A manifold destiny : advancing the frontiers of the ADOR process

This thesis deals with the various attempts to expand the ADOR (Assembly, Disassembly, Organisation and Reassembly) process. This includes the use of the ADOR process to incorporate new elements into a zeolite framework, the expansion of the ADOR process to other germanosilicate frameworks, and the first ever synthesis of a new ADORable germanosilicate and its subsequent daughters. Chapter 4 deals with the expansion of the ADOR process to the already known ADORable zeolite UTL, using the organisation and reassembly steps to incorporate Al and P, resulting in the formation of a zeolite-AlPO hybrid with distinct silicate layers connected by AlPO based s4r linkages. The material was shown to contain Al and P species and was unstable to acidic medium, atypical of the wholly silica zeolite frameworks produced by the ADOR process. MAS NMR studies showed the presence of both tetrahedral P and Al species in the material and that the presence of Si-OH groups was limited. Indicating that the layers had been reconnected with Al and P now present, forming a zeolite-AlPO hybrid. 29 Si-enriched materials were synthesised to confirm the presence of P-O-Si bonds, through 2D MAS NMR correlation experiments; however, results were limited due to the lack of signal strength. Chapter 5 deals with attempts to expand the ADOR process by applying the ADOR process to other already known germanosilicates. It was found that the non-ideal ADORable candidates NUD-1 and ITQ-33 were unable to undergo a controlled disassembly process, primarily due to their high Ge content and distribution of d4r/d3r. The zeolites ITQ-38 and IM-20 showed more promise. Both could undergo disassembly to form a layered material, which could then be organised and reassembled to form new materials. However, these materials were shown to not form perfect daughter zeolites and had a high degree of disorder. This was associated with the complexity of the ADOR process and the many factors that play a role in each step. Chapter 6 deals with the use of a family of SDAs (with the same biphenyl backbone) to synthesise new ADORable zeolites. The synthesis of the SDAs and their use in various zeolite syntheses was discussed. The potential of these SDAs for the synthesis of new zeolites was then evaluated. The investigations were relatively successful with the successful formation of an ADORable zeolite, which was already known, UTL. However, the suitability of such SDAs also put into question, due to their instability under hydrothermal conditions. Chapter 7 discussed the first successful a priori synthesis of a parent germanosilicate and its daughter zeolites by the ADOR process. The successful synthesis of an ADORable zeolite (SAZ-1) was conducted with the use of an imidazolium-naphthalene based SDA. Investigations were first conducted into changing the synthesis condition, exploring the impact of these changes on the resulting products, and optimising the synthesis conditions to favour the formation of the new zeolite SAZ-1. These investigations led to the new zeolite framework SAZ-1, which showed similarities to the zeolites NUD-2 and CIT-13, which were developed simultaneously by other institutions. The properties of the SAZ-1 framework were discussed and were found to be highly suitable for the ADOR process. SAZ-1 was then successfully disassembled, organised, and reassembled to form two new daughter zeolites SAZ-2 and SAZ-3. The alumination of SAZ-1P to form aluminated SAZ-2 and SAZ-3 was also attempted. Both zeolites showed an increase in catalytic activity, compared to the typical pure-silica daughter zeolites. The layers of SAZ- 1P were also able to undergo the same shifting process as seen for the ‘unfeasible’ zeolites IPC-9 and IPC-10, but the resultant products were not as ordered as these previous examples. This in addition to the previous work highlighted some of the non-ideal properties of SAZ-1 compared to other ADORable zeolites, like UTL

Valgus stress radiography following superficial medial collateral ligament reconstruction using a modified LaPrade technique with adjustable loop femoral fixation

Purpose of this study was to assess postoperative laxity of MCL reconstructions utilizing a modified LaPrade superficial MCL reconstruction. We retrospectively reviewed post-operative valgus stress radiographs in 23 multiligament injured patients who underwent concurrent sMCL and cruciate ligament reconstruction by a single surgeon. Post- operatively, 23 patients underwent valgus stress radiographs that were assessed at a mean of 8.7 months (range: 4-13 months), and mean SSD was 0.64mm ± 0.42mm. Eight patients underwent both pre- and post-operative valgus stress radiographs. Post-operative (0.09mm ± 0.63mm) SSD was found to be significantly reduced compared to pre-operative (2.07mm ± 0.44mm) SSD (mean diff. = 1.98mm, 95% CI = 0.72-3.24, P=0.007). Inter-observer reliability value for medial compartment gap measurement was 0.91 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.34- 0.97. In conclusion, presented technique results in excellent static stability of the knee as measured by valgus stress radiography at a minimum of 6 months postoperative. Level of Evidence: IV

Development of the Video Analysis Scale of Engagement (VASE) for people with advanced dementia [version 2; peer review: 2 approved with reservations]

