Monopiles subjected to uni- and multi-lateral cyclic loading

Offshore wind turbines are subjected to significant environmental loads from a combination of current, wind and wave action. Under such conditions, the directions of these environmental loads vary over the service life of the structure and therefore the cyclic lateral loading on the foundation also changes direction. The work reported in this paper examines the effects of multi-directional loading on the performance of offshore wind turbine monopile foundations. Tests were carried out in a model sand bed and a mobile loading platform was manufactured to apply loading on the pile in various directions. Tests were also carried out where the cyclic loading was applied under both one-way and two-way loading. The observations indicate significant differences in the stiffness of monopiles between uni-directional and multi-directional lateral cyclic loading. Multi-directional lateral cyclic loading generally results in higher displacements and lower stiffness compared to uni-directional loading, most likely due to shear deformation of a larger volume of soil mass adjacent to the pile

Smoking and acute urinary retention: The Olmsted County study of urinary symptoms and health status among men

BACKGROUND Previous reports have suggested an inverse relationship between smoking and surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We hypothesized that acute urinary retention (AUR), an adverse outcome of this disease and indication for surgical treatment, may be related to smoking. METHODS Study subjects were randomly selected from Olmsted County men aged 40–79 identified through the Rochester Epidemiology Project. Of the 3,854 eligible men, 2,089 (54%) completed a questionnaire that included the American Urological Association Symptom Score and assessed smoking status. Community medical records were examined for occurrence of AUR with documented catheterization in the subsequent 10 years and occurrence of BPH surgery. Proportional hazard models were used to assess the relationship between baseline smoking status and subsequent retention. RESULTS In the 18,307 person-years of follow-up, 114 men had AUR. When compared to 727 never-smokers, there was a trend among the 336 current smokers to be at lower risk (Relative risk (RR) = 0.62, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.33, 1.18) whereas the 1,026 former smokers were at similar risk to non-smokers (RR = 1.0, 95%CI = 0.67, 1.46). Among men with moderate-severe symptoms at baseline, current smokers were at lower risk of retention compared to non-smokers (RR = 0.65, 95%CI = 0.22, 1.91) but the association approached the null among those with none-mild symptoms (RR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.40, 2.06). CONCLUSIONS Community-dwelling men who currently smoke may be at a modestly reduced risk of AUR. The magnitude of this association is sufficiently small that it seems unlikely that this explains a sizable proportion of the inverse association between smoking and surgically treated BPH. Prostate 69: 699–705, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/62129/1/20914_ftp.pd

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis: The Critical Role of the Cell Secretome

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an inflammatory condition still lacking effective treatments. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have been successfully employed in pre-clinical models aiming to resurface the degenerated cartilage. In early-phase clinical trials, intra-articular (IA) administration of MSCs leads to pain reduction and cartilage protection or healing. However, the consistent lack of engraftment indicates that the observed effect is delivered through a “hit-and-run” mechanism, by a temporal release of paracrine molecules. MSCs express a variety of chemokines and cytokines that aid in repair of degraded tissue, restoration of normal tissue metabolism and, most importantly, counteracting inflammation. Secretion of therapeutic factors is increased upon licensing by inflammatory signals or apoptosis, induced by the host immune system. Trophic effectors are released as soluble molecules or carried by extracellular vesicles (ECVs). This review provides an overview of the functions and mechanisms of MSC-secreted molecules found to be upregulated in models of OA, whether using in vitro or in vivo models

Rapid real-time PCR detection of Listeria monocytogenes in enriched food samples based on the ssrA gene, a novel diagnostic target

A real-time PCR assay was designed to detect a 162-bp fragment of the ssrA gene in Listeria monocytogenes. The specificity of the assay for L. monocytogenes was confirmed against a panel of 6 Listeria species and 26 other bacterial species. A detection limit of 1-10 genome equivalents was determined for the assay. Application of the assay in natural and artificially contaminated culture enriched foods, including soft cheese, meat, milk, vegetables and fish, enabled detection of 1-5 CFU L. monocytogenes per 25g/ml of food sample in 30h. The performance of the assay was compared with the Roche Diagnostics 'LightCycler foodproof Listeria monocytogenes Detection Kit'. Both methods detected L. monocytogenes in all artificially contaminated retail samples (n=27) and L. monocytogenes was not detected by either system in 27 natural retail food samples. The method developed in this study has the potential to enable the specific detection of L. monocytogenes in a variety of food types in a time-frame considerably faster than current standard methods. The potential of the ssrA gene as a nucleic acid diagnostic (NAD) target has been demonstrated in L. monocytogenes. We are currently developing NAD tests based on the ssrA gene for a range of common foodborne and clinically relevant bacterial pathogens

