Editing a Twentieth-Century Novelist: Getting Lewis Grassic Gibbon (Back) Into Print

Surveys the publishing history since World War II of Lewis Grassic Gibbon [James Leslie Mitchell, 1901-1936], author of the Scottish classic novel Sunset Song (1932), recounts the special issues in preparing Gibbon\u27s unfinished work The Speak of The Mearns for publication, and discusses the role of editors and publishers in reviving and building Gibbon\u27s critical reputation

David Masson and Thomas Carlyle

Discusses the forty-year friendship between the Scottish historian and essayist Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) and the critic and literary scholar David Masson (1822-1907), regius professor of rhetoric and English literature at the University of Edinburgh, and explores their correspondence, their interactions (especially Masson\u27s first visit to the Carlyle household, as reported by Jane Welsh Carlyle, and Carlyle\u27s visit to Edinburgh to give his inaugural address at Rector of the University), and the influence of Carlyle on Masson\u27s writing, especially his monumental Life of John Milton

Variant interpretation through Bayesian fusion of frequency and genomic knowledge

Variant interpretation is a central challenge in genomic medicine. A recent study demonstrates the power of Bayesian statistical approaches to improve interpretation of variants in the context of specific genes and syndromes. Such Bayesian approaches combine frequency (in the form of observed genetic variation in cases and controls) with biological annotations to determine a probability of pathogenicity. These Bayesian approaches complement other efforts to catalog human variation

Influence of upper-body exercise on the fatigability of human respiratory muscles

PURPOSE: Diaphragm and abdominal muscles are susceptible to contractile fatigue in response to high-intensity, whole-body exercise. This study assessed whether the ventilatory and mechanical loads imposed by high-intensity, upper-body exercise would be sufficient to elicit respiratory muscle fatigue. METHODS: Seven healthy men (mean±SD: age 24±4 y; peak O2 uptake [V[Combining Dot Above]O2 peak] 31.9±5.3 ml/kg/min) performed asynchronous arm-crank exercise to exhaustion at work rates equivalent to 30% (heavy) and 60% (severe) of the difference between gas-exchange threshold and V[Combining Dot Above]O2 peak. Contractile fatigue of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles was assessed by measuring pre- to post-exercise changes in potentiated transdiaphragmatic and gastric twitch pressures (Pdi,tw and Pga,tw) evoked by supramaximal magnetic stimulation of the cervical and thoracic nerves, respectively. RESULTS: Exercise time was 24.5±5.8 min for heavy exercise and 9.8±1.8 min for severe exercise. Ventilation over the final minute of heavy exercise was 73±20 L/min (39±11% maximum voluntary ventilation [MVV]) and 99±19 L/min (53±11% MVV) for severe exercise. Mean Pdi,tw did not differ pre- to post-exercise at either intensity (p>0.05). Immediately (5-15 min) after severe exercise, mean Pga,tw was significantly lower than pre-exercise values (41±13 vs. 53±15 cmH2O, p<0.05), with the difference no longer significant after 25-35 min. Abdominal muscle fatigue (defined as ≥15% reduction in Pga,tw) occurred in 1/7 subjects after heavy exercise and 5/7 subjects after severe exercise. CONCLUSIONS: High-intensity, upper-body exercise elicits significant abdominal, but not diaphragm, muscle fatigue in healthy men. The increased magnitude and prevalence of fatigue during severe-intensity exercise is likely due to additional (non-respiratory) loading of the thorax.This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CCBY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2017 American College of Sports Medicin

Weathering the storm: developments in the acoustic sensing of wind and rain

An Acoustic Rain Gauge (ARG) analyses the underwater sound levels across a wide frequency range, classifies the observed spectrum according to likely source and then determines the local wind speed or rain rate as appropriate. Thispaper covers a trial on the Scotian Shelf off Canada, comparing the geophysical information derived from the acoustic signals with those obtained from other sources

