Early Onset of Kinetic Roughening due to a Finite Step Width in Hematin Crystallization

The structure of the interface of a growing crystal with its nutrient phase largely determines the growth dynamics. We demonstrate that hematin crystals, crucial for the survival of malaria parasites, transition from faceted to rough growth interfaces at increasing thermodynamic supersaturation Δμ. Contrary to theoretical predictions and previous observations, this transition occurs at moderate values of Δμ. Moreover, surface roughness varies nonmonotonically with Δμ, and the rate constant for rough growth is slower than that resulting from nucleation and spreading of layers. We attribute these unexpected behaviors to the dynamics of step growth dominated by surface diffusion and the loss of identity of nuclei separated by less than the step width w. We put forth a general criterion for the onset of kinetic roughening using w as a critical length scale.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant 1R21AI126215-01)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant DMR-1710354)United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NNX14AD68G)United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NNX14AE79G)Robert A. Welch Foundation (Grant E-1794

Mood Changes Following Social Dance Sessions in People with Parkinson’s Disease

This document is the accepted manuscript version of the following article: Carine Lewis, Lucy E Annett, Sally Davenport, Amelia A Hall and Peter Lovatt, ‘Mood changes following social dance sessions in people with Parkinson’s disease’. The final, definitive version of this paper has been published in Journal of Health Psychology, Vol 21(4): 483-492, April 2014, published by SAGE Publishing. All rights reserved. The final, definitive version is available online at doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1359105314529681Dance interventions have physical benefits for the elderly, especially those with Parkinson’s disease. This study assessed the psychological benefits of dance. Thirty-seven participants with Parkinson’s (n=22) or age-matched controls (n=15) completed mood questionnaires before and after a ten-week dance intervention. An overall reduction in mood and a specific reduction in anger were observed. In addition, less fatigue was found for those initially scoring higher in depression. This suggests dance can provide psychological benefits for both people with Parkinson’s and the elderly with findings suggesting that this is an avenue to be explored further.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Regulation of the intermediate filament protein nestin at rodent neuromuscular junctions by innervation and activity

The intermediate filament nestin is localized postsynaptically at rodent neuromuscular junctions. The protein forms a filamentous network beneath and between the synaptic gutters, surrounds myofiber nuclei, and is associated with Z-discs adjacent to the junction. In situ hybridization shows that nestin mRNA is synthesized selectively by synaptic myonuclei. Although weak immunoreactivity is present in myelinating Schwann cells that wrap the preterminal axon, nestin is not detected in the terminal Schwann cells (tSCs) that cover the nerve terminal branches. However, after denervation of muscle, nestin is upregulated in tSCs and in SCs within the nerve distal to the lesion site. In contrast, immunoreactivity is strongly downregulated in the muscle fiber. Transgenic mice in which the nestin neural enhancer drives expression of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter show that the regulation in SCs is transcriptional. However, the postsynaptic expression occurs through enhancer elements distinct from those responsible for regulation in SCs. Application of botulinum toxin shows that the upregulation in tSCs and the loss of immunoreactivity in muscle fibers occurs with blockade of transmitter release. Extrinsic stimulation of denervated muscle maintains the postsynaptic expression of nestin but does not affect the upregulation in SCs. Thus, a nestin-containing cytoskeleton is promoted in the postsynaptic muscle fiber by nerve-evoked muscle activity but suppressed in tSCs by transmitter release. Nestin antibodies and GFP driven by nestin promoter elements serve as excellent markers for the reactive state of SCs. Vital imaging of GFP shows that SCs grow a dynamic set of processes after denervation

Ultrasmall Zeolite L Crystals Prepared from Highly Interdispersed Alkali‐Silicate Precursors

