialised in the distribution of work. The paper reviews five basic types of mechanisms: market, bureaucratic, ethical, aggressive and co-operative co-ordination. Today’s world operates on the basis of a duality: international cooperation is based on nation states, in which the public administrations work according to bureaucratic coordination. However, the increasingly globalised market responds to the logic of market coordination. The article argues that in terms of understanding the working of public administration, the various coordination mechanisms are of crucial importance, especially where various mechanisms meet, such as the relationship between nation states and multinational corporations.

Versenyző együttműködés és a turisztikai desztinációk versenyképessége - "Hol volt, hol nem volt...?" (Co-opetition and the competitiveness of touristic destinations - "Where was, where it was not...?")

A versenyző együttműködés (co-opetition) népszerű fogalma számos elméleti alátámasztást nyert a versenyképesség elméleti megközelítéseiben is, így a regionális versenyképesség és a klaszterek elméleti alapvetéseinek területén. Maga a fogalom pedig kifejezetten „divatossá” vált hazánk turizmusában: a közelmúltban kerültek a versenyző együttműködést és a turisztikai versenyképességet szolgáló desztináció-menedzsment szervezetek (Turisztikai Desztináció Menedzsment Szervezetek, TDMSZ a továbbiakban) a turisztikai irányításpolitika és a turisztikai szakma figyelmének középpontjába. Jelen cikkben a szerző célja a versenyző együttműködés és a turisztikai desztinációk versenyképessége közötti elméleti összefüggés feltárása. További cél az elméleti alapvetések primer kutatás során való vizsgálata: az együttműködés mintáinak feltárása a desztinációk szereplői között három (egy hazai és két ausztriai) esettanulmány keretében, a hazai és nemzetközi esetek specifikumainak, valamint a desztinációk fejlettsége miatti kritikus különbségeknek a kimutatása által. / === / The popular term of co-opetition gained theoretical support even in the theoretical approaches of the area of competitiveness, particularly in the field of regional competitiveness and the clusters.The term became rather popular in Hungary: as the tools of destination management and the destination management organizations (DMOs) focusing on the development of co-opetition and competitiveness came to the focus of the Hungarian touristic practice, governmental decisions in the recent past. In this article the author’s aim is to describe the theoretical connections among co-opetition, and the competitiveness of the touristic destinations. Further aim is to analyze the theoretical baselines in primary research, to map the samples of cooperation among the actors of touristic destinations in three case studies (made in one Hungarian, and two Austrian destinations) regarding the topic with regard to Hungarian and international cases, as well as the stage of development.

Adaptive management, international co-operation and planning for marine conservation hotspots in a changing climate

Acknowledgements This work received funding from the MASTS pooling initiative (The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland) and their support is gratefully acknowledged. MASTS is funded by the Scottish Funding Council (Grant reference HR09011) and contributing institutions.

Adaptive management, international co-operation and planning for marine conservation hotspots in a changing climate

Acknowledgements This work received funding from the MASTS pooling initiative (The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland) and their support is gratefully acknowledged. MASTS is funded by the Scottish Funding Council (Grant reference HR09011) and contributing institutions.

Options to advance co-ordination and analysis of climate data in Europe

Systematic, high-quality observations of the atmosphere, oceans and terrestrial environments are required to improve understanding of climate characteristics and the consequences of climate change. The overall aim of this report is to carry out a comparative assessment of approaches taken to addressing the state of European observations systems and related data analysis by some leading actors in the field. This research reports on approaches to climate observations and analyses in Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, The Netherlands and Austria and explores options for a more coordinated approach to national responses to climate observations in Europe. The key aspects addressed are: an assessment of approaches to develop GCOS and provision of analysis of GCOS data; an evaluation of how these countries are reporting development of GCOS; highlighting best practice in advancing GCOS implementation including analysis of Essential Climate Variables (ECVs); a comparative summary of the differences and synergies in terms of the reporting of climate observations; an overview of relevant European initiatives and recommendations on how identified gaps might be addressed in the short to medium term.

An Institutional, Socio-economic, and Legal Analysis of Fisheries Co-management and Regulation in the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica

Marine Areas for Responsible Artisanal Fishing (AMPR) have emerged as a new model for co-managing small-scale fisheries in Costa Rica, one that involves collaboration between fishers, government agencies and NGOs. This thesis aims to examine the context for collective action and co-management by small-scale fishers; evaluate the design, implementation, and enforcement of AMPRs; and conduct a linguistic analysis of fisheries legislation. The present work relies on the analysis of several types of qualitative data, including interviews with 23 key informants, rapid rural assessments, and legal documents. Findings demonstrate the strong influence of economic factors for sustaining collective action, as well as the importance of certain types of external organizations for community development and co-management. Additionally, significant enforcement gaps and institutional deficiencies were identified in the work of regulating agencies. Legal analysis suggests that mechanisms for government accountability are unavailable and that legal discourse reflects some of the most salient problems in management.