Use of GPI-anchored proteins to study biomolecular interactions by surface plasmon resonance

AbstractSurface plasmon resonance is a powerful tool to examine the kinetics of cell surface receptor-ligand interactions and requires only small amounts of protein. For these studies, one component is required in highly purified form to be coupled to the biosensor surface. The second component does not need to be purified. The human high affinity receptor for immunoglobulin G, FcγRI, presents a problem as the receptor itself cannot readily be produced in large amounts for purification and, as there are eight potential ligands for the receptor (human IgG1–4 and mouse IgG1, 2a, 2b and 3), it is difficult to immobilise the ligand. Using a previously established method for generating GPI-anchored proteins, we have produced and captured a soluble version of FcγRI and shown that it retains its affinity for human IgG1 and specificity for the different IgG subclasses. In addition, we also produced and captured a GPI-anchored version of the cell adhesion molecule CD2. This system circumvents the need for extensive receptor purification and is very rapid as solubilised receptors can be transferred from the cell surface to the sensor chip in 2 h. This system may be generally applicable for biosensor studies to other type I membrane proteins, and/or naturally occurring GPI-anchored proteins, especially where the interaction between a ligand and a panel of variant receptors is to be studied

Implications on design of rapid manufacturing

During the last few decades, designers have been educated to develop designs with restricted geometry so that parts can be made easily. The revolutionary aspect of rapid manufacturing will be that geometry will no longer be a limiting factor. The introduction of rapid manufacturing will have a number of effects on design. It will be possible to have re-entrant shapes without complicating manufacturing, no draft angles, variable wall thickness, no split lines and fewer parts, leading to easier assembly and lower stock. The individual designer's method of working will change with the introduction of rapid manufacturing and also there will be changes to the overall design process

Effect of abdominal binding on respiratory mechanics during exercise in athletes with cervical spinal cord injury

West CR, Goosey-Tolfrey VL, Campbell IG, Romer LM. Effect of abdominal binding on respiratory mechanics during exercise in athletes with cervical spinal cord injury. J Appl Physiol 117: 36–45, 2014. First published May 22, 2014; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00218.2014.—We asked whether elastic binding of the abdomen influences respiratory mechanics during wheelchair propulsion in athletes with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). Eight Paralympic wheelchair rugby players with motor-complete SCI (C5-C7) performed submaximal and maximal incremental exercise tests on a treadmill, both with and without abdominal binding. Measurements included pulmonary function, pressure-derived indices of respiratory mechanics, operating lung volumes, tidal flow-volume data, gas exchange, blood lactate, and symptoms. Residual volume and functional residual capacity were reduced with binding (77 18 and 81 11% of unbound, P 0.05), vital capacity was increased (114 9%, P 0.05), whereas total lung capacity was relatively well preserved (99 5%). During exercise, binding introduced a passive increase in transdiaphragmatic pressure, due primarily to an increase in gastric pressure. Active pressures during inspiration were similar across conditions. A sudden, sustained rise in operating lung volumes was evident in the unbound condition, and these volumes were shifted downward with binding. Expiratory flow limitation did not occur in any subject and there was substantial reserve to increase flow and volume in both conditions. V ˙ O2 was elevated with binding during the final stages of exercise (8 –12%, P 0.05), whereas blood lactate concentration was reduced (16 –19%, P 0.05). V ˙ O2/heart rate slopes were less steep with binding (62 35 vs. 47 24 ml/beat, P 0.05). Ventilation, symptoms, and work rates were similar across conditions. The results suggest that abdominal binding shifts tidal breathing to lower lung volumes without influencing flow limitation, symptoms, or exercise tolerance. Changes in respiratory mechanics with binding may benefit O2 transport capacity by an improvement in central circulatory function.This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund

Clinical stakeholders' opinions on the use of selective decontamination of the digestive tract in critically ill patients in intensive care units : an international Delphi study

Peer reviewedPublisher PD