Subsequent mortality in survivors of Ebola virus disease in Guinea: a nationwide retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: A record number of people survived Ebola virus infection in the 2013-16 outbreak in west Africa, and the number of survivors has increased after subsequent outbreaks. A range of post-Ebola sequelae have been reported in survivors, but little is known about subsequent mortality. We aimed to investigate subsequent mortality among people discharged from Ebola treatment units. METHODS: From Dec 8, 2015, Surveillance Active en ceinture, the Guinean national survivors' monitoring programme, attempted to contact and follow-up all survivors of Ebola virus disease who were discharged from Ebola treatment units. Survivors were followed up until Sept 30, 2016, and deaths up to this timepoint were recorded. Verbal autopsies were done to gain information about survivors of Ebola virus disease who subsequently died from their closest family members. We calculated the age-standardised mortality ratio compared with the general Guinean population, and assessed risk factors for mortality using survival analysis and a Cox proportional hazards regression model. FINDINGS: Of the 1270 survivors of Ebola virus disease who were discharged from Ebola treatment units in Guinea, information was retrieved for 1130 (89%). Compared with the general Guinean population, survivors of Ebola virus disease had a more than five-times increased risk of mortality up to Dec 31, 2015 (age-standardised mortality ratio 5·2 [95% CI 4·0-6·8]), a mean of 1 year of follow-up after discharge. Thereafter (ie, from Jan 1-Sept 30, 2016), mortality did not differ between survivors of Ebola virus disease and the general population. (0·6 [95% CI 0·2-1·4]). Overall, 59 deaths were reported, and the cause of death was tentatively attributed to renal failure in 37 cases, mostly on the basis of reported anuria. Longer stays (ie, equal to or longer than the median stay) in Ebola treatment units were associated with an increased risk of late death compared with shorter stays (adjusted hazard ratio 2·62 [95% CI 1·43-4·79]). INTERPRETATION: Mortality was high in people who recovered from Ebola virus disease and were discharged from Ebola treatment units in Guinea. The finding that survivors who were hospitalised for longer during primary infection had an increased risk of death, could help to guide current and future survivors' programmes and in the prioritisation of funds in resource-constrained settings. The role of renal failure in late deaths after recovery from Ebola virus disease should be investigated. FUNDING: WHO, International Medical Corps, and the Guinean Red Cross

Mutations in Putative Mutator Genes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strains of the W-Beijing Family

Alterations in genes involved in the repair of DNA mutations (mut genes) result in an increased mutation frequency and better adaptability of the bacterium to stressful conditions. W-Beijing genotype strains displayed unique missense alterations in three putative mut genes, including two of the mutT type (Rv3908 and mutT2) and ogt. These polymorphisms were found to be characteristic and unique to W-Beijing phylogenetic lineage. Analysis of the mut genes in 55 representative W-Beijing isolates suggests a sequential acquisition of the mutations, elucidating a plausible pathway of the molecular evolution of this clonal family. The acquisition of mut genes may explain in part the ability of the isolates of W-Beijing type to rapidly adapt to their environment

Evaluation of a novel real-time PCR test based on the ssrA gene for the identification of group B streptococci in vaginal swabs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite the implementation of prevention guidelines, early-onset group B streptococci (GBS) disease remains a cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Strategies to identify women who are at risk of transmitting GBS to their infant and the administration of intrapartum antibiotics have greatly reduced the incidence of neonatal GBS disease. However, there is a requirement for a rapid diagnostic test for GBS that can be carried out in a labour ward setting especially for women whose GBS colonisation status is unknown at the time of delivery. We report the design and evaluation of a real-time PCR test (<it>RiboSEQ </it>GBS test) for the identification of GBS in vaginal swabs from pregnant women.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The qualitative real-time PCR <it>RiboSEQ </it>GBS test was designed based on the bacterial <it>ssrA </it>gene and incorporates a competitive internal standard control. The analytical sensitivity of the test was established using crude lysate extracted from serial dilutions of overnight GBS culture using the IDI Lysis kit. Specificity studies were performed using DNA prepared from a panel of GBS strains, related streptococci and other species found in the genital tract environment. The <it>RiboSEQ </it>GBS test was evaluated on 159 vaginal swabs from pregnant women and compared with the GeneOhm™ StrepB Assay and culture for the identification of GBS.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The <it>RiboSEQ </it>GBS test is specific and has an analytical sensitivity of 1-10 cell equivalents. The <it>RiboSEQ </it>GBS test was 96.4% sensitive and 95.8% specific compared to "gold standard" culture for the identification of GBS in vaginal swabs from pregnant women. In this study, the <it>RiboSEQ </it>GBS test performed slightly better than the commercial BD GeneOhm™ StrepB Assay which gave a sensitivity of 94.6% and a specificity of 89.6% compared to culture.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The <it>RiboSEQ </it>GBS test is a valuable method for the rapid, sensitive and specific detection of GBS in pregnant women. This study also validates the <it>ssrA </it>gene as a suitable and versatile target for nucleic acid-based diagnostic tests for bacterial pathogens.</p

Innovative methods of community engagement: towards a low carbon climate resilient future

The proceedings of the Innovative Methods of Community Engagement: Toward a Low Carbon, Climate Resilient Future workshop have been developed by the Imagining2050 team in UCC and the Secretariat to the National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA). The NDCA also funded the workshop running costs. The proceedings offer a set of recommendations and insights into leveraging different community engagement approaches and methodologies in the area of climate action. They draw from interdisciplinary knowledge and experiences of researchers for identifying, mobilizing and mediating communities. The work presented below derives from a workshop held in the Environmental Research Institute in UCC on the 17th January 2019. These proceedings are complementary to an earlier workshop also funded by the NDCA and run by MaREI in UCC, titled ‘How do we Engage Communities in Climate Action? – Practical Learnings from the Coal Face’. The earlier workshop looked more closely at community development groups and other non-statutory organizations doing work in the area of climate change

Environmental contributions to disparities in pregnancy outcomes.

One of the most persistent disparities in American health status is the pronounced difference in birth outcomes between non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white women. Poor pregnancy outcomes have a substantial impact on mortality, morbidity, and health care costs. Increasing evidence indicates that environmental exposures are associated with poor birth outcomes. This paper reviews the latest research on how environmental exposures affect pregnancy outcomes and then discusses how these exposures may be embedded within a context of significant social and host factor stress. The analysis suggests that environmental, social, and host factors are cumulatively stressing non-Hispanic black women and that this cumulative stress may be a cause of the persistent disparities in pregnancy outcomes

How age, sex and genotype shape the stress response

Exposure to chronic stress is a leading pre-disposing factor for several neuropsychiatric disorders as it often leads to maladaptive responses. The response to stressful events is heterogeneous, underpinning a wide spectrum of distinct changes amongst stress-exposed individuals'. Several factors can underlie a different perception to stressors and the setting of distinct coping strategies that will lead to individual differences on the susceptibility/resistance to stress. Beyond the factors related to the stressor itself, such as intensity, duration or predictability, there are factors intrinsic to the individuals that are relevant to shape the stress response, such as age, sex and genetics. In this review, we examine the contribution of such intrinsic factors to the modulation of the stress response based on experimental rodent models of response to stress and discuss to what extent that knowledge can be potentially translated to humans.FEDER through the Operational Programme Competitiveness Factors - COMPETE and National Funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology under the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007038; and by the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000013, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE, 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). We acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for providing a post-doctoral fellowship to SR (SFRH/BPD/72710/2010), a doctoral fellowship to SM (SFRH/BD/69311/2010) and a fellowship to AN (ANR/NEU-OSD/0258/2012)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio