An Investigation of Secondary Ion Yield Enhancement Using Bin2+ (n = 1, 3, 5) Primary Ions

We have investigated secondary ion yield enhancement using Bin2+ (n = 1, 3, 5) primary ions impacting phenylalanine, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DPPE), cholesterol, Irganox 1010, and polymer films adsorbed on silicon and aluminum. Secondary ion yields are increased using Bi2+and Bi32+ primary ions for the molecular layers and polymers that can undergo allyl cation rearrangements. For Irganox 1010, the deprotonated molecular ion yields (m/z 1175; [M − H]−) are one to two times larger for Bi2+ and Bi32+ primary ions than for Bi+ and Bi3+ at the same primary ion velocities. In the positive ion mode, the largest fragment ion yield (m/z 899) is ∼1.5 times larger for Bi2+ ions than for Bi+. For Bi32+ the largest fragment ion yield is only ∼70% of the ion yield using Bi3+, but the secondary ion yields of the fragment ions at m/z 57 and 219 are enhanced. For polymers that can undergo allyl cation rearrangement reactions the secondary ion yield enhancements of the monomer ions range from 1.3 to 4.3. For Bi52+ primary ions, secondary ion yields were the same or slightly larger than for Bi5+ in the negative ion mass spectra for Irganox 1010, but lower in the positive ion mode. No secondary ion yield enhancements were measured on polymer samples for Bi52+. For all polymer films studied, secondary ion intensities from the oligomer regions are substantially decreased using Bin2+ (n = 1, 3, 5). We discuss differences in the ionization mechanisms for doubly and singly-charged Bi primary ion bombardment

Diet induced obesity is independent of metabolic endotoxemia and TLR4 signalling, but markedly increases hypothalamic expression of the acute phase protein, SerpinA3N

The authors gratefully acknowledge Doctoral Training Partnership funding from the BBSRC (M.J.D.), MRC (GA) and funding from the Scottish Government (P.J.M., A.W.R., A.W.W. and P.B.). The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the Maxwell compute cluster funded by the University of Aberdeen. We also thank the Centre for Genome-Enabled Biology and Medicine, University of Aberdeen for performing next-generation sequencing and RNAseq, Dr Sophie Shaw, for bioinformatic analysis of the RNAseq data, and Lynn Thomson for assistance with the TLR4−/− and CD14−/− mouse study, and Dr Richard Anderson and Dana Wilson for assistance with the long term high fat diet study. Supplementary information accompanies this paper at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-33928-4.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Go with the flow: deep learning methods for autonomous viscosity estimations.

Closed-loop experiments can accelerate material discovery by automating both experimental manipulations and decisions that have traditionally been made by researchers. Fast and non-invasive measurements are particularly attractive for closed-loop strategies. Viscosity is a physical property for fluids that is important in many applications. It is fundamental in application areas such as coatings; also, even if viscosity is not the key property of interest, it can impact our ability to do closed-loop experimentation. For example, unexpected increases in viscosity can cause liquid-handling robots to fail. Traditional viscosity measurements are manual, invasive, and slow. Here we use convolutional neural networks (CNNs) as an alternative to traditional viscometry by non-invasively extracting the spatiotemporal features of fluid motion under flow. To do this, we built a workflow using a dual-armed collaborative robot that collects video data of fluid motion autonomously. This dataset was then used to train a 3-dimensional convolutional neural network (3D-CNN) for viscosity estimation, either by classification or by regression. We also used these models to identify unknown laboratory solvents, again based on differences in fluid motion. The 3D-CNN model performance was compared with the performance of a panel of human participants for the same classification tasks. Our models strongly outperformed human classification in both cases. For example, even with training on fewer than 50 videos for each liquid, the 3D-CNN model gave an average accuracy of 88% for predicting the identity of five different laboratory solvents, compared to an average accuracy of 32% for human observation. For comparison, random category selection would give an average accuracy of 20%. Our method offers an alternative to traditional viscosity measurements for autonomous chemistry workflows that might be used both for process control (e.g., choosing not to pipette liquids that are too viscous) or for materials discovery (e.g., identifying new polymerization catalysts on the basis of viscosification)

What does economic evaluation mean in the context of children at the end of their life?