The preparation of nanosized zeolites is critical for applications where mass‐transport limitations within microporous networks hinder their performance. Often the ability to generate ultrasmall zeolite crystals is dependent upon the use of expensive organics with limited commercial relevance. Herein, we report the generation of zeolite L crystals with uniform sizes less than 30 nm using a facile, organic‐free method. Time‐resolved analysis of precursor assembly and evolution during nonclassical crystallization highlights key differences among silicon sources. Our findings reveal that a homogenous dispersion of potassium ions throughout silicate precursors leads to the formation of a metastable nonporous phase, which undergoes an intercrystalline transformation to zeolite L. The generation of highly interdispersed alkali‐silicate precursors is seemingly critical to enhancing the rate of nucleation and facilitating the formation of ultrasmall crystal.J.D.R. acknowledges support primarily from the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Award Number DE-SC0014468. Additional support was provided by the Welch Foundation (Award E-1794). N.L. acknowledges support from the University of Alicante under the project GRE15-07

Ultrasmall Zeolite L Crystals Prepared from Highly Interdispersed Alkali‐Silicate Precursors

The preparation of nanosized zeolites is critical for applications where mass‐transport limitations within microporous networks hinder their performance. Often the ability to generate ultrasmall zeolite crystals is dependent upon the use of expensive organics with limited commercial relevance. Herein, we report the generation of zeolite L crystals with uniform sizes less than 30 nm using a facile, organic‐free method. Time‐resolved analysis of precursor assembly and evolution during nonclassical crystallization highlights key differences among silicon sources. Our findings reveal that a homogenous dispersion of potassium ions throughout silicate precursors leads to the formation of a metastable nonporous phase, which undergoes an intercrystalline transformation to zeolite L. The generation of highly interdispersed alkali‐silicate precursors is seemingly critical to enhancing the rate of nucleation and facilitating the formation of ultrasmall crystal.J.D.R. acknowledges support primarily from the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Award Number DE-SC0014468. Additional support was provided by the Welch Foundation (Award E-1794). N.L. acknowledges support from the University of Alicante under the project GRE15-07

Time-resolved dissolution elucidates the mechanism of zeolite MFI crystallization

Zeolite crystal growth mechanisms are not fully elucidated owing to their complexity wherein the formation of a particular zeolite can occur by more than one crystallization pathway. Here, we have conducted time-resolved dissolution experiments of MFI-type zeolite crystals in ammonium fluoride medium where detailed structural analysis allowed us to extrapolate and elucidate the possible mechanism of nucleation and crystal growth. A combination of electron and scanning probe microscopy shows that dissolution initiates preferentially at lattice defects and progressively removes defect zones to reveal a mosaic structure of crystalline domains within each zeolite crystal. This mosaic architecture evolves during the growth process, reflecting the changing conditions of zeolite formation that can be retroactively assessed during zeolite crystal dissolution. Moreover, a more general implication of this study is the establishment that dissolution can be used successfully as an ex situ technique to uncover details about crystal growth features inaccessible by other methods

Interventions to Promote Cancer Awareness and Early Presentation: Systematic Review

Low cancer awareness contributes to delay in presentation for cancer symptoms and may lead to delay in cancer diagnosis. The aim of this study was to review the evidence for the effectiveness of interventions to raise cancer awareness and promote early presentation in cancer to inform policy and future research. We searched bibliographic databases and reference lists for randomised controlled trials of interventions delivered to individuals, and controlled or uncontrolled studies of interventions delivered to communities. We found some evidence that interventions delivered to individuals modestly increase cancer awareness in the short term and insufficient evidence that they promote early presentation. We found limited evidence that public education campaigns reduce stage at presentation of breast cancer, malignant melanoma and retinoblastoma

Framework, principles and recommendations for utilising participatory methodologies in the co-creation and evaluation of public health interventions

Background: Due to the chronic disease burden on society, there is a need for preventive public health interventions to stimulate society towards a healthier lifestyle. To deal with the complex variability between individual lifestyles and settings, collaborating with end-users to develop interventions tailored to their unique circumstances has been suggested as a potential way to improve effectiveness and adherence. Co-creation of public health interventions using participatory methodologies has shown promise but lacks a framework to make this process systematic. The aim of this paper was to identify and set key principles and recommendations for systematically applying participatory methodologies to co-create and evaluate public health interventions. Methods: These principles and recommendations were derived using an iterative reflection process, combining key learning from published literature in addition to critical reflection on three case studies conducted by research groups in three European institutions, all of whom have expertise in co-creating public health interventions using different participatory methodologies. Results: Key principles and recommendations for using participatory methodologies in public health intervention co-creation are presented for the stages of: Planning (framing the aim of the study and identifying the appropriate sampling strategy); Conducting (defining the procedure, in addition to manifesting ownership); Evaluating (the process and the effectiveness) and Reporting (providing guidelines to report the findings). Three scaling models are proposed to demonstrate how to scale locally developed interventions to a population level. Conclusions: These recommendations aim to facilitate public health intervention co-creation and evaluation utilising participatory methodologies by ensuring the process is systematic and reproducible

