How do third sector organisations use research and other knowledge? A systematic scoping review.

This is a freely-available open access publication. Please cite the published version which is available via the DOI link in this record.Third sector organisations (TSOs) are a well-established component of health care provision in the UK's NHS and other health systems, but little is known about how they use research and other forms of knowledge in their work. There is an emerging body of evidence exploring these issues but there is no review of this literature. This scoping review summarises what is known about how health and social care TSOs use research and other forms of knowledge in their work. METHODS: A systematic search of electronic databases was carried out with initial exploratory searching of knowledge mobilisation websites, contacting authors, and hand searching of journals. The literature was narratively summarised to describe how TSOs use knowledge in decision making. RESULTS: Ten qualitative and mixed methods studies were retrieved. They show that TSOs wish to be "evidence-informed" in their decision making, and organisational context influences the kinds of research and knowledge they prefer, as well as how they use it. Barriers to research use include time, staff skill, resources and the acontextual nature of some academic research. Appropriate approaches to knowledge mobilisation may include using research intermediaries, involving TSOs in research, and better description of interventions and contexts in academic publications to aid applying it in the multi-disciplinary contexts of TSOs. TSOs identified specific benefits of using research, such as confidence that services were good quality, ability to negotiate with stakeholders and funders, and saving time and resources through implementing interventions shown to be effective. The small number of included studies means the findings need further confirmation through primary research. CONCLUSIONS: As the contribution of health and social care TSOs to service delivery is growing, the need to understand how they mobilise research and other forms of knowledge will continue. The research community could 1) develop relationships with TSOs to support the design and development of research projects, 2) use a range of methods to evaluate interventions to facilitate TSOs applying them to their organisational contexts and 3) improve our understanding of how TSOs use knowledge, through the use of complementary research methods, such as a realist review or ethnography.National Institute for Health Research (NIHR

Assessing the deflection behaviour of mechanical and insulated rail joints through finite element analysis

Rail joints constitute a weak component in the railway system. In this paper three- dimensional (3D) finite element analyses (FEA) are carried out to study the structural deflection performance of rail joints under a fatigue static test through vertical stiffness assessment. Four different types of 4-bolted joints are investigated under a dynamically enhanced static load including a glued insulated rail joint (IRJ), a dry encapsulated IRJ, a dry non-glued IRJ and a mechanical RJ. The analysis focused on the accurate simulation of the contact types between the interfaces of rail joint components, namely among the rail, fishplate faces, bolts, insulating materials and on the effect of the elastic supporting structure of the joint on the overall joint deflection. The effect of bolt pretension is included in the model. The vertical displacement of IRJs is measured experimentally both by dial gauges and Video technique both in laboratory and in field. The numerical modelling investigated the effect of different contact types on the interfaces of the rail joint components during the performance of fishplates, and of the rail in the vicinity of the RJ under a given support condition. The vertical displacement of the rail joint were presented and assessed against specified endurance tests’ limits and field measured deflection values that validate the model. Stress distribution in the fishplates was presented that could allow the calculation, through a stress-life approach, the fatigue life of the fishplates and consequently of the joints due to repeated wheel passage. A comparison of the performance of the aforementioned RJ types is included. The results indicate this FE model to be practical to be routinely applied to industry, as it was used in UK Rail industry study to allow designers to optimise life expectancy of IRJs

The application of track deflection measurements made by the video gauge

This paper presents direct track deflection data measured by the Video Gauge (VG), (a Digital Image Correlation method) that is used to remotely determine track stiffness characteristics. Two cases are discussed. Firstly, the deflection performance of two novel ballastless trackforms are coupled with an analytical model to assess their stiffness properties for known train loads. Secondly, the performance of a bridge transition is evaluated under live train passages by the VG; the traffic loads are assumed based on train type to allow track stiffness interpretation from a number of train passes. A track deflection bowl is assessed to show the performance of the transition. The paper initially discusses the DIC technique and the importance and assessment of track stiffness. It then presents the VG deflection data, the global support stiffnesses and deflection bowls. It shows these novel methods to be consistent with other approaches of track stiffness evaluation. It concludes on how this methodology can be utilised in the railway industry for assessing trackbed performance of critical zones without the need for track possessions

