Preparation and characterization of polycaprolactone microspheres by electrospraying

This is the author accepted manuscript. Published online: 13 Sep 2016. The final version to be made available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.The ability to reproducibly produce and effectively collect electrosprayed polymeric microspheres with controlled morphology and size in bulk form is challenging. In this study, microparticles were produced by electrospraying polycaprolactone (PCL) of various molecular weights and solution concentrations in chloroform, and by collecting materials on different substrates. The resultant PCL microparticles were characterized by optical and electron microscopy to investigate the effect of molecular weight, solution concentration, applied voltage, working distance and flow rate on their morphology and size. The work demonstrates the key role of a moderate molecular weight and/or solution concentration in the formation of spherical PCL particles via an electrospraying process. Increasing the applied voltage was found to produce smaller and more uniform PCL microparticles. There was a relatively low increase in the particle average size with an increase in the working distance and flow rate. Four types of substrates were adopted to collect electrosprayed PCL particles: a glass slide, aluminium foil, liquid bath and copper wire. Unlike 2D bulk structures collected on the other substrates, a 3D tubular structure of microspheres was formed on the copper wire and could find application in the construction of 3D tumour mimics.The financial support received from the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (ESPRC) Cancer Imaging Centre in Cambridge and Manchester (C8742/A18097) is acknowledged

Axon diameter mapping in the presence of orientation dispersion using diffusion MRI

Axon diameter mapping using diffusion MRI provides more specific biomarkers than DTI indices. Earlier works assume a model of strictly parallel axons. However, such approximation is inadequate for most white matter regions in which axons fan or bend, resulting in significant orientation dispersion. Such dispersion, if unaccounted for, leads to overestimation of axon diameters. We ameliorates this problem by proposing a model that captures orientation dispersion explicitly. We demonstrate that recovery of axon diameters is possible even in the presence of orientation dispersion, supporting accurate axon diameter mapping in a much wider set of white matter than previously possibl

Assessment of low-dose cisplatin as a model of nausea and emesis in beagle dogs, potential for repeated administration

Cisplatin is a highly emetogenic cancer chemotherapy agent, which is often used to induce nausea and emesis in animal models. The cytotoxic properties of cisplatin also cause adverse events that negatively impact on animal welfare preventing repeated administration of cisplatin. In this study, we assessed whether a low (subclinical) dose of cisplatin could be utilized as a model of nausea and emesis in the dog while decreasing the severity of adverse events to allow repeated administration. The emetic, nausea-like behavior and potential biomarker response to both the clinical dose (70 mg/m2) and low dose (15 mg/m2) of cisplatin was assessed. Plasma creatinine concentrations and granulocyte counts were used to assess adverse effects on the kidneys and bone marrow, respectively. Nausea-like behavior and emesis was induced by both doses of cisplatin, but the latency to onset was greater in the low-dose group. No significant change in plasma creatinine was detected for either dose groups. Granulocytes were significantly reduced compared with baseline (P = 0.000) following the clinical, but not the low-dose cisplatin group. Tolerability of repeated administration was assessed with 4 administrations of an 18 mg/m2 dose cisplatin. Plasma creatinine did not change significantly. Cumulative effects on the granulocytes occurred, they were significantly decreased (P = 0.03) from baseline at 3 weeks following cisplatin for the 4th administration only. Our results suggest that subclinical doses (15 and 18 mg/m2) of cisplatin induce nausea-like behavior and emesis but have reduced adverse effects compared with the clinical dose allowing for repeated administration in crossover studies

Impact of inactivated poliovirus vaccine on mucosal immunity: implications for the polio eradication endgame.

The polio eradication endgame aims to bring transmission of all polioviruses to a halt. To achieve this aim, it is essential to block viral replication in individuals via induction of a robust mucosal immune response. Although it has long been recognized that inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) is incapable of inducing a strong mucosal response on its own, it has recently become clear that IPV may boost immunity in the intestinal mucosa among individuals previously immunized with oral poliovirus vaccine. Indeed, mucosal protection appears to be stronger following a booster dose of IPV than oral poliovirus vaccine, especially in older children. Here, we review the available evidence regarding the impact of IPV on mucosal immunity, and consider the implications of this evidence for the polio eradication endgame. We conclude that the implementation of IPV in both routine and supplementary immunization activities has the potential to play a key role in halting poliovirus transmission, and thereby hasten the eradication of polio

Origin of Cosmic Magnetic Fields

We propose that the overlapping shock fronts from young supernova remnants produce a locally unsteady, but globally steady large scale spiral shock front in spiral galaxies, where star formation and therefore massive star explosions correlate geometrically with spiral structure. This global shock front with its steep gradients in temperature, pressure and associated electric fields will produce drifts, which in turn give rise to a strong sheet-like electric current, we propose. This sheet current then produces a large scale magnetic field, which is regular, and connected to the overall spiral structure. This rejuvenates the overall magnetic field continuously, and also allows to understand that there is a regular field at all in disk galaxies. This proposal connects the existence of magnetic fields to accretion in disks. We not yet address all the symmetries of the magnetic field here; the picture proposed here is not complete. X-ray observations may be able to test it already.Comment: 18 pages, no figures; to be published in Proc. Palermo Meeting Sept. 2002, Eds. N. G. Sanchez et al., The Early Universe and the Cosmic Microwave Background: Theory and Observation

