Raman Spectroscopy Applied to the Noninvasive Detection of Monosodium Urate Crystal Deposits

An off-the-shelf Raman Spectrometer (RS) was used to noninvasively determine the presence of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals on the metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) of a single gout sufferer. The spectrum sourced from the clinically diagnosed gout sufferer was compared to that sourced from an age-matched healthy subject scanned using the same protocol. Minimal signal processing was conducted on both spectra. Peaks characteristic of MSU crystals were evident on the spectrum sourced from the gout sufferer and not on the spectrum from the healthy control

Endogenous Group Formation Via Unproductive Costs

Sacrifice is widely believed to enhance cooperation in churches, communes, gangs, clans, military units, and many other groups. We find that sacrifice can also work in the lab, apart from special ideologies, identities, or interactions. Our subjects play a modified VCM game—one in which they can voluntarily join groups that provide reduced rates of return on private investment. This leads to both endogenous sorting (because free-riders tend to reject the reduced-rate option) and substitution (because reduced private productivity favours increased club involvement). Seemingly unproductive costs thus serve to screen out free-riders, attract conditional cooperators, boost club production, and increase member welfare. The sacrifice mechanism is simple and particularly useful where monitoring difficulties impede punishment, exclusion, fees, and other more standard solutions

Rapid Assessment of Southern Pine Decayed by G. Trabeum by Near Infrared Spectra Collected from the Radial Surface

The use of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for predicting levels of degradation in southern pine (Pinus spp.) by Gloeophyllum trabeum for periods over 1-8 da was investigated. NIR spectra collected from the center of the radial face of each sample after laboratory soil block decay tests were used to develop calibrations. Calibrations were developed for mass loss, compression strength, and exposure period using data measured from prior methods and untreated and mathematically treated (multiplicative scatter correction and first and second derivative) NIR spectra from various ranges of wavelengths by partial least squares regression. Strong relationships were derived from the calibrations with the strongest R2 values of 0.97 (exposure period), 0.94 (compression strength), and 0.91 (mass loss). Calibrations for exposure period showed the strongest statistics for predicting wood decay of the validation test set (R2 = 0.92; RPDp [ratio of the standard deviation of the measured data to the standard error of prediction] = 3.95 [first derivative, 1100-2250 nm]), while predictions for mass loss of the decayed samples resulted in R2 = 0.86 and an RPDp = 3.17 (multiplicative scatter correction, 1100-2500 nm), and the strongest compression strength prediction resulted in R2 = 0.76 and an RPDp = 2.50 (second derivative, 1100-2500 nm). These results suggest that NIR spectroscopy can adequately predict wood decay from spectra collected from the radial face of southern pine

Problem-Solving Treatment for People Recently Diagnosed with Visual Impairment: Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Problem-Solving Treatment (PST) has been used to treat and prevent depression in a variety of settings. However, the impact of PST on improving psychological well-being in those with recent vision loss remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether PST may lead to better psychological well-being in people with recent vision loss through a pilot parallel-group randomised controlled trial. METHODS: Participants who were diagnosed with visual impairment during the previous 3 months were randomly allocated to either an 8-week PST or treatment as usual (N = 61). Outcome measures were administered at baseline, 3, 6, and 9-months. RESULTS: A linear mixed model demonstrated that PST significantly improved psychological well-being (measured by the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale) (treatment effect = 2.44; 95% CI = 0.40-4.47; p = 0.019). Significant improvements in the PST group for symptoms of distress, quality of life and self-efficacy were also observed. There was no significant difference in mobility. The treatment effect was consistent at all follow-ups. Attrition rate was low (13%). CONCLUSIONS: PST was associated with a significant and sustained improvement in a range of outcomes in people with recent vision loss. Further large scale RCT is now required

Use of portable air purifiers to reduce aerosols in hospital settings and cut down the clinical backlog

SARS-CoV-2 has severely affected capacity in the NHS, and waiting lists are markedly increasing due to downtime of up to 50 minutes between patient consultations/procedures, to reduce the risk of infection. Ventilation accelerates this air cleaning, but retroactively installing built-in mechanical ventilation is often cost-prohibitive. We investigated the effect of using portable air cleaners (PAC), a low-energy and low-cost alternative, to reduce the concentration of aerosols in typical patient consultation/procedure environments. The experimental setup consisted of an aerosol generator, which mimicked the subject affected by SARS-CoV-19, and an aerosol detector, representing a subject who could potentially contract SARS-CoV-19. Experiments of aerosol dispersion and clearing were undertaken in situ in a variety of rooms with 2 different types of PAC in various combinations and positions. Correct use of PAC can reduce the clearance half-life of aerosols by 82% compared to the same indoor-environment without any ventilation, and at a broadly equivalent rate to built-in mechanical ventilation. In addition, the highest level of aerosol concentration measured when using PAC remains at least 46% lower than that when no mitigation is used, even if the PAC’s operation is impeded due to placement under a table. The use of PAC leads to significant reductions in the level of aerosol concentration, associated with transmission of droplet-based airborne diseases. This could enable NHS departments to reduce the downtime between consultations/procedures

