The legacy of Verena Holmes: inspiring next generation of engineers

Verena Holmes was born in 1889 in Ashford, Kent, Verena became a pioneer for women in the industry as arguably the first female in the UK to have a full-time career as a professional mechanical, design and biomedical engineer. Verena was an advocate for widening participation in engineering and dedicated to the development of female engineers, she represented a breakthrough for equal rights in the early 20th century. As a creative and talented mechanical engineer, inventor and entrepreneur with own engineering business in Gillingham, Kent. In 1932, Verena Holmes filed a patent for poppet valve for fluid pressured systems, and in 2021 has provided the inspiration to students to conceive, design, implement and operate their own poppet valve. The poppet valve challenging first year biomedical, mechanical and product design engineering students to consider engineering materials, engineering manufacturing, standard components, fixes and fittings, and tolerances considerations into their poppet valve. This paper will provide qualitative analysis of the level of practical engineering learning, and the depth of student learning. Also, the quantitative analysis of the students’ evaluation of the learning opportunity to inspire, develop and stimulate them to be the next generation of engineers

Improving water productivity, reducing poverty and enhancing equity in mixed crop-livestock systems in the Indo-Gangetic Basin: CPWF project report 68

Farming systems / Mixed farming / Water productivity / Feed production / Livestock / Energy consumption / Gender / Poverty / River basins / Case studies / India / Indo-Gangetic Basin / West Bengal / Haryana / Uttar Pradesh

Dietary Restriction Ameliorates Age-Related Increase in DNA Damage, Senescence and Inflammation in Mouse Adipose Tissuey.

Ageing is associated with redistribution of fat around the body and saturation of visceral adipose depots. Likewise, the presence of excess fat in obesity or during ageing places extra stress on visceral depots, resulting in chronic inflammation and increased senescence. This process can contribute to the establishment of the metabolic syndrome and accelerated ageing. Dietary restriction (DR) is known to alleviate physiological signs of inflammation, ageing and senescence in various tissues including adipose tissue. OBJECTIVES:Our pilot study aimed to analyse senescence and inflammation parameters in mouse visceral fat tissue during ageing and by short term, late-onset dietary restriction as a nutritional intervention. Design, measurements: In this study we used visceral adipose tissue from mice between 5 and 30 months of age and analysed markers of senescence (adipocyte size, γH2A.X, p16, p21) and inflammation (e.g. IL-6, TNFα, IL-1β, macrophage infiltration) using immuno-staining, as well as qPCR for gene expression analysis. Fat tissues from 3 mice per group were analysed. RESULTS:We found that the amount of γH2A.X foci as well as the expression of senescence and inflammation markers increased during ageing but decreased with short term DR. In contrast, the increase in amounts of single or aggregated macrophages in fat depots occurred only at higher ages. Surprisingly, we also found that adipocyte size as well as some senescence parameters decreased at very high age (30 months). CONCLUSIONS:Our results demonstrate increased senescence and inflammation during ageing in mouse visceral fat while DR was able to ameliorate several of these parameters as well as increased adipocyte size at 17.5 months of age. This highlights the health benefits of a decreased nutritional intake over a relatively short period of time at middle age

Cellular Transplantation-Based Therapeutic Strategies for Spinal Cord Injuries: Preclinical and Clinical Updates

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a distressing neurological condition that causes loss of neural tissue, with subsequent damages to neural circuitry, and loss of sensorimotor function. The SCIs have an estimated incidence rate of ~80 cases per million populations. Till date, no ratified effective therapeutic strategy for SCIs exist; however, recent advancements in regenerative medicines to protect and regenerate damaged/lost neural tissues following SCIs have shown promising results in preclinical and clinical trials. Moreover, there is a greater need to fully understand underlying mechanisms following cellular transplantation that can be achieved through proper differentiation of desired cell type, and their in-vivo tracking of migration, proliferation and integration into the host system. Furthermore, techniques that can prevent teratomas formation following cellular transplantation have been reported. In addition to the ongoing comprehensive neuroregenerative and neuroprotective therapeutic strategies for SCIs, novel technologies are emerging including neuroscience-based computational and robotic rehabilitational therapies. These improved strategies in combination with cell-based therapeutic approaches are opening new avenues for future research to completely cure SCIs. Herein, we intended to review pathophysiological mechanisms following SCI, preclinical and clinical updates of cellular transplantation, the extent of success from these transplantations, associated controversies and other emerging technologies

