Tackling Ageing Continence through Theory, Tools & Technology

Originally presented at ‘Aging and Society: An Interdisciplinary Conference’, University of California, Berkeley (2011), this article was double-blind peer reviewed, receiving scores of 96% and 73%. It outlines the interdisciplinary research of the cross-Research-Council-funded New Dynamics of Ageing Tackling Ageing Continence through Theory Tools & Technology (TACT3) project (2008–12), which brought together designers, social scientists, bio-engineers, chemists and care-management services to understand the challenges faced by an ageing population in the management of continence. Bichard’s Work Package, ‘Challenging Environmental Barriers to Continence’, explored the need for public toilet provision as essential for quality of life, health and well-being. It developed a life-course methodology that considered ageing from birth through to advanced age (0–101 years), and involved inclusive design research with members of the public and providers of facilities to assess public expectations and provider limitations in service provision. As co-investigator on TACT3, this research built on Bichard’s previous work for the VivaCity2020 consortium (Bichard REF Output 2). Whereas the VivaCity2020 work focused on architectural barriers in toilet provision, the TACT3 project examined the problem in service provision, and how, through inclusive design research, service-design solutions might be explored and implemented. Bichard’s contribution to the TACT3 project produced The Great British Public Toilet Map (http://greatbritishpublictoiletmap.rca.ac.uk/), a public participation website that provides information and locations of public toilets, encouraging members of the public to contact relevant local authorities that have not released information in the format of Open Data. Secondary analysis of TACT3 data for references to issues of personal safety and community initiative in toilet provision was used for the ESRC-funded Robust Accessible Toilets (RATs) project (2011) and produced Publicly Accessible Toilets: An Inclusive Design Guide (2011). Related published conference papers include those in ‘Cumulus 2010’ (China) and ‘Include 2011’ (UK)

Immunogenicity of vaccination against influenza, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type B in patients with multiple myeloma

Vaccination against influenza and Streptococcus pneumoniae is recommended for elderly and immunocompromised individuals. However, there is little information concerning the efficacy of vaccination in specific groups of patients. In this study, 52 patients underwent vaccination against influenza, S. pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) as they attended hospital outpatient clinics. Serum was analysed prior to vaccination and 4–6 weeks afterwards. Antibody titres against S. pneumoniae and Hib were compared with reference values corresponding to the geometric mean titres of a healthy UK population. For influenza vaccination, haemagglutination inhibition (HI) titres were measured against three inactivated strains; a titre of ≥ 1/40 was considered protective. No patient had protective titres to all three antigens prior to vaccination and 41 patients (85%) had titres < 1/40 to all 3 strains. Post vaccination only 9/48 patients (19%) achieved protective antibody titres. Resistance to S. pneumoniae and response to Pneumovax II was also poor: prevaccination, 45 patients (93%) had suboptimal antibody titres and in 26/43 patients (61%) titres remained low post vaccination. Resistance to Hib and response to vaccination was comparable with the healthy adult UK population. These results question the practice of routine influenza and pneumococcal vaccination in myeloma patients. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

The lexicon of antimicrobial peptides: a complete set of arginine and tryptophan sequences

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2020-08-09, accepted 2021-03-29, registration 2021-04-24, pub-electronic 2021-05-21, online 2021-05-21, collection 2021-12Publication status: PublishedFunder: RCUK | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000268; Grant(s): BB/M011208/1Abstract: Our understanding of the activity of cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) has focused on well-characterized natural sequences, or limited sets of synthetic peptides designed de novo. We have undertaken a comprehensive investigation of the underlying primary structural features that give rise to the development of activity in AMPs. We consider a complete set of all possible peptides, up to 7 residues long, composed of positively charged arginine (R) and / or hydrophobic tryptophan (W), two features most commonly associated with activity. We found the shortest active peptides were 4 or 5 residues in length, and the overall landscapes of activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and a yeast were positively correlated. For all three organisms we found a single activity peak corresponding to sequences with around 40% R; the presence of adjacent W duplets and triplets also conferred greater activity. The mechanistic basis of these activities comprises a combination of lipid binding, particularly to negatively charged membranes, and additionally peptide aggregation, a mode of action previously uninvestigated for such peptides. The maximum specific antimicrobial activity appeared to occur in peptides of around 10 residues, suggesting ‘diminishing returns’ for developing larger peptides, when activity is considered per residue of peptide