Alcohol-induced retrograde facilitation renders witnesses of crime less suggestible to misinformation

RATIONALE: Research has shown that alcohol can have both detrimental and facilitating effects on memory: intoxication can lead to poor memory for information encoded after alcohol consumption (anterograde amnesia) and may improve memory for information encoded before consumption (retrograde facilitation). This study examined whether alcohol consumed after witnessing a crime can render individuals less vulnerable to misleading post-event information (misinformation). METHOD: Participants watched a simulated crime video. Thereafter, one third of participants expected and received alcohol (alcohol group), one third did not expect but received alcohol (reverse placebo), and one third did not expect nor receive alcohol (control). After alcohol consumption, participants were exposed to misinformation embedded in a written narrative about the crime. The following day, participants completed a cued-recall questionnaire about the event. RESULTS: Control participants were more likely to report misinformation compared to the alcohol and reverse placebo group. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that we may oversimplify the effect alcohol has on suggestibility and that sometimes alcohol can have beneficial effects on eyewitness memory by protecting against misleading post-event information

Impact of facial conformation on canine health: Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome

The domestic dog may be the most morphologically diverse terrestrial mammalian species known to man; pedigree dogs are artificially selected for extreme aesthetics dictated by formal Breed Standards, and breed-related disorders linked to conformation are ubiquitous and diverse. Brachycephaly–foreshortening of the facial skeleton–is a discrete mutation that has been selected for in many popular dog breeds e.g. the Bulldog, Pug, and French Bulldog. A chronic, debilitating respiratory syndrome, whereby soft tissue blocks the airways, predominantly affects dogs with this conformation, and thus is labelled Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS). Despite the name of the syndrome, scientific evidence quantitatively linking brachycephaly with BOAS is lacking, but it could aid efforts to select for healthier conformations. Here we show, in (1) an exploratory study of 700 dogs of diverse breeds and conformations, and (2) a confirmatory study of 154 brachycephalic dogs, that BOAS risk increases sharply in a non-linear manner as relative muzzle length shortens. BOAS only occurred in dogs whose muzzles comprised less than half their cranial lengths. Thicker neck girths also increased BOAS risk in both populations: a risk factor for human sleep apnoea and not previously realised in dogs; and obesity was found to further increase BOAS risk. This study provides evidence that breeding for brachycephaly leads to an increased risk of BOAS in dogs, with risk increasing as the morphology becomes more exaggerated. As such, dog breeders and buyers should be aware of this risk when selecting dogs, and breeding organisations should actively discourage exaggeration of this high-risk conformation in breed standards and the show ring

Proactive and politically skilled professionals: What is the relationship with affective occupational commitment?

The aim of this study is to extend research on employee affective commitment in three ways: (1) instead of organizational commitment the focus is on occupational commitment; (2) the role of proactive personality on affective occupational commitment is examined; and (3) occupational satisfaction is examined as a mediator and political skills as moderator in the relationship between proactive personality and affective occupational commitment. Two connected studies, one in a hospital located in the private sector and one in a university located in the public sector, are carried out in Pakistan, drawing on a total sample of over 400 employees. The results show that proactive personality is positively related to affective occupational commitment, and that occupational satisfaction partly mediates the relationship between proactive personality and affective occupational commitment. No effect is found for a moderator effect of political skills in the relationship between proactive personality and affective occupational commitment. Political skills however moderate the relationship between proactive personality and affective organizational commitment

Phenotype MicroArray Profiling of Zymomonas mobilis ZM4

In this study, we developed a Phenotype MicroArray™ (PM) protocol to profile cellular phenotypes in Zymomonas mobilis, which included a standard set of nearly 2,000 assays for carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur source utilization, nutrient stimulation, pH and osmotic stresses, and chemical sensitivities with 240 inhibitory chemicals. We observed two positive assays for C-source utilization (fructose and glucose) using the PM screen, which uses redox chemistry and cell respiration as a universal reporter to profile growth phenotypes in a high-throughput 96-well plate-based format. For nitrogen metabolism, the bacterium showed a positive test results for ammonia, aspartate, asparagine, glutamate, glutamine, and peptides. Z. mobilis appeared to use a diverse array of P-sources with two exceptions being pyrophosphate and tripolyphosphate. The assays suggested that Z. mobilis uses both inorganic and organic compounds as S-sources. No stimulation by nutrients was detected; however, there was evidence of partial inhibition by purines and pyrimidines, NAD, and deferoxamine. Z. mobilis was relatively resistant to acid pH, tolerating a pH down to about 4.0. It also tolerated phosphate, sulfate, and nitrate, but was rather sensitive to chloride and nitrite. Z. mobilis showed resistance to a large number of diverse chemicals that inhibit most bacteria. The information from PM analysis provides an overview of Z. mobilis physiology and a foundation for future comparisons of other wild-type and mutant Z. mobilis strains

Markers for the identification of late breast cancer recurrence

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited