StrathSat-R : Deploying inflatable CubeSat structures in micro gravity

This paper presents the concepts, objectives and design of a student-led sounding rocket experiment which shall test novel inflatable devices in space conditions. This experiment is envisaged as the first step towards developing a CubeSat programme at the University of Strathclyde, which can exploit the novel concepts developed and the technical skills gained. The experiment itself aims to test novel, student developed, inflatable space structures in micro gravity and reduced pressure conditions. It consists of three distinct sections, the ejection housing on the rocket and the two ejectable modules that are based on CubeSat architecture. Shortly before reaching apogee, the two modules are ejected from the rocket and will deploy their own inflating structure during free flight. After landing, the ejectable modules recovery will rely upon a GPS position relayed to the team from the module by Globalstar transmission and a RF beacon for tracking with the recovery helicopter. The two modules carry two different structures resulting in distinct mission objectives: The aim of FRODO is to deploy an experimental passive de-orbiting system for high altitude spacecraft which will in the future utilise solar radiation pressure for orbit removal. The aim of SAM is to serve as a technology demonstrator for the residual air deployment method of a smart bio-inspired space structure. This paper contains details about the science objectives of the mission and how they will be achieved, its experimental design and the management of the student-led project

Defining acute flares in knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and critically synthesise definitions of acute flares in knee osteoarthritis (OA) reported in the medical literature. DESIGN: Systematic review and narrative synthesis. We searched Medline, EMBASE, Web of science and six other electronic databases (inception to July 2017) for original articles and conference abstracts reporting a definition of acute flare (or synonym) in humans with knee OA. There were no restrictions by language or study design (apart from iatrogenic-induced flare-ups, eg, injection-induced). Data extraction comprised: definition, pain scale used, flare duration or withdrawal period, associated symptoms, definition rationale, terminology (eg, exacerbation or flare), baseline OA severity, age, gender, sample size and study design. RESULTS: Sixty-nine articles were included (46 flare design trials, 17 observational studies, 6 other designs; sample sizes: 15-6085). Domains used to define flares included: worsening of signs and symptoms (61 studies, 27 different measurement tools), specifically increased pain intensity; minimum pain threshold at baseline (44 studies); minimum duration (7 studies, range 8-48 hours); speed of onset (2 studies, defined as 'sudden' or 'quick'); requirement for increased medication (2 studies). No definitions included activity interference. CONCLUSIONS: The concept of OA flare appears in the medical literature but most often in the context of flare design trials (pain increases observed after stopping usual treatment). Key domains, used to define acute events in other chronic conditions, appear relevant to OA flare and could provide the basis for consensus on a single, agreed definition of 'naturally occurring' OA flares for research and clinical application. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42014010169

Using concept mapping to understand motivational interviewing practice

Purpose Motivational interviewing (MI) has developed considerably since its inception, which may have led to diverse practice across contexts and differential understanding of core principles. Concept mapping is one potential method for offering insight into practitioner awareness, understanding and application of MI. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach In total, 29 professionals from a range of disciplines, including counselling, education and health, completed concept maps about MI, following brief training at the UK regional MI interest network. In total, 17 completed maps were submitted for analysis using quantitative and qualitative methods. Findings A total of 186 concepts and 175 propositional links were found within the 17 maps. The most commonly identified concepts were: change, empathy, collaboration, open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, summaries (OARS), client centred and compassion. The concept maps also suggested differing levels of expertise across network members using concept mapping morphology classification. Research limitations/implications The sample was small scale and located in one region of the UK. Maps were submitted anonymously meaning that participant data could not be matched to the maps. Practical implications Concept mapping is a potentially useful method for auditing practice and developing skills in MI, as well as exploring participants’ understanding of related concepts and therapeutic mechanisms. Social implications MI has a strong evidence-based across a variety of disciplines and contexts. Refining practitioner skills in MI has implications for the integrity of delivery, and improved client outcomes in areas such as substance use, health promotion and educational disaffection. Originality/value This is the first study to investigate concept mapping as a means of understanding MI practice. It has potential implications for training, monitoring, supervision and development in MI practice

An Anti-C1s Monoclonal, TNT003, Inhibits Complement Activation Induced by Antibodies Against HLA.

Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) of solid organ transplants (SOT) is characterized by damage triggered by donor-specific antibodies (DSA) binding donor Class I and II HLA (HLA-I and HLA-II) expressed on endothelial cells. While F(ab')2 portions of DSA cause cellular activation and proliferation, Fc regions activate the classical complement cascade, resulting in complement deposition and leukocyte recruitment, both hallmark features of AMR. We characterized the ability of an anti-C1s monoclonal antibody, TNT003, to inhibit HLA antibody (HLA-Ab)-induced complement activation. Complement deposition induced by HLA-Ab was evaluated using novel cell- and bead-based assays. Human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) were cultured with HLA-Ab and human complement; production of activated complement proteins was measured by flow cytometry. Additionally, C3d deposition was measured on single antigen beads (SAB) mixed with HLA-Ab and human complement. TNT003 inhibited HLA-Ab mediated complement deposition on HAEC in a concentration-dependent manner; C3a, C4a and C5a anaphylatoxin production was also diminished by TNT003. Finally, TNT003 blocked C3d deposition induced by Class I (HLAI-Ab)- and Class II (HLAII-Ab)-specific antibodies on SAB. These data suggest TNT003 may be useful for modulating the effects of DSA, as TNT003 inhibits complement deposition and split product formation generated by HLA-I/II-Ab in vitro

THE IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT OF REPRODUCTIVE DISEASES OF BULLS MANAGEMEN DAN IDENTIFIKAS1 PENYAKIT-PENYAKIT REPRODUKSI PADA SAPI PEJANTAN

ABSTRAK Resensi artikel ini menjelaskan kondisi penyakit yang dapat ditemui pada setiap tingkatan evaluasi fertilitas rutin dari sapi pejantan. Hal tersebut memberikan informasi pada kontrol dan managemen penyakit yang menyerang kapasitas reproduksi pejantan untuk membantu para praktisi untuk memutuslcan tincLikan yang sesuai. Beberapa metode tambahan dari evaluasi fertilitas sapi pejantan dijelackan, dengan beberapa komentar pada kesesuaiarmya. Disimpu/kan bahwa managemen penyakit-penyakit reproduksi pada sapi jantan rnemedukan pengertian/pengetahuan dari pejantan yang digunakanperkirdan rulai elconornis untuk memililt penanganan yang sesuai hams dievaluasiobservasi secara teratur, perhatian kbusus terhadap nutrisi, pembuatan jadwal vaksinasi yang tepatdan pembuatan program culling dan kriteria seleksi. Kato kunci: Pemeriksaan fertilitas, sapi pejantan, tatalaksana pemehlara

The use of scRNA-seq to characterise the tumour microenvironment of high grade serous ovarian carincoma (HGSOC)

High Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma (HGSOC) is the most common type of ovarian cancer. Patients with this disease typically experience relapse in their disease following surgical debulking and initially effective chemotherapy. HGSOC has been intensely studied at the genomic and transcriptomic levels in efforts to advance knowledge of the biological mechanisms that drive the behaviour of this malignancy, and so that new treatment strategies may curb the disease progression relapse. This body of work contributes an optimised protocol for generating robust 10X scRNA-seq libraries from fresh and preserved HGSOC tissue, aiming to dissect the cellular heterogeneity of HGSOC’s Tumour microenvironment (TME). Through unsupervised clustering analysis, it uncovers distinct cellular communities, elucidates transcriptomic signatures across HGSOC tumours, and augments bulk RNA-seq datasets via computational deconvolution, enhancing understanding of HGSOC's cellular complexity across an expanded clinical cohort. The sequencing and analysis of these HGSOC patient tumours revealed 11 distinct cell types, including 2 that are novel in this tumour type; namely ciliated epithelial cells and metallothionein expressing T-cells. These 11 distinct cell types can be broadly categorised into 3 TME components (Tumour, Stroma and Immune) as in other previous tumour scRNA-seq studies. An additional analysis of these components examined the copy number variation (CNV) in the profiled cells and revealed HGSOC tumour cells to be mostly aneuploid while ciliated epithelial cells were diploid. A novel integrative subcluster analysis of HGSOC aneuploid tumour cells identified several apparently tumourigenic gene expression signatures. These include a KRT17+, protease inhibitory signature, an increased cellular metabolism signature, and an immune-reactive signature. Additionally, a ciliated cluster re-emerged within the HGSOC tumour cells, even though the diploid ciliated epithelial cells were not included in the integrative analysis. Finally, the high granularity of HGSOC cellular composition revealed by scRNA-seq is utilised to perform deconvolution analyses to estimate cellular proportions and infer the TME of earlier bulk RNA-seq profiled HGSOC tumour samples. This investigation of earlier sequenced HGSOC samples revealed heterogeneity in the proportions of the TME compartments across the patient cohorts. Survival analysis using these inferred cellular proportions suggest that immune cell presence alone is not associated with survival, but metastatic fibroblast burden in tumour samples is significantly associated with worsen overall survival in HGSOC patients. In conclusion, the laboratory protocol, the scRNA-seq datasets produced, and their analysis and application presented in this work expands the collective knowledge base of HGSOC. Specifically by characterising the cells of the HGSOC tumour microenvironment, and nuances of expression signatures of the malignant cells. The deconvolution approach showcases how scRNA-seq data can expand the clinical utility of earlier RNA-seq HGSOC datasets in a way that is scalable

How to identify food deserts in Amazonian cities?

Food deserts are areas without affordable access to healthy foods. This paper explores whether food deserts are present within urban areas of the Brazilian Amazon. The availability and price of a variety of food products was surveyed in a total of 304 shops, across 3 cities in 2015. Least-cost distances were calculated to estimate travel distance to access products, with map overlay used to help identify areas with poor access to a variety of healthy food - these were defined as food deserts

The Kyoto School and Confucianism: a Confucian reading of the philosophy of history and political thought of Masaaki Kosaka

This dissertation examines the philosophy of Masaaki Kōsaka (1900-1969) from the East Asian perspective of Confucianism, which I believe is the most appropriate moral paradigm for comprehending his political speculations. Although largely neglected in post-war scholarship, Kōsaka was a prominent member of the Kyoto School during the 1930s and 40s. This was a group of Japanese thinkers strongly associated with the philosophies of Kitarō Nishida and Hajime Tanabe. Kōsaka is now best known for his participation in the three Chūō Kōron symposia held in 1941 and 1942. These meetings have been routinely denounced by liberal historians due to the participants’ support for the Pacific War and the Co-Prosperity Sphere. However, many of these liberal portrayals have failed to take into account the full extent of the group’s resistance to the military junta of Hideki Tōjō. Adopting the methods and techniques of the empirical disciplines of academic history and Orientalism, I develop an interpretative framework that is more receptive to the political values that mattered to Kōsaka as a Confucian inspired intellectual. This has necessitated the rejection of moral history, which typically prioritises modern liberal values brought a priori to the historical record of wartime Japan, as well as recognition of the different ontological foundations that inform the unique political theories of the East Asian intellectual tradition. Reinforced by the prior research of Michel Dalissier and Graham Parkes, as well as my own reading of the Confucian canon, I adopt David Williams’s thesis of ‘Confucian Revolution’ as my principle schema of interpretation. This, I believe, is better able to reconcile Kōsaka’s support for the war with his strong condemnation of the imperialist practices of the Japanese military. Moreover, acknowledging the importance of Confucianism allows us to fully appreciate Kōsaka’s strong affinity for Kant’s practical metaphysics, Hegel’s political philosophy and Ranke’s historiography