Partial refinement of fungal chitinase (Beauveria bassiana) with multistage membrane filtration

Microscopic organisms play a vital role in the field of green technology. Among the genera fungi, the group of entomopathogens includes Beauveria bassiana, which has been found to have multifunctional applications. In this present research, we have attempted to partially purify chitinase from two strains of Beauveria bassiana (F881 and F911), each cultured in minimal media with 1% (w/v) colloidal chitin as well as in Sabouraud's dextrose media with 1% (w/v) colloidal chitin. The purification process was done with a setup of ceramic membranes, which comprises two stages, ultrafiltration (50 nm pore size membrane) and nanofiltration (MWCO 5 kDa). Furthermore, with the analysis of yield of enzymatically hydrolyzed NAG (N-acetyl glucosamine), resistance and fouling of the membrane were also studied

The voice of the student as a ‘consumer’

Bunce discusses the impact of students being defined as ‘consumers’ of their higher education. The chapter first considers when and why students came to be defined as consumers in England and Wales, UK, and then reflects upon the advantages and disadvantages associated with treating students as consumers of their education. This discussion includes the perspectives of both students and academic staff, and reviews empirical evidence about the effects of students themselves identifying as consumers on their approaches to learning and academic performance. The chapter concludes with a summary of the challenges for universities when listening to the student as consumer voice and emphasises the importance of striking a balance between making students feel heard, while resisting the notion that ‘the customer is always right’

Development of clinical pathway for mild cognitive impairment and dementia to quantify cost of age-related cognitive disorders in Malaysia

As the Malaysian population ages, the burden of age-related cognitive disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease will increase concomitantly. This is one of the sub-study under a research project titled by quantify the cost of age-related cognitive impairment in Malaysia, which was undertaken to develop a clinical pathway for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Dementia. The clinical pathway (CP) will be used to support the costing studies of MCI and Dementia. An expert group discussion (EGD) was conducted among selected experts from six (6) government hospitals from different states of Malaysia, Ministry of Health, and United Nations University, International Institute for Global Health, UKM and UPM. The expert group includes psychiatrist specialists and public health medicine specialists. A total of 15 participants took part in the EGD. The group was presented with the different approach in managing MCI and Dementia. Finally, the group came to the consensus agreement on the most appropriate and efficient ways of managing the two conditions. In the EGD, an operational definition for MCI and Dementia was agreed upon and a pathway was developed for the usual practice in the Malaysian health system. A typical case used, as a reference is a 60-year-old patient referred to a memory clinic with complaint of “forgetfulness”. After three outpatient visits in the clinic, the diagnosis of MCI and Dementia could be clinically established. The clinical pathways covered all active clinical and non-clinical management of the patient over a period of one year. The experts identified the additional resources required to manage these patients for the whole spectrum of lifetime based on the expected life expectancy. The Clinical pathway (CP) for MCI and Dementia was successfully developed in EGD with strong support from practitioners in the health system. The findings will help the researchers to identify all-important clinical activities and interventions that will be included in the costing study

Continuous Membrane Emulsification with Pulsed (Oscillatory) Flow

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ie3020457Tubular micrometer pore sized sieve type membranes with internal diameter of 14 mm and length of 60 mm containing uniform pores of diameter 10 and 20 μm were used to generate emulsions of sunflower oil dispersed in water and stabilized by Tween 20 using oscillatory flow of the continuous phase. Drop diameters between 30 and 300 μm could be produced, in a controllable way and with span values of down to 0.4. By using pulsed flow it was possible to provide dispersed phase concentrations of up to 45% v/v in a single pass over the membrane, that is, without the need to recirculate the continuous phase through the membrane tube. It was possible to correlate the drop size produced with the shear conditions at the membrane surface using the wave shear stress equation. The oscillatory Reynolds number indicated flow varying from laminar to substantially turbulent, but the change in flow conditions did not show a notable influence on the drop diameters produced, over what is predicted by the varying wall shear stress applied to the wave equation. However, the 20 μm pore sized sieve type membrane appeared to allow the passage of the pressure pulse through the membrane pores, under certain operating conditions, which did lead to finer drop sizes produced than would be predicted. These through-membrane pulsations could be suppressed by changes in operating conditions: a higher dispersed phase injection rate or more viscous continuous phase, and they did not occur under similar operating conditions used with the 10 μm pore sized sieve type of membrane. Generating emulsions of this size using pulsed continuous phase flow provides opportunities for combining drop generation at high dispersed phase concentration, by membrane emulsification, with downstream processing such as reaction in plug flow reactors

The impact of immediate breast reconstruction on the time to delivery of adjuvant therapy: the iBRA-2 study

Background: Immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) is routinely offered to improve quality-of-life for women requiring mastectomy, but there are concerns that more complex surgery may delay adjuvant oncological treatments and compromise long-term outcomes. High-quality evidence is lacking. The iBRA-2 study aimed to investigate the impact of IBR on time to adjuvant therapy. Methods: Consecutive women undergoing mastectomy ± IBR for breast cancer July–December, 2016 were included. Patient demographics, operative, oncological and complication data were collected. Time from last definitive cancer surgery to first adjuvant treatment for patients undergoing mastectomy ± IBR were compared and risk factors associated with delays explored. Results: A total of 2540 patients were recruited from 76 centres; 1008 (39.7%) underwent IBR (implant-only [n = 675, 26.6%]; pedicled flaps [n = 105,4.1%] and free-flaps [n = 228, 8.9%]). Complications requiring re-admission or re-operation were significantly more common in patients undergoing IBR than those receiving mastectomy. Adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy was required by 1235 (48.6%) patients. No clinically significant differences were seen in time to adjuvant therapy between patient groups but major complications irrespective of surgery received were significantly associated with treatment delays. Conclusions: IBR does not result in clinically significant delays to adjuvant therapy, but post-operative complications are associated with treatment delays. Strategies to minimise complications, including careful patient selection, are required to improve outcomes for patients

Unwarranted variation and the goal of net zero for the NHS in England: exploring the link between efficiency working, patient outcomes and carbon footprint

In 2020 the NHS in England set a target of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040. Progress has already been made towards this goal, with substantial reductions in the use of environmentally harmful anaesthetic gases, such as desflurane, in recent years. Where an effective replacement already exists, changing practice to use low carbon alternatives is relatively easy to achieve, but much greater challenges lie ahead. The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme is a clinically-led, data-driven clinical improvement initiative with a focus on reducing unwarranted variation in clinical practice and patient outcomes. Reducing unwarranted variation can improve patient care and service efficiency, and can also support the drive to net zero. In this article we set out what the GIRFT programme is doing to support sustainable healthcare in England, why it is uniquely positioned to support this goal and what the future challenges, barriers, enablers and opportunities are likely to be in the drive to net zero.Accepted version (12 month embargo)RD&E staff can access the full-text of this article by clicking on the 'Additional Link' above and logging in with NHS OpenAthens if prompted