Viability of Pony Stallion Semen in Different Temperature and Dilution

Background: Artificial insemination and transport of cooled semen has been routinely used in equine industry in the past 20 years. However, more investigations are needed regarding the methods for long time storage in pony stallion semen. The effect of dilution and cooling temperature on pH, sperm motility, membrane integrity and mitochondrial activity were investigated before and after cooling of stallion semen.Materials, Methods & Results: Two ejaculates each from nine Brazilian ponies were diluted in a nonbuffered powder milk extender cooled at 5°C or 15°C for 48 h using three different dilutions (1:1, 1:2 or 1:3). Data were assessed by analysis of variance and the rate comparison was performed using the Duncan test. Samples diluted 1:1 at 5oC or 15°C showed higher pH values (7.63 ± 0.34 e 7.57 ± 0.27) and lower progressive motility (10.3 ± 11.05, 17.08 ± 9.95). All samples cooled at 15°C also showed lower incidence of morphologically altered spermatozoa (1:1 = 55.84%; 1:2 = 51.84%; 1:3 = 49.95%) [P < 0.01]. Mitochondrial activity was higher on the 1:3 dilution (0.86 ± 0.19 nm) at 5°C and on the 1:1 (0.89 ± 0.23 nm), 1:2 (0.93 ± 0.2 nm) and 1:3 (0.92 ± 0.2 nm) dilutions at 15°C. Progressive motility was higher when semen was diluted 1:3 and cooled at 15°C (42.22 ± 12.38; P < 0.05). Considering mitochondrial activity, similar results were observed when different dilutions of semen were used (P > 0.05) despite time and temperature. The pH, progressive motility, mitochondrial activity and membrane integrity remained similar (P > 0.05) on fresh semen samples independent of the dilution grade used. The best results were obtained when semen was diluted 1:3 and cooled at 15°C. All dilution grades were safe for fresh semen and pH wasincreased when semen was diluted and cooled for 48 h.Discussion: The methodology used to collect and process equine semen and semen from ponies is practically the same. Equine semen when sent for artificial insemination is usually cooled to 5°C. Our results showed that cooling reduces sperm viability, which has also been demonstrated by other studies. In contrast, the best cooling temperature was at 15°C. However, it is easier to keep the temperature at 5°C during transport, due to the large temperature oscillation that may occur during transportation. The semen of ponies can tolerate cooling at both 5 and 15°C. The 1:3 dilution cooled to 15°C provided better viability of pony sperm, and more stable pH during 48 h of cooling. Dilution 1:1 should not be used for cooling in powdered skim milk extender

Spatiotemporal droplet dispersion measurements demonstrate face masks reduce risks from singing

COVID-19 has restricted singing in communal worship. We sought to understand variations in droplet transmission and the impact of wearing face masks. Using rapid laser planar imaging, we measured droplets while participants exhaled, said ‘hello’ or ‘snake’, sang a note or ‘Happy Birthday’, with and without surgical face masks. We measured mean velocity magnitude (MVM), time averaged droplet number (TADN) and maximum droplet number (MDN). Multilevel regression models were used. In 20 participants, sound intensity was 71 dB for speaking and 85 dB for singing (p  85% reduction wearing face masks. Droplet transmission varied widely, particularly for singing. Masks decreased TADN by 99% (p < 0.001) and MDN by 98% (p < 0.001) for singing and 86–97% for other tasks. Masks reduced variance by up to 48%. When wearing a mask, neither singing task transmitted more droplets than exhaling. In conclusion, wide variation exists for droplet production. This significantly reduced when wearing face masks. Singing during religious worship wearing a face mask appears as safe as exhaling or talking. This has implications for UK public health guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic

Civility, community cohesion and antisocial behaviour: policy and social harmony

Intergroup conflict, whether manifest as the absence of community cohesion or as the presence of antisocial behaviour, is an issue of international concern. In the UK, confronting the reality or perceived threat of intergroup conflict is a core feature of community cohesion and antisocial behaviour policies. To varying degrees, the frameworks underpinning these policies see the absence or breakdown of community relations as a cause of social disharmony. A key challenge for policy is therefore improvement of the quality of community relations. In this paper, we consider how government has approached this challenge. We filter our analysis through the lens of civility, which proposes that the peaceful coexistence of diverse social groups rests on the existence and maintenance of intergroup empathy and mutual respect. This proposal is supported by international research evidence on the outcomes of meaningful interactions, where these are predicated on equal group status, leading to changes in group and intergroup perceptions and behaviours (the contact hypothesis). We consider the extent to which community cohesion and anti-social behaviour policies in the UK demonstrate a coherent conception of the problem of community relations, the quality of community relations to which these policies aspire and whether the strategies deployed to address community relations seek to support civility through meaningful interaction. We find that the policy debates start from different presumptions concerning the roots of social disharmony, and this is reflected in the nature of the interventions which the community cohesion and antisocial behaviour policy frameworks support. In particular, we find that the social interaction promoted through policies in the UK is not necessarily aimed at achieving social harmony through meaningful interaction based on recognition of equal group status. We also show that these policies are based on little in the way of evidence and prior knowledge