Reviewing the material and metal security of low-carbon energy transitions

The global transition to a low-carbon economy will involve changes in material markets and supply chains on a hitherto unknown scale and scope. With these changes come numerous challenges and opportunities related to supply chain security and sustainability. To help support decision-making as well as future research, this study employs a problem-oriented perspective while reviewing academic publications, technical reports, legal documents, and published industry data to highlight the increasingly interconnected nature of material needs and geopolitical change. The paper considers a broad set of issues including technologies, material supplies, investment strategies, communal concerns, innovations, modeling considerations, and policy trends to help contextualize policy decisions and regulatory responses. Policy options are outlined for each topical section, as well as areas for further research. Together, these recommendations serve to help guide the complex, interdisciplinary approach to materials required for a low-carbon transition

Reliability and tolerance comparison in water supply networks

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11269-010-9753-2Urban water supply is a high priority service and so looped networks are extensively used in order to considerably reduce the number of consumers affected by a failure. Looped networks may be redundant in connectivity and capacity. The concept of reliability has been introduced in an attempt to quantitatively measure the possibility of maintaining an adequate service for a given period. Numerous researchers have considered reliability as a measure of redundancy. This concept is usually implicit, but some researchers have even stated it explicitly. This paper shows why reliability cannot be considered a measure of redundancy given that branched networks can achieve high values of reliability and this would deny the fact that a looped network is more reliable than a branched network with a similar layout and size. To this end the paper discusses two quantitative indices for measuring expected network behavior: reliability and tolerance. These indices are calculated and a comparison is made between looped, branched, and mixed networks. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.The authors wish to acknowledge the support received from project IDAWAS, DPI2009-11591, of the Directorate-General of Research at the Spanish Ministry of Education, the grant PAID-02-09 for a stay at the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia by the first author, and a grant MAEC-AECI 0000202066 awarded to the second author by the Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Cooperacion of Spain. The use of English in this paper was revised by John Rawlins; and the revision was funded by the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Spain.Martínez-Rodríguez, JB.; Montalvo Arango, I.; Izquierdo Sebastián, J.; Pérez García, R. (2011). Reliability and tolerance comparison in water supply networks. Water Resources Management. 25(5):1437-1448. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-010-9753-2S14371448255Bao Y, Mays LW (1990) Model for water distribution system reliability. J Hydraul Eng ASCE 116(9):1119–1137Bouchart F, Goulter I (1991) Reliability improvements in design of water distribution networks recognizing valve location. Water Resour Res 27(12):3029–3040Carrión A, Solano H, Gamiz ML, Debón A (2010) Evaluation of the reliability of a water supply network from right-censored and left-truncated break data. Water Resour Manag, Springer Sci 24:2917–2935. Published online: 28 January 2010Chiong C (1985) Optimización de redes cerradas, Doctoral Thesis, CIH-CUJAE, Havana (in Spanish)Christodoulou SE (2010) Water network assessment and reliability analysis by use of survival analysis. Water Resour Manag, Springer Sci, Published online: 19 June 2010Cullinane MJ, Lansey KE, Mays LW (1992) Optimization-availability-based design of water distribution networks. J Hydraul Eng ASCE 118(3):420–441Duan N, Mays LW, Lansey KE (1990) Optimal reliability-based design of pumping and distribution systems. J Hydraul Eng ASCE 116(2):249–268Goulter I (1992) Systems analysis in water distribution network design: from theory to practice. J Water Resour Plan Manage ASCE 118(3):238–248Goulter I (1993) Modern concepts of a water distribution system. Policies for improvement of networks with shortcomings. In: Cabrera E, Martínez F (eds) Water supply systems: state of the art and future trends, Valencia (Spain). Comput Mech Publ, Southampton, pp 121–138Goulter I, Bouchart F (1990) Reliability-constrained pipe network model. J Hydraul Eng ASCE 116(2):211–229Gupta R, Bhave R (1994) Reliability analysis of water distribution systems. J Environ Eng ASCE 120(2):447–460Jacobs P, Goulter I (1991) Estimation of maximum cut-set size for water network failure. J Water Resour Plan Manage ASCE 117(5):588–605Jowitt P, Xu C (1993) Predicting pipe failure effects in water distribution networks. J Water Resour Plan Manage ASCE 119(l):18–31Kalungi P, Tanyimboh TT (2003) Redundancy model for water distribution systems. Rel Eng Syst Safety 82(3):275–286Khomsi D, Walters GA, Thorley ARD, Ouazar D (1996) Reliability tester for water-distribution networks. J Comput Civ Eng ASCE 10(l):10–9Lansey K, Duan N, Mays LW, Tung YK (1989) Water distribution system design under uncertainty. J Water Resour Plan Manage ASCE 115(5):630–645Loganathan GV, Shah MP, Sherali HP (1990) A two-phase network design heuristic for minimum cost water distribution systems under a reliability constraint. Eng Optim 15(4):311–336Martínez JB (2007) Quantifying the economy of water supply looped networks. J Hydraul Eng ASCE 133(1):88–97Martínez JB (2010) Cost and reliability comparison between branched and looped water supply networks. J Hydroinform IWA 12(2):150–160Morgan DR, Goulter IC (1985) Optimal urban water distribution design. Water Resour Res 21(5):642–652Park H, Leibman J (1993) Redundancy-constrained minimum-cost design of water distribution networks. J Water Resour Plan Manage ASCE 119(l):83–98Pinto J, Varum H, Bentes I, Agarwal J (2010) A theory of vulnerability of water pipe network. Water Resour Manag 24:4237–4254. Springer Science, Published online: 6 May 2010Quimpo R, Shamsi U (1991) Reliability-based distribution system maintenance. J Water Resour Plan Manage ASCE 117(3):321–339Su Y, Mays LW, Duan N, Lansey K (1987) Reliability based optimization model for water distribution systems. J Hydraul Eng ASCE 113(12):1539–1556Tanyimboh TT, Tabesh M, Burrows R (2001) Appraisal of source head methods for calculating reliability of water distribution networks. J Water Resour Plan Manage ASCE 127(4):206–213Walski TM, Weiler JS, Culver T (2006) Using criticality analysis to identify impact of valve location. In: Proc 8th annual water distrib systems analysis symposium, August 27–30, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,Walters GA, Knezevic J (1989) Discussion of ‘Reliability based optimization model for water distribution systems’ by Su, Y., Mays, L. W. , Duan, N., and Lansey, K. J Hydraul Eng ASCE 115(8):1157–1158Xu C, Goulter I (1997) Simulation-based optimal design of reliable water distribution networks. In: Zayegh A (ed) Proc 3rd int conf on modeling and simulation. Victoria University of Technology, Melbourne, pp 107–112Xu C, Goulter I (1998) Probabilistic model for water distribution reliability. J Water Resour Plan Manage ASCE 124(4):218–228Xu C, Goulter I (1999) Reliability based optimal design of water distribution networks. J Water Resour Plan Manage ASCE 125(6):352–362Xu C, Goulter I (2000) A model for optimal design of reliable water distribution networks. In: Blain WR, Brebbia CA (eds) Hydraulic engineering software VIII. WIT, Southampton, pp 71–8