Data for the co-expression and purification of human recombinant CaMKK2 in complex with calmodulin in Escherichia coli

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2) has been implicated in a range of conditions and pathologies from prostate to hepatic cancer. Here, we describe the expression in Escherichia coli and the purification protocol for the following constructs: full-length CaMKK2 in complex with CaM, CaMKK2 'apo', CaMKK2 (165-501) in complex with CaM, and the CaMKK2 F267G mutant. The protocols described have been optimized for maximum yield and purity with minimal purification steps required and the proteins subsequently used to develop a fluorescence-based assay for drug binding to the kinase, "Using the fluorescent properties of STO-609 as a tool to assist structure-function analyses of recombinant CaMKK2"

Towards NIR emission: 2-(1H-tetrazol-1-yl)pyridine as versatile ligand for the synthesis of two new families of cationic and neutral Ir(III) complexes.

In the last decades, cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes have drawn a large interest for their unique properties: they are excellent triplet state emitters, thus the emission is phosphorescent in nature; typically high quantum yields and good stability make them good candidates for luminescent materials. Moreover, through an opportune choice of the ligands, it is possible to tune the emission along the whole visible spectra. Thanks to these interesting features, Ir(III) complexes have found different applications in several areas of applied science, from OLEDs to bioimaging. In particular, regarding the second application, a remarkable red-shift in the emission is required, in order to minimize the problem of the tissue penetration and the possible damages for the organisms. With the aim of synthesizing a new family of NIR emitting Ir(III) complexes, we envisaged the possibility to use for the first time 2-(1H-tetrazol-1-yl)pyridine as bidentate ligand able to provide the required red-shift of the emission of the final complexes. Exploiting the versatility of the ligand, I prepared two different families of heteroleptic Ir(III) complexes. In detail, in the first case the 2-(1H-tetrazol-1-yl)pyridine was used as bis-chelating N^N ligand, leading to cationic complexes, while in the second case it was used as cyclometalating C^N ligand, giving neutral complexes. The structures of the prepared molecules have been characterised by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Moreover, the neutral complexes’ emissive properties have been measured: emission spectra have been recorded in solution at both room temperature and 77K, as well as in PMMA matrix. DFT calculation has then been performed and the obtained results have been compared to experimental ones.

Money, (Co)Production and Power in Digital

This article discusses the contribution of critical political economy approaches to digital journalism studies and argues that these offer important correctives to celebratory perspectives. The first part offers a review and critique of influential claims arising from self-styled new studies of convergence culture, media and creative industries. The second part discusses the contribution of critical political economy in examining digital journalism and responding to celebrant claims. The final part reflects on problems of restrictive normativity and other limitations within media political economy perspectives and considers ways in which challenges might be addressed by more synthesising approaches. The paper proposes developing radical pluralist, media systems and comparative analysis, and advocates drawing on strengths in both political economy and culturalist traditions to map and evaluate practices across all sectors of digital journalism.

Co-creation and co-destruction: : A practice-theory based study of interactive value formation

Drawing on an empirical study of public transport, this paper studies interactive value formation at the provider—customer interface, from a practice—theory perspective. In contrast to the bulk of previous research, it argues that interactive value formation is not only associated with value co-creation but also with value co-destruction. In addition, the paper also identifies five interaction value practices — informing, greeting, delivering, charging, and helping — and theorizes how interactive value formation takes place as well as how value is intersubjectively assessed by actors at the provider—customer interface. Furthermore, the paper also distinguishes between four types of interactive value formation praxis corresponding with four subject positions which practitioners step into when engaging in interactive value formation.

Repellent effects of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil against cattle tick larvae (Rhipicephalus australis) when formulated as emulsions and in β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes

Rhipicephalus australis (formerly Boophilus microplus) is a one host tick responsible for major economic loss in tropical and subtropical cattle production enterprises. Control is largely dependent on the application of acaricides but resistance has developed to most currently registered chemical groups. Repellent compounds that prevent initial attachment of tick larvae offer a potential alternative to control with chemical toxicants. The repellent effects of Melaleuca alternifolia oil (TTO) emulsions and two β-cyclodextrin complex formulations, a slow release form (SR) and a modified faster release form (FR), were examined in a series of laboratory studies. Emulsions containing 4% and 5% TTO applied to cattle hair in laboratory studies completely repelled ascending tick larvae for 24 h whereas 2% and 3% formulations provided 80% protection. At 48 h, 5% TTO provided 78% repellency but lower concentrations repelled less than 60% of larvae. In a study conducted over 15 days, 3% TTO emulsion applied to cattle hair provided close to 100% repellency for 2 days, but then protection fell to 23% by day 15. The FR formulation gave significantly greater repellency than the emulsion and the SR formulation from day 3 until the end of the study (P < 0.05), providing almost complete repellency at day 3 (99.5%), then decreasing over the period of the study to 49% repellency at day 15. Proof of concept is established for the use of appropriately designed controlled-release formulations to extend the period of repellency provided by TTO against R. australis larvae.