Comparison of electrocardiographic parameters of racing and non-racing horses in Sokoto Nigeria

The study was conducted due to the economic importance of horses and shortage of information on electrocardiographic parameters of horses in Sokoto, Nigeria. This study established the normal electrocardiographic parameters of racing and non-racing horses in Sokoto and statistically compared the values. The study used forty horses comprising of 20 racing and 20 non-racing horses with mean age of 8 ± 0.5 years and average weight of 200 ± 2.0 kg. ECG was recorded using the base apex system with the animals in standing position using single lead channel ECG recorder (EDAN VE-100 manufactured by Edan instruments China). The paper speed was set at 25mm/s while the sensitivity of the machine was adjusted to 10 mm/mV. The durations and amplitudes of P, R and T, the durations of Q and S and the durations of PR, QRS and QT intervals were all determined. These parameters were determined for the three standard limb leads (I, II and III) as well as the augmented limb leads (aVR, aVL and aVF). Descriptive statistics using SPSS version 16 was used to calculate the means and standard error of mean at 95 % confidence interval. One-way ANOVA was used to compare between the values of the racing and non-racing horses. The highest values of P amplitude, R amplitude, Q amplitude, QRS complex and P-R interval were recorded in racing horses, while highest T wave amplitude was recorded in non-racing horses. Highest duration of P wave, T wave and QRS was recorded in racing horses while highest duration of Q wave was recorded in non-racing horses. Significant difference was found in the T amplitude in racing horses in lead aVF. The mean heart rate for the racing and non-racing horses was 80.3 ± 8.4 and 63.1 ± 9.2 beats/minute respectively. Higher values recorded in racing horses indicates that exercise has influence on electrical activities in horses. Keywords: Electrocardiograph, Non-racing horses, Parameters, Racing horses, Sokot

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF Mg-Al ALLOYS FOR HYDROGEN STORAGE APPLICATIONS

Mg-Al system and 2mol% Ni additive nano catalyst in the particle size range of 30-45 nm were synthesized at relatively low temperature by thermal decomposition of co- 4 and [Ni(Bipy

Self-compacting geopolymer concrete with spend garnet as sand replacement

Garnets being the waste spin-off of surface treatment operations remain a major environmental concern worldwide. Robust engineering properties of these waste garnets offer the opportunity to get efficient construction materials via their appropriate recycling. In this spirit, we evaluate the capacity of spent garnets as sand replacement for achieving self-compacting geopolymer concrete (SCGPC). Such SCGPC specimens are prepared using ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) wherein the river sand is replaced by spent garnet at varying contents (0–100%) under constant Liquid/Binder (L/B) mass ratio of 0.4. Performance evaluations of the developed SCGPC samples are made using several tests including durability, workability, flexural, compressive, splitting tensile strength conforming the EFNARC standard. Test results revealed an enhancement in the workability of the proposed SCGPC specimen with the increase of spent garnet contents. Furthermore, other strengths are discerned to be lower compared to the control sample at all stages of replacement. It is established that the spent garnet is prospective candidate for sand replacement up to 25% in terms of environmental amiability, cost effectiveness and conservation of natural resources

Correlation between maternal and neonatal blood Vitamin D level; A cross sectional study of 416 participants visiting a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan

In Pakistan there is limited evidence for the levels and relationship of 25 (OH) Vitamin D [25(OH)D] status in pregnant women and their newborns while the association between maternal 25(OH)D and newborn anthropometric measurements remains unexplored. Sociodemographic data was collected from 213 pregnant mothers during their visit to a tertiary care hospital at the time of childbirth. Anthropometric measurements were performed on all mothers and their newborns and blood samples collected from both for 25(OH)D levels. Participants were classified into two groups according to their 25(OH)D status: Sufficient (25(OH)D ≥50nmol/l) and Deficient (25(OH)D 0.05). Our study shows a high prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency in pregnant women and their newborns and a strong positive association between maternal and newborn 25(OH)D levels. Findings of this study indicate the importance of maintaining sufficient 25(OH)D levels during pregnancy

Anti-inflammatory activity of fucoidan extracts in vitro

Fucoidans are sulfated, complex, fucose-rich polymers found in brown seaweeds. Fucoidans have been shown to have multiple bioactivities, including anti-inflammatory effects, and are known to inhibit inflammatory processes via a number of pathways such as selectin blockade and enzyme inhibition, and have demonstrated inhibition of inflammatory pathologies in vivo. In this current investigation, fucoidan extracts from Undaria pinnatifida, Fucus vesiculosus, Macrocystis pyrifera, Ascophyllum nodosum, and Laminaria japonica were assessed for modulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine production (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in a human macrophage line (THP-1). Fucoidan extracts exhibited no signs of cytotoxicity in THP-1 cells after incubation of 48 h. Additionally, all fucoidan extracts reduced cytokine production in LPS stimulated PBMCs and human THP-1 cells in a dose-dependent fashion. Notably, the 5-30 kDa subfraction from Macrocystis pyrifera was a highly effective inhibitor at lower concentrations. Fucoidan extracts from all species had significant anti-inflammatory effects, but the lowest molecular weight subfractions had maximal effects at low concentrations. These observations on various fucoidan extracts offer insight into strategies that improve their efficacy against inflammation-related pathology. Further studies should be conducted to elucidate the mechanism of action of these extracts

Accumulation of copy number alterations and clinical progression across advanced prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Genomic copy number alterations commonly occur in prostate cancer and are one measure of genomic instability. The clinical implication of copy number change in advanced prostate cancer, which defines a wide spectrum of disease from high-risk localised to metastatic, is unknown. METHODS: We performed copy number profiling on 688 tumour regions from 300 patients, who presented with advanced prostate cancer prior to the start of long-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), in the control arm of the prospective randomised STAMPEDE trial. Patients were categorised into metastatic states as follows; high-risk non-metastatic with or without local lymph node involvement, or metastatic low/high volume. We followed up patients for a median of 7 years. Univariable and multivariable Cox survival models were fitted to estimate the association between the burden of copy number alteration as a continuous variable and the hazard of death or disease progression. RESULTS: The burden of copy number alterations positively associated with radiologically evident distant metastases at diagnosis (P=0.00006) and showed a non-linear relationship with clinical outcome on univariable and multivariable analysis, characterised by a sharp increase in the relative risk of progression (P=0.003) and death (P=0.045) for each unit increase, stabilising into more modest increases with higher copy number burdens. This association between copy number burden and outcome was similar in each metastatic state. Copy number loss occurred significantly more frequently than gain at the lowest copy number burden quartile (q=4.1 × 10-6). Loss of segments in chromosome 5q21-22 and gains at 8q21-24, respectively including CHD1 and cMYC occurred more frequently in cases with higher copy number alteration (for either region: Kolmogorov-Smirnov distance, 0.5; adjusted P<0.0001). Copy number alterations showed variability across tumour regions in the same prostate. This variance associated with increased risk of distant metastases (Kruskal-Wallis test P=0.037). CONCLUSIONS: Copy number alteration in advanced prostate cancer associates with increased risk of metastases at diagnosis. Accumulation of a limited number of copy number alterations associates with most of the increased risk of disease progression and death. The increased likelihood of involvement of specific segments in high copy number alteration burden cancers may suggest an order underlying the accumulation of copy number changes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00268476 , registered on December 22, 2005. EudraCT  2004-000193-31 , registered on October 4, 2004