Do gender and torus mandibularis affect mandibular cortical index? A cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The interactions between torus and several factors such as age, gender, and dental status have not been studied comprehensively. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of gender on the mandibular cortical index (MCI) and to investigate a possible association between torus mandibularis (TM) and MCI.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study consisted of 189 consecutive patients referred to Department of Oral Diagnosis and Radiology of Hacettepe University within 30 workdays. Patients who did not have systemic disorders affecting bone density were included; and the age, gender, dental status and existing TM of the patients were recorded. Morphology of the mandibular inferior cortex was determined according to Klemitti's classification on panoramic radiographs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>MCI was affected by age and gender (<it>P </it>< 0.05). No significant relationship was found between TM and MCI (<it>P </it>> 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In the study population, MCI was affected by age and gender. As age increased, semilunar defects could be seen on the cortex of the mandible and MCI values increased. Women appeared to have higher MCI values than men.</p

Missense mutations that cause Van der Woude syndrome and popliteal pterygium syndrome affect the DNA-binding and transcriptional activation functions of IRF6

Cleft lip and cleft palate (CLP) are common disorders that occur either as part of a syndrome, where structures other than the lip and palate are affected, or in the absence of other anomalies. Van der Woude syndrome (VWS) and popliteal pterygium syndrome (PPS) are autosomal dominant disorders characterized by combinations of cleft lip, CLP, lip pits, skin-folds, syndactyly and oral adhesions which arise as the result of mutations in interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6). IRF6 belongs to a family of transcription factors that share a highly conserved N-terminal, DNA-binding domain and a less well-conserved protein-binding domain. To date, mutation analyses have suggested a broad genotype–phenotype correlation in which missense and nonsense mutations occurring throughout IRF6 may cause VWS; in contrast, PPS-causing mutations are highly associated with the DNA-binding domain, and appear to preferentially affect residues that are predicted to interact directly with the DNA. Nevertheless, this genotype–phenotype correlation is based on the analysis of structural models rather than on the investigation of the DNA-binding properties of IRF6. Moreover, the effects of mutations in the protein interaction domain have not been analysed. In the current investigation, we have determined the sequence to which IRF6 binds and used this sequence to analyse the effect of VWS- and PPS-associated mutations in the DNA-binding domain of IRF6. In addition, we have demonstrated that IRF6 functions as a co-operative transcriptional activator and that mutations in the protein interaction domain of IRF6 disrupt this activity