Diverse Physical States of Amorphous Precursors in Zeolite Sol Gel Syntheses

The assembly and structural evolution of amorphous precursors during zeolite crystallization is an important area of interest owing to their putative roles in the nucleation and growth of aluminosilicate microporous materials. Precursors range in complexity from oligomeric molecules and colloidal particles to gels comprised of heterogeneous silica and alumina domains. The physical state of precursors in most zeolite syntheses is generally not well understood; however, it is evident that the physicochemical properties of precursors depend on a wide range of conditions that include (but are not limited to) the selection of reagents, the composition of growth mixtures, the methods of preparation, and the use of inorganic and/or organic structure-directing agents. The fact that precursors evolve in size, shape, and/or microstructure during the course of nucleation and potentially throughout crystallization leads to questions pertaining to their mode of action in the formation of zeolites. This also highlights the diversity of species that are present in growth media, thus rendering the topic of zeolite synthesis essentially a black box to those attempting to better understand the fundamental role(s) of precursors. In this Article, we discuss the wide variety of precursors encountered in the synthesis of various framework types, emphasizing their complex physical states and the thermodynamic and kinetic factors that govern their heterogeneity.J.D.R. acknowledges financial support from the National Science Foundation (DMREF Award 1629398), the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Award Number DE-SC0014468, and the Welch Foundation (Award E-1794). N.L. acknowledges support from the University of Alicante under the project GRE15-07. Work done at Argonne and use of the Advanced Photon Source, an Office of Science User Facility operated for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory, were supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357

Exercise therapy in adults with serious mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Individuals with serious mental illness are at a higher risk of physical ill health. Mortality rates are at least twice those of the general population with higher levels of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, diabetes, and respiratory illness. Although genetics may have a role in the physical health problems of these patients, lifestyle and environmental factors such as levels of smoking, obesity, poor diet, and low levels of physical activity also play a prominent part.<p></p> Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials comparing the effect of exercise interventions on individuals with serious mental illness.<p></p> Methods: Searches were made in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Biological Abstracts on Ovid, and The Cochrane Library (January 2009, repeated January 2013) through to February 2013.<p></p> Results: Eight RCTs were identified in the systematic search. Six compared exercise versus usual care. One study assessed the effect of a cycling programme versus muscle strengthening and toning exercises. The final study compared the effect of adding specific exercise advice and motivational skills to a simple walking programme. Exercise programmes were noted by their heterogeneity in terms of the type of exercise intervention, setting, and outcome measures. The review found that exercise improved levels of exercise activity (n=13, standard mean difference [SMD] 1.81, CI 0.44 to 3.18, p = 0.01). No beneficial effect was found on negative (n = 84, SMD = -0.54, CI -1.79 to 0.71, p = 0.40) or positive symptoms of schizophrenia (n = 84, SMD = -1.66, CI -3.78 to 0.45, p = 0.12). No change was found on body mass index compared with usual care (n= 151, SMD = -0.24, CI -0.56 to 0.08, p = 0.14), or body weight (n = 77, SMD = 0.13, CI -0.32 to 0.58, p = 0.57). No beneficial effect was found on anxiety and depressive symptoms (n = 94, SMD = -0.26, CI -0.91 to 0.39, p = 0.43), or quality of life in respect of physical and mental domains. One RCT measured the effect of exercise on exercise intensity, attendance, and persistence at a programme. No significant effect was found on these measures.<p></p> Conclusions: This systematic review showed that exercise therapies can lead to a modest increase in levels of exercise activity but overall there was no noticeable change for symptoms of mental health, body mass index, and body weight.<p></p&gt