Developing a model for e-prints and open access journal content in UK further and higher education

A study carried out for the UK Joint Information Systems Committee examined models for the provision of access to material in institutional and subject-based archives and in open access journals. Their relative merits were considered, addressing not only technical concerns but also how e-print provision (by authors) can be achieved – an essential factor for an effective e-print delivery service (for users). A "harvesting" model is recommended, where the metadata of articles deposited in distributed archives are harvested, stored and enhanced by a national service. This model has major advantages over the alternatives of a national centralized service or a completely decentralized one. Options for the implementation of a service based on the harvesting model are presented

Early detection and differentiation of microbial spoilage of bread using electronic nose technology

This study investigated the potential for use of electronic noses (e-noses) for early rapid detection and differentiation of bread spoilage before visible signs of growth occur. After 24 h incubation at 25°C it was possible to distinguish Penicillium verrucosum, Aspergillus ochraceus, and Pichia anomala from 3 different species of filamentous fungi before visible growth was observed on unmodified wheat agar using a conducting polymer based e-nose (BH114). Discrimination of controls was possible after 48 h. The BH114 e-nose was able to differentiate between Pseudomonas fragi, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and P. verrucosum growing on 0.97 aw modified flour-based media after only 24 h. The BH114 e-nose was able to discriminate between P. fragi and S. cerevisiae growing in broth cultures and between different aw controls in exponential growth (13.5 h). Discrimination of Staphylococcus aureus growing in different aw broths and from uninoculated controls was achieved after 4.5 h. The BH114 e-nose was also able to detect and differentiate microbial spoilage in situ using bread analogues. Discrimination was improved using an incubation temperature of 25°C when compared to 15°C. Discrimination of microbial and physiological (enzymic) spoilage of bread analogues was possible using e-nose technology, cfu counts and gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) using an initial population of 106 spores/cells ml-1. After 48 h differentiation of the spoilage types and between some of the microbial spoilage organisms was possible using the e-nose. A significant increase in populations was noted between 24 and 48 h. There were significant differences between microbial populations detected after 48 and 72 h. Analysis of volatile compounds produced, using GC-MS, showed that after 24 h P. anomala was the only treatment to produce 2-propanol, ethyl acetate, and pentanol. P. anomala also produced greater amounts of 3-methylbutanol when compared to P. verrucosum, B. subtilis, lipoxygenase spoilage and controls. Differentiation between toxigenic and non-toxigenic strains of Aspergillus parasiticus in vitro was not achieved. However, in vitro on unmodified 2% wheat agar it was possible to differentiate a non-toxigenic P. verrucosum strain from 4 citrinin producing strains and controls using the BH114 e-nose. On bread analogues it was possible to discriminate two ochratoxin A (OTA) producing P. verrucosum strains after 24 h using an initial population of 106 spore ml-1. Increased incubation resulted in only controls being discriminated. Using a lower initial population of 103 spores ml-1 only controls were discriminated after 24 h. However, after 48 h an OTA producing strain could also be differentiated. The potential for use of e-noses as a tool for screening novel antioxidants was also investigated. It was possible to differentiate between broth samples with and without the antioxidants propyl paraben and butylated hydroxyanisole using both the conductance based e-nose (BH114) and a metal oxide and metal ion based e-nose (NST3220 lab emission analyser). When samples without antioxidant were removed it was possible to differentiate treatments containing antioxidant that had been inoculated with micro-organism and those that had not. The e-noses were also able to discriminate between sample times. Microbial populations and carbon dioxide levels increased with incubation time. P. verrucosum and P. anomala populations were greater in treatments without antioxidant whereas B. subtilis populations were greater in 0.97 aw treatments containing antioxidant. CO2 production was greater in inoculated treatments without an antioxidant except at 0.95 aw P. verrucosum produced greater volumes in the presence of the antioxidant. Using natural bread cross validation studies of 4 unknown contaminants (P. anomala, P. verrucosum and B. subtilis and controls) was performed. This showed that using initial populations of 103 spores/cells ml-1 the BH114 e-nose was able to differentiate between all the unknown treatments after 48 h and the NST3220 lab emission analyser after 72 h. CO2 production could be used to detect controls but it was not possible to differentiate between the micro-organisms.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Exploring the Efficacy of Nile Red in Microplastic Quantification: A Costaining Approach