Background: The current study sought to develop a valid, reliable and unobtrusive tablet computer-based observational measure to assess engagement of people with advanced dementia. The Video Analysis Scale of Engagement (VASE) was designed to enable the rating of moment-by-moment changes in engagement during an activity, which would be useful for both future research and current residential care. Methods: An initial version of the VASE was tested. Face validity and content validity were assessed to validate an operational definition of engagement and develop an acceptable protocol for the scale. Thirtyseven non-professional and professional volunteers were recruited to view and rate level of engagement in music activities using the VASE. Results: An inter-class coefficient (ICC) test gave a high level of rating agreement across professionals and non-professionals. However, the ICC results of within-professionals were mixed. Linear mixed modelling suggested that the types of interventions (active or passive music listening), the particular intervention session being rated, time period of video and the age of raters could affect the ratings. Conclusions: Results suggested that raters used the VASE in a dynamic fashion and that the measure was able to distinguish between interventions. Further investigation and adjustments are warranted for this to be considered a valid and reliable scale in the measurement of engagement of people with advanced dementia in a residential care setting

Development of the Video Analysis Scale of Engagement (VASE) for people with advanced dementia [version 3; peer review: 1 approved, 1 approved with reservations]

BACKGROUND: The current study sought to develop a valid, reliable and unobtrusive tablet computer-based observational measure to assess engagement of people with advanced dementia. The Video Analysis Scale of Engagement (VASE) was designed to enable the rating of moment-by-moment changes in engagement during an activity, which would be useful for both future research and current residential care. METHODS: An initial version of the VASE was tested. Face validity and content validity were assessed to validate an operational definition of engagement and develop an acceptable protocol for the scale. Thirty-seven non-professional and professional volunteers were recruited to view and rate level of engagement in music activities using the VASE. RESULTS: An inter-class coefficient (ICC) test gave a high level of rating agreement across professionals and non-professionals. However, the ICC results of within-professionals were mixed. Linear mixed modelling suggested that the types of interventions (active or passive music listening), the particular intervention session being rated, time period of video and the age of raters could affect the ratings. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggested that raters used the VASE in a dynamic fashion and that the measure was able to distinguish between interventions. Further investigation and adjustments are warranted for this to be considered a valid and reliable scale in the measurement of engagement of people with advanced dementia in a residential care setting

Fluconazole-Associated Birth Defects: A Comprehensive Review

Background: The August 2013 publication of a large historical cohort study in the New England Journal of Medicine has reignited interest in the potential teratogenic effects of fluconazole when used in pregnant females. Fluconazole is an effective and commonly-utilized antifungal medication. Thus, maternal and fetal exposure to fluconazole is expected in the general population, and pharmacists are expected to counsel patients regarding any risks to their prescribed treatment. Methods: A literature review of all published literature indexed to PubMed (January 1966 to October 2013) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (January 1975 to October 2013) including fluconazole and teratogenic effects and published in the English language was conducted. Results: Fourteen publications were included for analysis including case reports (n=7), cross-sectional research (n=2), and historical cohort studies (n=5). Conclusion: There appears to be little to no fetal risk resulting from a single dose or short duration antifungal therapy with fluconazole. However, prolonged high-dose fluconazole therapy has increased potential to confer teratogenic effects. In those cases, the risks of such therapy should be weighed against potential benefits

Automated face recognition using deep neural networks produces robust primate social networks and sociality measures

Longitudinal video archives of behaviour are crucial for examining how sociality shifts over the lifespan in wild animals. New approaches adopting computer vision technology hold serious potential to capture interactions and associations between individuals in video at large scale; however, such approaches need a priori validation, as methods of sampling and defining edges for social networks can substantially impact results.Here, we apply a deep learning face recognition model to generate association networks of wild chimpanzees using 17 years of a video archive from Bossou, Guinea. Using 7 million detections from 100 h of video footage, we examined how varying the size of fixed temporal windows (i.e. aggregation rates) for defining edges impact individual-level gregariousness scores.The highest and lowest aggregation rates produced divergent values, indicating that different rates of aggregation capture different association patterns. To avoid any potential bias from false positives and negatives from automated detection, an intermediate aggregation rate should be used to reduce error across multiple variables. Individual-level network-derived traits were highly repeatable, indicating strong inter-individual variation in association patterns across years and highlighting the reliability of the method to capture consistent individual-level patterns of sociality over time. We found no reliable effects of age and sex on social behaviour and despite a significant drop in population size over the study period, individual estimates of gregariousness remained stable over time.We believe that our automated framework will be of broad utility to ethology and conservation, enabling the investigation of animal social behaviour from video footage at large scale, low cost and high reproducibility. We explore the implications of our findings for understanding variation in sociality patterns in wild ape populations. Furthermore, we examine the trade-offs involved in using face recognition technology to generate social networks and sociality measures. Finally, we outline the steps for the broader deployment of this technology for analysis of large-scale datasets in ecology and evolution.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Multiple spatial behaviours govern social network positions in a wild ungulate

The structure of wild animal social systems depends on a complex combination of intrinsic and extrinsic drivers. Population structuring and spatial behaviour are key determinants of individuals’ observed social behaviour, but quantifying these spatial components alongside multiple other drivers remains difficult due to data scarcity and analytical complexity. We used a 43‐year dataset detailing a wild red deer population to investigate how individuals’ spatial behaviours drive social network positioning, while simultaneously assessing other potential contributing factors. Using Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA) multi‐matrix animal models, we demonstrate that social network positions are shaped by two‐dimensional landscape locations, pairwise space sharing, individual range size, and spatial and temporal variation in population density, alongside smaller but detectable impacts of a selection of individual‐level phenotypic traits. These results indicate strong, multifaceted spatiotemporal structuring in this society, emphasising the importance of considering multiple spatial components when investigating the causes and consequences of sociality