The ‘conventional framework’ of economic evaluation, the comparative public sector healthcare costs and quality adjusted life year (QALY) of two or more interventions, has become synonymous with commissioning decisions in many countries. However, while useful as a framework in guiding value-based decisions, it has limited relevance in areas such as end of life care in children and young people, where the costs fall across multiple stakeholders and QALY gains are not the primary outcome. This paper makes the case that the restricted relevance of the ‘conventional framework’ has contributed to the inconsistent and varied provision of care in this setting, and to the knock-on detrimental impact on children nearing the end of their lives as well as their families. We explore the challenges faced by those seeking to conduct economic evaluations in this setting alongside some potential solutions. We conclude that there is no magic bullet approach that will amalgamate the ‘conventional framework’ with the requirements of a meaningful economic evaluation in this setting. However, this does not imply a lack of need for the summation of the costs and outcomes of care able to inform decision makers, and that methods such as impact inventory analysis may facilitate increased flexibility in economic evaluations

CD28 Ligation Increases Macrophage Suppression of T Cell Proliferation

When compared to spleen or lymph node cells, resident peritoneal cavity cells respond poorly to T cell activation in vitro. The greater proportional representation of macrophages in this cell source has been shown to actively suppress the T cell response. Peritoneal macrophages exhibit an immature phenotype $(MHC Class II^{lo}, B7^{lo})$ that reduces their efficacy as antigen presenting cells. Furthermore, these cells readily express inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), an enzyme that promotes T cell tolerance by catabolism of the limiting amino acid arginine. Here, we investigate the ability of exogenous T cell costimulation to recover the peritoneal T cell response. We show that CD28 ligation failed to recover the peritoneal T cell response and actually suppressed responses that had been recovered by inhibiting iNOS. As indicated by cytokine ELISpot and neutralizing mAb treatment, this “co-suppression” response was due to CD28 ligation increasing the number of IFNγ-secreting cells. Our results illustrate that cellular composition and cytokine milieu influence T cell costimulation biology

Airway clearance techniques for the intubated adult: a scoping review

Objective The aim of this scoping review was to understand the extent and type of evidence available in relation to airway clearance techniques in the intubated adult. Introduction This review was commissioned by the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care (ACPRC) special interest group as a method of summarising the available evidence on this topic on behalf of its members. Airway clearance in the intubated adult is a key objective of respiratory physiotherapists and although evidence-based guidelines exist in this area, there is no recent summary regarding the extent of the literature which could inform future research and clinical practice. Inclusion criteria Studies which investigated adults who were intubated either via an endo-tracheal or tracheostomy tube met the criteria. All study designs, including reviews, case reports and animal studies, which reported any physiotherapy-related airway clearance techniques were included Methods The following databases were searched: SCOPUS, PubMed, PEDro, CINAHL Plus, and Clinical Trials Registry. The search was completed in December 2021 and limited to full text papers published since 2011. Following the key word search strategy, each title and abstract was screened for relevance to the scoping review aim and the study design was identified. Population, intervention, comparator and outcome (PICO) data extraction was completed for all included papers in order to identify themes. The number and type of evidence retrieved, as well as key themes and outcomes were summarised. Results The scoping review identified 138 suitable papers for inclusion. Of these, 11 were systematic reviews and 39 were randomised clinical trials, representing a moderately large evidence-base on this topic. Also included were other experimental, observational and qualitative studies, narrative reviews and animal and bench studies. Key interventions were identified including multi-modal chest physiotherapy, hyperinflation and manual chest compression techniques. Reported outcome measures were mainly short-term, such as sputum yield and oxygenation, whilst longer-term outcome measures such as ICU length of stay and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rates were reported less frequently. Outcome measures related to physiological stability were also reported by some studies. Findings of the review were that airway clearance techniques for the intubated adult appear to be safe. There is a moderate body of evidence regarding their efficacy for short-term outcomes such as sputum yield, oxygenation and respiratory mechanics. There is limited evidence regarding their efficacy for longer-term outcomes. Conclusion This scoping review summarises the extent of available evidence regarding airway clearance for intubated adults. Future research should focus on the effects of airway clearance techniques on longer-term outcome measures such as VAP rates and extubation outcom

The dependence of AGN activity on stellar and halo mass in Semi-Analytic Models

AGN feedback is believed to play an important role in shaping a variety of observed galaxy properties, as well as the evolution of their stellar masses and star formation rates. In particular, in the current theoretical paradigm of galaxy formation, AGN feedback is believed to play a crucial role in regulating the levels of activity in galaxies, in relatively massive halos at low redshift. Only in recent years, however, has detailed statistical information on the dependence of galaxy activity on stellar mass, parent halo mass and hierarchy has become available. In this paper, we compare the fractions of galaxies belonging to different activity classes (star-forming, AGN and radio active) with predictions from four different and independently developed semi-analytical models. We adopt empirical relations to convert physical properties into observables (H_alpha emission lines, OIII line strength and radio power). We demonstrate that all models used in this study reproduce the overall distributions of galaxies belonging to different activity classes as a function of stellar mass and halo mass: star forming galaxies and the strongest radio sources are preferentially associated with low-mass and high-mass galaxies/halos respectively. However, model predictions differ from observational measurements in a number of ways. All models used in our study predict that almost every >1.e12 Msun dark matter halo and/or >1.e11 Msun galaxy should host a bright radio source, while only a small fraction of galaxies belong to this class in the data. In addition, radio brightness is expected to depend strongly on the mass of the parent halo mass in the models, while strong and weak radio galaxies are found in similar environments in data. Our results highlight that the distribution of AGN as a function of stellar mass provides one of the most promising discriminants between different gas accretion schemes.Comment: 15 pages; 8 figures; 1 table; updated to match MNRAS accepted versio

Consultant-led UK paediatric palliative care services: Professional configuration, services, funding

Objectives: To systematically gather information on the professional team members, services provided, funding sources and population served for all consultant-led specialised paediatric palliative care (SPPC) teams in the UK. Methods: Two-part online survey. Results: Survey 1: All 17 medical leads from hospital-based or hospice-based SPPC teams responded to the survey (100% response rate). Only six services met the NICE guidance for minimum SPPC team. All services reported providing symptom management, specialist nursing care, end-of-life planning and care, and supporting discharges and transfers to home or hospice for the child's final days-hours. Most services also provided care coordination (n=14), bereavement support (n=13), clinical psychology (n=10) and social work-welfare support (n=9). Thirteen had one or more posts partially or fully funded by a charity. Survey 2: Nine finance leads provided detailed resource/funding information, finding a range of statutory and charity funding sources. Only one of the National Health Service (NHS)-based services fully funded by the NHS. Conclusions: One-third of services met the minimum criteria of professional team as defined by NICE. Most services relied on charity funding to fund part or all of one professional post and only one NHS-based service received all its funding directly from the NHS

The hospital microbiome project: meeting report for the UK science and innovation network UK-USA workshop ‘beating the superbugs: hospital microbiome studies for tackling antimicrobial resistance’, October 14th 2013

The UK Science and Innovation Network UK-USA workshop ‘Beating the Superbugs: Hospital Microbiome Studies for tackling Antimicrobial Resistance’ was held on October 14th 2013 at the UK Department of Health, London. The workshop was designed to promote US-UK collaboration on hospital microbiome studies to add a new facet to our collective understanding of antimicrobial resistance. The assembled researchers debated the importance of the hospital microbial community in transmission of disease and as a reservoir for antimicrobial resistance genes, and discussed methodologies, hypotheses, and priorities. A number of complementary approaches were explored, although the importance of the built environment microbiome in disease transmission was not universally accepted. Current whole genome epidemiological methods are being pioneered in the UK and the benefits of moving to community analysis are not necessarily obvious to the pioneers; however, rapid progress in other areas of microbiology suggest to some researchers that hospital microbiome studies will be exceptionally fruitful even in the short term. Collaborative studies will recombine different strengths to tackle the international problems of antimicrobial resistance and hospital and healthcare associated infections