Unification and classification of two-dimensional crystalline patterns using orbifolds

The concept of an orbifold is particularly suited to classification and enumeration of crystalline groups in the euclidean (flat) plane and its elliptic and hyperbolic counterparts. Using Conway's orbifold naming scheme, this article explicates conventional point, frieze and plane groups, and describes the advantages of the orbifold approach, which relies on simple rules for calculating the orbifold topology. The article proposes a simple taxonomy of orbifolds into seven classes, distinguished by their underlying topological connectedness, boundedness and orientability. Simpler 'crystallographic hyperbolic groups' are listed, namely groups that result from hyperbolic sponge-like sections through three-dimensional euclidean space related to all known genus-three triply periodic minimal surfaces (i.e. the P, D, Gyroid, CLP and H surfaces) as well as the genus-four I-WP surface

Polycontinuous geometries for inverse lipid phases with more than two aqueous network domains

Inverse bicontinuous cubic phases with two aqueous network domains separated by a smooth bilayer are firmly established as equilibrium phases in lipid/water systems. The purpose of this article is to highlight the generalisations of these bicontinuous geometries to polycontinuous geometries, which could be realised as lipid mesophases with three or more network-like aqueous domains separated by a branched bilayer. An analysis of structural homogeneity in terms of bilayer width variations reveals that ordered polycontinuous geometries are likely candidates for lipid mesophase structures, with similar chain packing characteristics to the inverse micellar phases (that once were believed not to exist due to high packing frustration). The average molecular shape required by global geometry to form these multi-network phases is quantified by the surfactant shape parameter, v/(al); we find that it adopts values close to those of the known lipid phases. We specifically analyse the 3etc(187 193) structure of hexagonal symmetry P63 /mcm with three aqueous domains, the 3dia(24 220) structure of cubic symmetry I 3d composed of three distorted diamond networks, the cubic chiral 4srs(24 208) with cubic symmetry P4232 and the achiral 4srs(5 133) structure of symmetry P42/nbc, each consisting of four intergrown undistorted copies of the srs net (the same net as in the QGII gyroid phase). Structural homogeneity is analysed by a medial surface approach assuming that the head-group interfaces are constant mean curvature surfaces. To facilitate future experimental identification, we provide simulated SAXS scattering patterns that, for the 4srs(24 208) and 3dia(24 220) structures, bear remarkable similarity to those of bicontinuous QGII-gyroid and QDII-diamond phases, with comparable lattice parameters and only a single peak that cannot be indexed to the well-established structures. While polycontinuous lipid phases have, to date, not been reported, the likelihood of their formation is further indicated by the reported observation of a solid tricontinuous mesoporous silicate structure, termed IBN-9, which formed in the presence of surfactants [Han et al., Nat. Chem., 2009, 1, 123]

UK Parliament Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee Flooding Inquiry: Written Evidence from Dr Kate Smith et al. (FLO0043)

This submission presents the research conducted within the Energy and Environment Institute at the University of Hull. Our work demonstrates that hazards represented by flooding have multiple dimensions, and that solutions to them need to take these complex inter-relationships into account. The research described below covers both the physical and social impacts of flooding; the recommendations that follow from our work are based on our understanding that flood risk management needs to expand across land-water boundaries at the full range of spatial, temporal and societal scales. Responding to each of the terms of reference in turn, our data shows that the response to flooding needs to start changing now in order to ensure the resilience of our communities, businesses and infrastructure in the future

A Decline in p38 MAPK Signaling Underlies Immunosenescence in Caenorhabditis elegans

The decline in immune function with aging, known as immunosenescence, has been implicated in evolutionarily diverse species, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not understood. During aging in Caenorhabditis elegans, intestinal tissue deterioration and the increased intestinal proliferation of bacteria are observed, but how innate immunity changes during C. elegans aging has not been defined. Here we show that C. elegans exhibits increased susceptibility to bacterial infection with age, and we establish that aging is associated with a decline in the activity of the conserved PMK-1 p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, which regulates innate immunity in C. elegans. Our data define the phenomenon of innate immunosenescence in C. elegans in terms of the age-dependent dynamics of the PMK-1 innate immune signaling pathway, and they suggest that a cycle of intestinal tissue aging, immunosenescence, and bacterial proliferation leads to death in aging C. elegans

The role of oral language skills in reading and listening comprehension of text: A comparison of monolingual (L1) and bilingual (L2) speakers of English language

The study examined the role of oral language skills in reading comprehension and listening comprehension levels of 125 monolingual (L1) and bilingual (L2) English-speaking learners (M = 121.5 months, SD = 4.65) in England. All testing was conducted in English. The L1 learners outperformed their L2 peers on the measures of oral language and text comprehension, but the two groups performed at comparable levels on word-reading accuracy and speed. Oral language, indexed by vocabulary and morphosyntactic skills, emerged as the most powerful unique predictor of both reading and listening comprehension levels. Although there was a tendency of oral language to be more strongly related to L2 reading comprehension, its relationship with listening comprehension was comparable across the two language groups. Finally, individual differences in oral language skills emerged as the primary factor that explained the language group differences in text comprehension levels. Educational implications of these findings were discussed. © 2012 UKLA

Clinical utility of genetic testing in 201 preschool children with inherited eye disorders

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2019-09-23, registration 2019-11-25, accepted 2019-11-25, pub-electronic 2019-12-18, online 2019-12-18, pub-print 2020-04-01Publication status: PublishedAbstract: Purpose: A key property to consider in all genetic tests is clinical utility, the ability of the test to influence patient management and health outcomes. Here we assess the current clinical utility of genetic testing in diverse pediatric inherited eye disorders (IEDs). Methods: Two hundred one unrelated children (0–5 years old) with IEDs were ascertained through the database of the North West Genomic Laboratory Hub, Manchester, UK. The cohort was collected over a 7-year period (2011–2018) and included 74 children with bilateral cataracts, 8 with bilateral ectopia lentis, 28 with bilateral anterior segment dysgenesis, 32 with albinism, and 59 with inherited retinal disorders. All participants underwent panel-based genetic testing. Results: The diagnostic yield of genetic testing for the cohort was 64% (ranging from 39% to 91% depending on the condition). The test result led to altered management (including preventing additional investigations or resulting in the introduction of personalized surveillance measures) in 33% of probands (75% for ectopia lentis, 50% for cataracts, 33% for inherited retinal disorders, 7% for anterior segment dysgenesis, 3% for albinism). Conclusion: Genetic testing helped identify an etiological diagnosis in the majority of preschool children with IEDs. This prevented additional unnecessary testing and provided the opportunity for anticipatory guidance in significant subsets of patients

The role of non-initial clusters in the Children’s test of Nonword Repetition: evidence from children with language impairment and typically developing children

One of the most used tests of nonword repetition is the Children’s test of Nonword Repetition (CNRep, Gathercole et al., 1994, Gathercole & Baddeley, 1996). The test is composed of nonwords of different length, and normative data suggest that children experience more difficulties in repeating long nonwords. An analysis of the distribution of phonological clusters in the test shows that non-initial clusters are unequally distributed in the test, and they always appear in long nonwords. For this reason, we hypothesised that the difficulties children encounter with long nonwords may be influenced by the phonological complexity of the clusters, and not just by the challenge for working memory associated with long nonwords. To test the hypothesis, we compared performance in long nonwords with and without a non-initial cluster in 18 children with language impairment and 18 typically developing children. Without questioning the validity of the test as a diagnostic tool, our analysis shows that, in line with our prediction, long nonwords with non-initial clusters are repeated less accurately by both groups. In addition, there was an interaction of the effect of cluster and age: specifically, it is absent in younger children and it gradually increases with age. These findings suggest that phonological complexity may be impacting on the length effect normally observed in the CNRep task, and this impact may be particularly evident in older children