Seeking connectedness post-stroke: an existential perspective on lived experiences of working-age men using grounded theory

Stroke, or cerebral vascular accident (CVA), is a type of acquired brain injury (ABI). It is a leading cause of disability, with over 1.2 million survivors currently living in the UK. Age at onset has dropped over recent decades, with men at higher risk of having stroke at a younger age than women. The biomedical model is crucial for stroke survival. However, psychosocial factors in determining progress with rehabilitation have been increasingly recognised, along with stroke literature pointing towards the (less widely acknowledged) significance of existential factors. Ten male stroke survivors of working age with mild to moderate stroke-related impairments were recruited through noticeboard advertising at a branch of Headway (a leading ABI charity). Participant ages at onset of stroke ranged from 38 to 60 years, with time post-injury ranging from 1 to 10 years. Participants were individually interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. Analysis of the interview data was guided by grounded theory methods described by Corbin and Strauss. The theoretical model generated from the data outlines a process comprising three components: ‘experience’ of enduring otherness, which can lead to ‘outcome’ of experiencing belongingness, through ‘action’ of seeking connectedness (which was selected as the core category of the theoretical model). Furthermore, this process of seeking connectedness unfolds across four domains of lived experience; namely, the physical, psychological, social, and the philosophical, with each domain having dimensionality of alienation vs. integration; acceptance-resignation vs. defiance; isolation vs. participation; and pointlessness vs. meaningfulness, respectively. The model goes beyond the biopsychosocial perspective to include an existential viewpoint (under the philosophical domain). Rather than being diagnoses-focused, the model offers a framework for a formulation-based understanding of lived experiences and meaning-making for working-age male stroke survivors. Further work is required to ensure the validity of the model and its applicability to a wider stroke population

AlGaAs top solar cell for mechanical attachment in a multi-junction tandem concentrator solar cell stack

The AstroPower self-supporting, transparent AlGaAs top solar cell can be stacked upon any well-developed bottom solar cell for improved system performance. This is an approach to improve the performance and scale of space photovoltaic power systems. Mechanically stacked tandem solar cell concentrator systems based on the AlGaAs top concentrator solar cell can provide near term efficiencies of 36 percent (AMO, 100x). Possible tandem stack efficiencies greater than 38 percent (100x, AMO) are feasible with a careful selection of materials. In a three solar cell stack, system efficiencies exceed 41 percent (100x, AMO). These device results demonstrate a practical solution for a state-of-the-art top solar cell for attachment to an existing, well-developed solar cell

Decoupling Graphene from SiC(0001) via Oxidation

When epitaxial graphene layers are formed on SiC(0001), the first carbon layer (known as the "buffer layer"), while relatively easy to synthesize, does not have the desirable electrical properties of graphene. The conductivity is poor due to a disruption of the graphene pi-bands by covalent bonding to the SiC substrate. Here we show that it is possible to restore the graphene pi-bands by inserting a thin oxide layer between the buffer layer and SiC substrate using a low temperature, CMOS-compatible process that does not damage the graphene layer

Dynamic multifactor hubs interact transiently with sites of active transcription in Drosophila embryos.

The regulation of transcription requires the coordination of numerous activities on DNA, yet how transcription factors mediate these activities remains poorly understood. Here, we use lattice light-sheet microscopy to integrate single-molecule and high-speed 4D imaging in developing Drosophila embryos to study the nuclear organization and interactions of the key transcription factors Zelda and Bicoid. In contrast to previous studies suggesting stable, cooperative binding, we show that both factors interact with DNA with surprisingly high off-rates. We find that both factors form dynamic subnuclear hubs, and that Bicoid binding is enriched within Zelda hubs. Remarkably, these hubs are both short lived and interact only transiently with sites of active Bicoid-dependent transcription. Based on our observations, we hypothesize that, beyond simply forming bridges between DNA and the transcription machinery, transcription factors can organize other proteins into hubs that transiently drive multiple activities at their gene targets.Editorial noteThis article has been through an editorial process in which the authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that all the issues have been addressed (see decision letter)

Shutdown is a component of the Drosophila piRNA biogenesis machinery

In animals, the piRNA pathway preserves the integrity of gametic genomes, guarding them against the activity of mobile genetic elements. This innate immune mechanism relies on distinct genomic loci, termed piRNA clusters, to provide a molecular definition of transposons, enabling their discrimination from genes. piRNA clusters give rise to long, single-stranded precursors, which are processed into primary piRNAs through an unknown mechanism. These can engage in an adaptive amplification loop, the ping-pong cycle, to optimize the content of small RNA populations via the generation of secondary piRNAs.Many proteins have been ascribed functions in either primary biogenesis or the ping-pong cycle, though for the most part the molecular functions of proteins implicated in these pathways remain obscure. Here, we link shutdown (shu), a gene previously shown to be required for fertility in Drosophila, to the piRNA pathway. Analysis of knockdown phenotypes in both the germline and somatic compartments of the ovary demonstrate important roles for shutdown in both primary biogenesis and the ping-pong cycle. shutdown is a member of the FKBP family of immunophilins. Shu contains domains implicated in peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity and in the binding of HSP90-family chaperones, though the relevance of these domains to piRNA biogenesis is unknown. Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. Copyright © 2012 RNA Society