Antioxidants that protect mitochondria reduce interleukin-6 and oxidative stress, improve mitochondrial function, and reduce biochemical markers of organ dysfunction in a rat model of acute sepsis

Funding This study was funded by the Medical Research Council (Grant number G0800149). Research material from this study is not available. Acknowledgement We are very grateful to Dr Robin A.J. Smith, Department of Chemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, for the generous gifts of MitoE and MitoQ, without which this work would not have been possible.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Pharmacological activation of endogenous protective pathways against oxidative stress under conditions of sepsis

Funding The study was funded entirely by institutional funds.Peer reviewedPostprin

Cooling is hotting up in the UK

The cooling of buildings is currently responsible for about 20% of total electricity use worldwide. It is estimated that the electricity needed for cooling will more than triple by 2050. Despite this concerning outlook, little attention has been paid to cooling demand in policy and research in the United Kingdom (UK). The demand for space cooling in the UK’s domestic and non-domestic buildings is currently small—about 10% of total electricity use. However, this has the potential to increase as the climate warms and expectations of comfort grow. This paper reviews UK cooling demand and how this has been considered in energy policy. Following a thorough review of the existing literature using a cooling decarbonisation framework (Avoid, Improve and Shift), it is clear there is a limited understanding of the future UK cooling demand for domestic buildings in a warmer future as well as how policy makers and households should act. More importantly, this sector appears under-represented in the UK research and policy landscape compared to heating despite obvious technological crossovers associated with electrification. Several policy and research recommendations have been made based on these findings

Hot stuff: Research and policy principles for heat decarbonisation through smart electrification

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available on open access from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordThere is a need for major greenhouse gas emission reductions from heating in order to meet global decarbonisation goals. Electricity is expected to meet much of the heat demand currently provided by fossil fuels in the future and heat pumps may have an important role. This electrification transformation is not without challenges. Through a detailed narrative review alongside expert elicitation, we propose four principles for heat decarbonisation via electrification: putting energy efficiency first, valuing heat as a flexible load, understanding the emission impacts of heat electrification and designing electricity tariffs to reward flexibility. As a route to heat decarbonisation, when combined, these principles can offer significant consumer and carbon reduction benefits. In the short term these principles can encourage the smooth integration of heat electrification and in the longer term these principles are expected to reduce the scale of required infrastructural expansion. We propose a number of policy mechanisms which can be used to support these principles including (building) regulation, financial support, carbon standards, energy efficiency obligations and pricing.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC

Identification of bacterial isolates recovered from the surface of cleanroom operators' garments following wear.

Contamination of sterile pharmaceutical products can have serious consequences, in worst case scenario resulting in patient death. Cleanroom operators are the primary source of microbial contamination, where the surface of their specialist sterile clothing garments is subject to such contamination during wear. In turn these garments become a transmission vector for microorganisms within the cleanroom environment. Insight into identification of predominant bacterial isolates from garment surfaces would help to establish their original source and probable contamination route. This should assist possible intervention strategies to mitigate against this contamination. The research aimed to determine identity of representative bacterial isolates recovered from the surface of cleanroom operators' garments following wear within a cleanroom. Following isolation and purification of bacterial isolates, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to establish species identity for isolates recovered from the surface of male and female operators' garments following wear within the cleanroom environment. Of the 47 isolates recovered from the surface of garments, 16S rRNA gene sequencing successfully identified 94% to genus level and 77% to species level. Most were confirmed as Gram - positive bacteria; predominantly species of Staphylococcus, Micrococcus and Bacillus. The isolates recovered from the surface of female operatives' garments were more diverse than those retrieved from male counterparts. Most isolates recovered from garments were found to be skin commensals, with nearly 70% attributed to the operators within the environment. The remainder were credited to contamination of garments with species of environmental origin. Whilst most bacteria identified present minimal threat to healthy individuals, certain of these are opportunistic pathogens, presenting a hazard for immunocompromised and/or those with underlying health conditions

Accounting for modern corporations: Instruction paper; Accounts of holding companies; Corporation accounting and investigations; Profits of a corporation

The views of three men whose right to be considered authorities on this subject is unquestioned are presented herein. Mr. Lybrand presents a valuable paper on the subject, The Accounts of Holding Companies; Mr. Macpherson writes on Corporation Accounting and Investigations, illustrated with a worked-out problem; Mr. Dickinson presents a paper entitled The Profits of a Corporation, and in his treatment of accounting problems includes an illustrative example

Nonlinear fiber element modeling of RC bridge piers considering inelastic buckling of reinforcement

An advanced modelling technique is developed to model the nonlinear cyclic response of circular RC columns using fibre-based section discretisation method. A comparison between different reinforcing steel models is made. Through a comprehensive parametric study the influence of inelastic buckling of vertical reinforcement on the cyclic response of circular RC columns is investigated. The results have been compared and validated against a set of experimental datasets. The proposed calibrated model accounts for the influence of inelastic buckling of vertical reinforcement and interaction of stiffness of horizontal ties reinforcement with vertical reinforcement. The model also accounts for the fracture of vertical bars due to low-cycle high-amplitude fatigue degradation. Therefore, this model is able to predict the nonlinear cyclic response of circular RC columns up to complete collapse. The results show that the existing uniaxial material models of reinforcing bars that are calibrated using stress-strain behaviour of isolated bars cannot represent the behaviour of reinforcing bars inside RC columns. Moreover, it is found that the buckling length of vertical reinforcement has a significant influence on the pinching response of RC columns and also reduces the low-cycle fatigue life of buckled reinforcemen

Computational Modelling Strategies for Nonlinear Response Prediction of Corroded Circular RC Bridge Piers

A numerical model is presented that enables simulation of the nonlinear flexural response of corroded reinforced concrete (RC) components. The model employs a force-based nonlinear fibre beam-column element. A new phenomenological uniaxial material model for corroded reinforcing steel is used. This model accounts for the impact of corrosion on buckling strength, post-buckling behaviour and low-cycle fatigue degradation of vertical reinforcement under cyclic loading. The basic material model is validated through comparison of simulated and observed response for uncorroded RC columns. The model is used to explore the impact of corrosion on the inelastic response of corroded RC columns

The pathway to net zero heating in the UK

This is the final version. Available from UKERC via the DOI in this record. The heating of homes is a major contributor to the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions accounting for 13% of total emissions.  This is comparable to the carbon emissions of all petrol and diesel cars in the UK. 2 Meeting the UK government’s net zero emissions goal for 2050 will only be possible by complete decarbonisation of the building stock (both existing and new). While emissions from heating have fallen by 11% since 1990, much of which was driven by efficiency programmes and regulation in the period 2002-2012 3, continuing decarbonisation at this pace would get us to zero emissions from buildings in 235 years and fall far short of meeting the 2050 target