The presence of microplastic particles ([less than]5 mm) in the environment has generated considerable concern across public, political, and scientific platforms. However, the diversity of microplastics that persist in the environment poses complex analytical challenges for our understanding of their prevalence. The use of the dye Nile red to quantify microplastics is increasingly common. However, its use in microplastic analysis rarely accounts for its affinity with the breadth of particles that occur in environmental samples. Here, we examine Nile red’s ability to stain a variety of microplastic particles and common natural and anthropogenic particles found in environmental samples. To better constrain microplastic estimates using Nile red, we test the coapplication of a second stain that binds to biological material, 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). We test the potential inflation of microplastic estimates using Nile red alone by applying this costaining approach to samples of drinking water and freshwater. The use of Nile red dye alone resulted in a maximum 100% overestimation of microplastic particles. These findings are of particular significance for the public dissemination of findings from an emotive field of study

Mononeuritis multiplex: an unexpectedly frequent feature of severe COVID-19

Funder: University of CambridgeAbstract: The prolonged mechanical ventilation that is often required by patients with severe COVID-19 is expected to result in significant intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICUAW) in many of the survivors. However, in our post-COVID-19 follow-up clinic we have found that, as well as the anticipated global weakness related to loss of muscle mass, a significant proportion of these patients also have disabling focal neurological deficits relating to multiple axonal mononeuropathies. Amongst the 69 patients with severe COVID-19 that have been discharged from the intensive care units in our hospital, we have seen 11 individuals (16%) with such a mononeuritis multiplex. In many instances, the multi-focal nature of the weakness in these patients was initially unrecognised as symptoms were wrongly assumed to relate simply to “critical illness neuromyopathy”. While mononeuropathy is well recognised as an occasional complication of intensive care, our experience suggests that such deficits are surprisingly frequent and often disabling in patients recovering from severe COVID-19

ThX - a next-generation probe for the early detection of amyloid aggregates.

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's are associated with protein misfolding and aggregation. Recent studies suggest that the small, rare and heterogeneous oligomeric species, formed early on in the aggregation process, may be a source of cytotoxicity. Thioflavin T (ThT) is currently the gold-standard fluorescent probe for the study of amyloid proteins and aggregation processes. However, the poor photophysical and binding properties of ThT impairs the study of oligomers. To overcome this challenge, we have designed Thioflavin X, (ThX), a next-generation fluorescent probe which displays superior properties; including a 5-fold increase in brightness and 7-fold increase in binding affinity to amyloidogenic proteins. As an extrinsic dye, this can be used to study unique structural amyloid features both in bulk and on a single-aggregate level. Furthermore, ThX can be used as a super-resolution imaging probe in single-molecule localisation microscopy. Finally, the improved optical properties (extinction coefficient, quantum yield and brightness) of ThX can be used to monitor structural differences in oligomeric species, not observed via traditional ThT imaging

Understanding the influences on successful quality improvement in emergency general surgery: learning from the RCS Chole-QuIC project