Material concepts for top of rail friction management – Classification, characterisation and application

The concept of managing and adjustment of friction between the wheel and rail has a long history within the operation of railways systems. In the past, adjustment/management has been limited to gauge face lubrication and the use of sanding equipment. The introduction of the top of rail (TOR) friction modifier (FM) over the last 20 years now allows for the modification of the friction at the top of rail–wheel tread interface. This paper focusses on the concept of TOR friction adjustment. Recent developments have led to a new generation of products, defined here as, TOR lubricants (oil and/or grease-based) and hybrid materials (oil/water mixtures), which are non-drying or slow drying. Definitions and functional difference are detailed and contrasted with that of the water-based drying FM. The water-based TOR-FM once applied rapidly dries, mixes with the existing third-body layer, and allows for the accommodation of shear displacement. TOR lubricants and hybrid materials rely on mixed boundary layer lubrication, contrary to application of the water-based TOR-FM. It has been shown that the adhesion level is highly influenced by the lubricant application rates. The risks and benefits (lateral force reduction, corrugation mitigation, and impact on energy consumption and influence on rolling contact fatigue) are discussed for all product classifications. However, a lack of data exists for the TOR lubricants especially in the area of rolling contact fatigue where laboratory studies have identified the possibility of crack interaction. Whilst it can be seen that TOR lubricants have the ability to provide similar benefits to that of a water-based FM, they exhibit a strong dependency on the application rate which may lend itself to adhesion and RCF issues. Further work is recommended in this area

Potential for external reinforcement of insulated rail joints

This paper aims to investigate alternative ways of reducing the deterioration and failure of railway track insulated rail joints (IRJs). Joints deteriorate faster than rail initially due to the structural discontinuity present. This weakness results in both extra displacement as a consequence of applied load and the dynamic force that results as a consequence. Over time this situation worsens as the impacts and applied stresses both damage and soften the ballast and supporting subgrade under the joint. This study initially presents a static finite element model designed to simulate the mechanics of IRJs and a comparison between plain rail and a suspended insulated rail joint under various support stiffnesses. Product design options of reinforced IRJs are then chosen as input variables of the model. Results of the model are compared with field and laboratory data acquired via the Video Gauge, which is a new high-resolution optical measurement technique. Results show that the use of strap rails or more robust I-beam sections in the vicinity of the IRJ to stiffen the support structure can significantly reduce the displacement and the subsequent dip angle seen at an IRJ. This potentially presents a means of improving the IRJ behaviour. Their impact becomes more significant for soft support conditions. Although these results are indicative for new IRJ conditions, field measurements indicate that the magnitude of deflection of IRJs is a result of the structural discontinuity of the rail, the dynamic P2 force, the wheel condition, the degraded ballast and it significantly increases with time under repeated load. Thus, it is recommended that careful field implementation and testing will indicate the effect of an external enhancement on the timely degradation of insulated rail joints

Applicability of video gauge for the assessment of track displacement

Numerous techniques have been used for the measurement of the track displacements and consequently the assessment of track stiffness. Some of the most commonly employed are linear variable displacement transducers (LVDTs), geophones and older video monitoring techniques based on Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). In this paper, the application of the Video Gauge, a relatively new technique, is investigated. This technique can be seen as a quick and reliable way to capture data of high quality and resolution, which can be directly employed for the evaluation of track displacement and hence stiffness.The Video Gauge is used at three different track sites measuring different ballasted track components under various train speeds and types

Nanophase-photocatalysis: loading, storing, and release of H2O2 using graphitic carbon nitride

A blue light mediated photochemical process using solid graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) in ambient air/isopropanol vapour is suggested to be linked to "nanophase" water inclusions and is shown to produce approx. 50 μmol H2O2 per gram of g-C3N4, which can be stored in the solid g-C3N4 for later release for applications, for example, in disinfection or anti-bacterial surfaces

Interrogation of the protein-protein interactions between human BRCA2 BRC repeats and RAD51 reveals atomistic determinants of affinity.

The breast cancer suppressor BRCA2 controls the recombinase RAD51 in the reactions that mediate homologous DNA recombination, an essential cellular process required for the error-free repair of DNA double-stranded breaks. The primary mode of interaction between BRCA2 and RAD51 is through the BRC repeats, which are ∼35 residue peptide motifs that interact directly with RAD51 in vitro. Human BRCA2, like its mammalian orthologues, contains 8 BRC repeats whose sequence and spacing are evolutionarily conserved. Despite their sequence conservation, there is evidence that the different human BRC repeats have distinct capacities to bind RAD51. A previously published crystal structure reports the structural basis of the interaction between human BRC4 and the catalytic core domain of RAD51. However, no structural information is available regarding the binding of the remaining seven BRC repeats to RAD51, nor is it known why the BRC repeats show marked variation in binding affinity to RAD51 despite only subtle sequence variation. To address these issues, we have performed fluorescence polarisation assays to indirectly measure relative binding affinity, and applied computational simulations to interrogate the behaviour of the eight human BRC-RAD51 complexes, as well as a suite of BRC cancer-associated mutations. Our computational approaches encompass a range of techniques designed to link sequence variation with binding free energy. They include MM-PBSA and thermodynamic integration, which are based on classical force fields, and a recently developed approach to computing binding free energies from large-scale quantum mechanical first principles calculations with the linear-scaling density functional code onetep. Our findings not only reveal how sequence variation in the BRC repeats directly affects affinity with RAD51 and provide significant new insights into the control of RAD51 by human BRCA2, but also exemplify a palette of computational and experimental tools for the analysis of protein-protein interactions for chemical biology and molecular therapeutics

Maternal autoimmunity and inflammation are associated with childhood tics and obsessive-compulsive disorder: Transcriptomic data show common enriched innate immune pathways.

Although genetic variation is a major risk factor of neurodevelopmental disorders, environmental factors during pregnancy and early life are also important in disease expression. Animal models demonstrate that maternal inflammation causes fetal neuroinflammation and neurodevelopmental deficits, and brain transcriptomics of neurodevelopmental disorders in humans show upregulated differentially expressed genes are enriched in immune pathways. We prospectively recruited 200 sequentially referred children with tic disorders/obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), 100 autoimmune neurological controls, and 100 age-matched healthy controls. A structured interview captured the maternal and family history of autoimmune disease and other pro-inflammatory states. Maternal blood and published Tourette brain transcriptomes were analysed for overlapping enriched pathways. Mothers of children with tics/OCD had a higher rate of autoimmune disease compared with mothers of children with autoimmune neurological conditions (p = 0.054), and mothers of healthy controls (p = 0.0004). Autoimmunity was similarly elevated in first- and second-degree maternal relatives of children with tics/OCD (p 0.0001 and p = 0.014 respectively). Other pro-inflammatory states were also more common in mothers of children with tics/OCD than controls (p 0.0001). Upregulated differentially expressed genes in maternal autoimmune disease and Tourette brain transcriptomes were commonly enriched in innate immune processes. Pro-inflammatory states, including autoimmune disease, are more common in the mothers and families of children with tics/OCD. Exploratory transcriptome analysis indicates innate immune signalling may link maternal inflammation and childhood tics/OCD. Targeting inflammation may represent preventative strategies in pregnancy and treatment opportunities for children with neurodevelopmental disorders

Approaching the motional ground state of a 10-kg object

The motion of a mechanical object, even a human-sized object, should be governed by the rules of quantum mechanics. Coaxing them into a quantum state is, however, difficult because the thermal environment masks any quantum signature of the object\u27s motion. The thermal environment also masks the effects of proposed modifications of quantum mechanics at large mass scales. We prepared the center-of-mass motion of a 10-kilogram mechanical oscillator in a state with an average phonon occupation of 10.8. The reduction in temperature, from room temperature to 77 nanokelvin, is commensurate with an 11 orders-of-magnitude suppression of quantum back-action by feedback and a 13 orders-of-magnitude increase in the mass of an object prepared close to its motional ground state. Our approach will enable the possibility of probing gravity on massive quantum systems