A win-win for legume mixtures

The inter-relationship between food production and biodiversity is now well established. The ecosystem services provided by the organisms within the environment include, for example, nutrient cycling, pest regulation and pollination, to name but a few. However, perhaps the greatest challenge now facing agricultural production is to find ways of enhancing these ecosystem services, while at the same time increasing food production – particularly in light of food security issues. A range of farm and landscape management options include ‘setting aside’ land for wildlife. However, some proponents argue that such land should be used for food production. While the debate continues, there is no doubt that a large body of scientific evidence from the last three decades highlights the wildlife benefits of organic farming. This article will describe how the Legume LINK project has identified a win-win system for biodiversity conservation and increased productivity through legume-base fertility building. Although this project has focused on organic farming systems, it is of direct relevance to non-organic production, particularly with the increasing interest in legumes across the industry

Polyaniline-silver hybrid materials for ink-jet printing

The synthesis of PANI/Ag hybrid materials has been carried out via a rapid chemical oxidative, in-situ polymerisation method, using silver nitrate and ammonium peroxydisulfate as oxidant precursors. These species react together to produce Ag2+, an oxidising intermediate which has greater oxidising power than either persulphate or Ag+ alone. The reaction thus proceeds at a much accelerated rate than that of pure PANI, approximately 6 times faster. Various characterisation techniques were used to characterise this new hybrid material, PANI-Ag. UV-vis absorption spectroscopy was used to follow the formation of polymer over time and monitor the rate at which the reaction progresses for both PANI and PANI-silver. It is evident from the absorption spectra that the polymer forms via the fully-oxidised pernigraniline state initially, before reducing back into the more stable emeraldine salt form. This process is significantly accelerated using both APS and AgNO3, as opposed to when using APS or AgNO3 alone. These new composites could potentially find use as functional materials for the printed electronics industry where new processable, hybrid materials as required for applications in sensing, memory, logic and photovoltaics

Inkjet Printable Organic-Inorganic Hybrids Based On Polyaniline

Polyaniline (PANI) is an organic polymer that has generated significant interest as an electrically conductive material component, and is used in applications such as sensors and flexible displays. A significant number of PANI-based devices have been prepared using inkjet printing; a fabrication technique favoured for its additive patterning ability and its efficient use of material. Combining precious metals and conducting organic polymers through compositing provides combinatorial materials, potentially possessing both the properties of the metallic component and the conducting polymer, as well as unique ensuing properties due to the compositing itself. The type of research is critical for driving innovation in materials research. Exploiting an established oxidative polymerisation protocol for producing stable nanodispersions of PANI was used where the standard oxidant was replaced with HAuCl4 or AgNO3 at a range of monomer:oxidant ratios to produce a range of composite dispersions. The morphology and populations of the metallic structures (including spherical nanoparticles and nano-whiskers), as well as the quality of the PANI were shown to be influenced by the concentration and type of oxidant used. This area of research is currently in its infancy where the research is focusing on demonstrating composite synthesis rather than the application of these materials for device fabrication. However, anticipated applications of these composite materials include noble metal deposition, electro-catalysis, neural tissue engineering, sensors, photovoltaic cells and memory devices

Prevalence and clinical characteristics of serum neuronal cell surface antibodies in first-episode psychosis: a case-control study

$\textbf{Background}$ Psychosis is a common presenting feature in antibody-mediated encephalitis, for which prompt recognition and treatment usually leads to remission. We aimed to investigate whether people with circumscribed schizophrenia-like illnesses have such antibodies—especially antibodies against the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)—more commonly than do healthy controls. $\textbf{Methods}$ We recruited patients aged 14–35 years presenting to any of 35 mental health services sites across England with first-episode psychosis, less than 6 weeks of treatment with antipsychotic medication, and a score of 4 or more on at least one selected Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) item. Patients and controls provided venous blood samples. We completed standardised symptom rating scales (PANSS, ACE-III, GAF) at baseline, and tested serum samples for antibodies against NMDAR, LGI1, CASPR2, the GABAA receptor, and the AMPA receptor using live cell-based assays. Treating clinicians assessed outcomes of ICD diagnosis and functioning (GAF) at 6 months. We included healthy controls from the general population, recruited as part of another study in Cambridge, UK. $\textbf{Findings}$ Between Feb 1, 2013, and Aug 31, 2014, we enrolled 228 patients with first-episode psychosis and 105 healthy controls. 20 (9%) of 228 patients had serum antibodies against one or more of the neuronal cell surface antibodies compared with four (4%) of 105 controls (unadjusted odds ratio 2·4, 95% CI 0·8–7·3). These associations remained non-significant when adjusted for current cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and illicit drug use. Seven (3%) patients had NMDAR antibodies compared with no controls (p=0·0204). The other antibodies did not differ between groups. Antibody-positive patients had lower PANSS positive, PANSS total, and catatonia scores than did antibody-negative patients. Patients had comparable scores on other PANSS items, ACE-III, and GAF at baseline, with no difference in outcomes at 6 months. $\textbf{Interpretation}$ Some patients with first-episode psychosis had antibodies against NMDAR that might be relevant to their illness, but did not differ from patients without NMDAR antibodies in clinical characteristics. Our study suggests that the only way to detect patients with these potentially pathogenic antibodies is to screen all patients with first-episode psychosis at first presentation.Medical Research Counci

Suicide rates amongst individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

From Europe PMC via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: epub 2022-04-28, ppub 2022-05-01Publication status: PublishedBackgroundExisting evidence suggests that some individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds are at increased risk of suicide compared to their majority ethnic counterparts, whereas others are at decreased risk. We aimed to estimate the absolute and relative risk of suicide in individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds globally.MethodsDatabases (Medline, Embase, and PsycInfo) were searched for epidemiological studies between 01/01/2000 and 3/07/2020, which provided data on absolute and relative rates of suicide amongst ethnic minority groups. Studies reporting on clinical or specific populations were excluded. Pairs of reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full texts. We used random effects meta-analysis to estimate overall, sex, location, migrant status, and ancestral origin, stratified pooled estimates for absolute and rate ratios. PROSPERO registration: CRD42020197940.FindingsA total of 128 studies were included with 6,026,103 suicide deaths in individuals from an ethnic minority background across 31 countries. Using data from 42 moderate-high quality studies, we estimated a pooled suicide rate of 12·1 per 100,000 (95% CIs 8·4-17·6) in people from ethnic minority backgrounds with a broad range of estimates (1·2-139·7 per 100,000). There was weak statistical evidence from 51 moderate-high quality studies that individuals from ethnic minority groups were more likely to die by suicide (RR 1·3 95% CIs 0·9-1·7) with again a broad range amongst studies (RR 0·2-18·5). In our sub-group analysis we only found evidence of elevated risk for indigenous populations (RR: 2·8 95% CIs 1·9-4·0; pooled rate: 23·2 per 100,000 95% CIs 14·7-36·6). There was very substantial heterogeneity (I2  > 98%) between studies for all pooled estimates.InterpretationThe homogeneous grouping of individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds is inappropriate. To support suicide prevention in marginalised groups, further exploration of important contextual differences in risk is required. It is possible that some ethnic minority groups (for example those from indigenous backgrounds) have higher rates of suicide than majority populations.FundingNo specific funding was provided to conduct this research. DK is funded by Wellcome Trust and Elizabeth Blackwell Institute Bristol. Matthew Spittal is a recipient of an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (project number FT180100075) funded by the Australian Government. Rebecca Musgrove is funded by the NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre (PSTRC-2016-003)