Abstract: Background: Acute gallstone disease is the highest volume Emergency General Surgical presentation in the UK. Recent data indicate wide variations in the quality of care provided across the country, with national guidance for care delivery not implemented in most UK hospitals. Against this backdrop, the Royal College of Surgeons of England set up a 13-hospital quality improvement collaborative (Chole-QuIC) to support clinical teams to reduce time to surgery for patients with acute gallstone disease requiring emergency cholecystectomy. Methods: Prospective, mixed-methods process evaluation to answer the following: (1) how was the collaborative delivered by the faculty and received, understood and enacted by the participants; (2) what influenced teams’ ability to improve care for patients requiring emergency cholecystectomy? We collected and analysed a range of data including field notes, ethnographic observations of meetings, and project documentation. Analysis was based on the framework approach, informed by Normalisation Process Theory, and involved the creation of comparative case studies based on hospital performance during the project. Results: Chole-QuIC was delivered as planned and was well received and understood by participants. Four hospitals were identified as highly successful, based upon a substantial increase in the number of patients having surgery in line with national guidance. Conversely, four hospitals were identified as challenged, achieving no significant improvement. The comparative analysis indicate that six inter-related influences appeared most associated with improvement: (1) achieving clarity of purpose amongst site leads and key stakeholders; (2) capacity to lead and effective project support; (3) ideas to action; (4) learning from own and others’ experience; (5) creating additional capacity to do emergency cholecystectomies; and (6) coordinating/managing the patient pathway. Conclusion: Collaborative-based quality improvement is a viable strategy for emergency surgery but success requires the deployment of effective clinical strategies in conjunction with improvement strategies. In particular, achieving clarity of purpose about proposed changes amongst key stakeholders was a vital precursor to improvement, enabling the creation of additional surgical capacity and new pathways to be implemented effectively. Protected time, testing ideas, and the ability to learn quickly from data and experience were associated with greater impact within this cohort

Spatial and Genetic Epidemiology of Hookworm in a Rural Community in Uganda

There are remarkably few contemporary, population-based studies of intestinal nematode infection for sub-Saharan Africa. This paper presents a comprehensive epidemiological analysis of hookworm infection intensity in a rural Ugandan community. Demographic, kinship, socioeconomic and environmental data were collected for 1,803 individuals aged six months to 85 years in 341 households in a cross-sectional community survey. Hookworm infection was assessed by faecal egg count. Spatial variation in the intensity of infection was assessed using a Bayesian negative binomial spatial regression model and the proportion of variation explained by host additive genetics (heritability) and common domestic environment was estimated using genetic variance component analysis. Overall, the prevalence of hookworm was 39.3%, with the majority of infections (87.7%) of light intensity (≤1000 eggs per gram faeces). Intensity was higher among older individuals and was associated with treatment history with anthelmintics, walking barefoot outside the home, living in a household with a mud floor and education level of the household head. Infection intensity also exhibited significant household and spatial clustering: the range of spatial correlation was estimated to be 82 m and was reduced by a half over a distance of 19 m. Heritability of hookworm egg count was 11.2%, whilst the percentage of variance explained by unidentified domestic effects was 17.8%. In conclusion, we suggest that host genetic relatedness is not a major determinant of infection intensity in this community, with exposure-related factors playing a greater role

Toxic ignorance and right-to-know in biomonitoring results communication: a survey of scientists and study participants

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Exposure assessment has shifted from pollutant monitoring in air, soil, and water toward personal exposure measurements and biomonitoring. This trend along with the paucity of health effect data for many of the pollutants studied raise ethical and scientific challenges for reporting results to study participants.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We interviewed 26 individuals involved in biomonitoring studies, including academic scientists, scientists from environmental advocacy organizations, IRB officials, and study participants; observed meetings where stakeholders discussed these issues; and reviewed the relevant literature to assess emerging ethical, scientific, and policy debates about personal exposure assessment and biomonitoring, including public demand for information on the human health effects of chemical body burdens.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We identify three frameworks for report-back in personal exposure studies: clinical ethics; community-based participatory research; and citizen science 'data judo.' The first approach emphasizes reporting results only when the health significance of exposures is known, while the latter two represent new communication strategies where study participants play a role in interpreting, disseminating, and leveraging results to promote community health. We identify five critical areas to consider in planning future biomonitoring studies.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Public deliberation about communication in personal exposure assessment research suggests that new forms of community-based research ethics and participatory scientific practice are emerging.</p