Fluorescent and Colorimetric Molecular Recognition Probe for Hydrogen Bond Acceptors

The association constants for formation of 1 : 1 complexes between a H-bond donor, 1-naphthol, and a diverse range of charged and neutral H-bond acceptors have been measured using UV/vis absorption and fluorescence emission titrations. The performance of 1-naphthol as a dual colorimetric and fluorescent molecular recognition probe for determining the H-bond acceptor (HBA) parameters of charged and neutral solutes has been investigated in three solvents. The data were employed to establish self-consistent H-bond acceptor parameters (β) for benzoate, azide, chloride, thiocyanate anions, a series of phosphine oxides, phosphate ester, sulfoxide and a tertiary amide. The results demonstrate both the transferability of H-bond parameters between different solvents and the utility of the naphthol-based dual molecular recognition probe to exploit orthogonal spectroscopic techniques to determine the HBA properties of neutral and charged solutes. The benzoate anion is the strongest HBA studied with a β parameter of 15.4, and the neutral tertiary amide is the weakest H-bond acceptor investigated with a β parameter of 8.5. The H-bond acceptor strength of the azide anion is higher than that of chloride (12.8 and 12.2 respectively), and the thiocyanate anion has a β value of 10.8 and thus is a significantly weaker H-bond acceptor than both the azide and chloride anions

The physiological expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the human colon

Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is expressed in the colonic epithelium in both inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer. Nitric oxide (NO), the product of this enzyme, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of both conditions. However, there are conflicting data on whether iNOS is expressed in the normal, uninflamed human colon. To evaluate the expression of iNOS in histologically normal, non-inflamed human colonic mucosa. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunoblotting, and immunohistochemistry were used to investigate the expression of iNOS in 17 histologically normal specimens obtained at colectomy performed for colorectal neoplasia. In addition, 16 endoscopic mucosal biopsies, taken from normal individuals, were also evaluated. Eleven surgical specimens and 16 endoscopic biopsies from patients with refractory ulcerative colitis were used as inflammatory controls. All types of specimens expressed iNOS mRNA. Immunoblotting revealed a protein of approximately 130 kDa consistent with iNOS in mucosal extracts of 77% of normal individuals, and 85% of diseased controls. Immunolabelling localised this protein to the surface epithelium in most of the normal specimens and also to the crypt epithelium and inflammatory cells in the diseased controls. These findings provide evidence that iNOS is often expressed in the surface epithelium of non-inflamed human colon, suggesting that it is induced by local luminal factors, such as bacterial lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin). The resultant NO produced at this site might act as an oxidative barrier, reducing bacterial translocation and providing a means of defence against pathogenic microorganisms

Solvatomorphism of Reichardt's dye

Six different crystal structures are obtained depending on the crystallization solvent.</p

Tractable Pathfinding for the Stochastic On-Time Arrival Problem

We present a new and more efficient technique for computing the route that maximizes the probability of on-time arrival in stochastic networks, also known as the path-based stochastic on-time arrival (SOTA) problem. Our primary contribution is a pathfinding algorithm that uses the solution to the policy-based SOTA problem---which is of pseudo-polynomial-time complexity in the time budget of the journey---as a search heuristic for the optimal path. In particular, we show that this heuristic can be exceptionally efficient in practice, effectively making it possible to solve the path-based SOTA problem as quickly as the policy-based SOTA problem. Our secondary contribution is the extension of policy-based preprocessing to path-based preprocessing for the SOTA problem. In the process, we also introduce Arc-Potentials, a more efficient generalization of Stochastic Arc-Flags that can be used for both policy- and path-based SOTA. After developing the pathfinding and preprocessing algorithms, we evaluate their performance on two different real-world networks. To the best of our knowledge, these techniques provide the most efficient computation strategy for the path-based SOTA problem for general probability distributions, both with and without preprocessing.Comment: Submission accepted by the International Symposium on Experimental Algorithms 2016 and published by Springer in the Lecture Notes in Computer Science series on June 1, 2016. Includes typographical corrections and modifications to pre-processing made after the initial submission to SODA'15 (July 7, 2014

Edible crabs “Go West”: migrations and incubation cycle of Cancer pagurus revealed by electronic tags

Crustaceans are key components of marine ecosystems which, like other exploited marine taxa, show seasonable patterns of distribution and activity, with consequences for their availability to capture by targeted fisheries. Despite concerns over the sustainability of crab fisheries worldwide, difficulties in observing crabs’ behaviour over their annual cycles, and the timings and durations of reproduction, remain poorly understood. From the release of 128 mature female edible crabs tagged with electronic data storage tags (DSTs), we demonstrate predominantly westward migration in the English Channel. Eastern Channel crabs migrated further than western Channel crabs, while crabs released outside the Channel showed little or no migration. Individual migrations were punctuated by a 7-month hiatus, when crabs remained stationary, coincident with the main period of crab spawning and egg incubation. Incubation commenced earlier in the west, from late October onwards, and brooding locations, determined using tidal geolocation, occurred throughout the species range. With an overall return rate of 34%, our results demonstrate that previous reluctance to tag crabs with relatively high-cost DSTs for fear of loss following moulting is unfounded, and that DSTs can generate precise information with regards life-history metrics that would be unachievable using other conventional means

The HadCM3 contribution to PlioMIP phase 2

We present the UK's input into the Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project phase 2 (PlioMIP2) using the Hadley Centre Climate Model version 3 (HadCM3). The 400 ppm CO2 Pliocene experiment has a mean annual surface air temperature that is 2.9 ∘C warmer than the pre-industrial and a polar amplification of between 1.7 and 2.2 times the global mean warming. The Pliocene Research Interpretation and Synoptic Mapping (PRISM4) enhanced Pliocene palaeogeography accounts for a warming of 1.4 ∘C, whilst the CO2 increase from 280 to 400 ppm leads to a further 1.5 ∘C of warming. Climate sensitivity is 3.5 ∘C for the pre-industrial and 2.9 ∘C for the Pliocene. Precipitation change between the pre-industrial and Pliocene is complex, with geographic and land surface changes primarily modifying the geographical extent of mean annual precipitation. Sea ice fraction and areal extent are reduced during the Pliocene, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere, although they persist through summer in both hemispheres. The Pliocene palaeogeography drives a more intense Pacific and Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). This intensification of AMOC is coincident with more widespread deep convection in the North Atlantic. We conclude by examining additional sensitivity experiments and confirm that the choice of total solar insolation (1361 vs. 1365 Wm−2) and orbital configuration (modern vs. 3.205 Ma) does not significantly influence the anomaly-type analysis in use by the Pliocene community

Mooring systems for marine energy converters

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from IEEE via the DOI in this record.This paper discusses several new technologies for mooring floating marine energy converter (MEC) devices, such as wave energy generators, tidal current turbines and floating wind turbines. The principal mooring component is a special nylon fiber rope which provides cyclic tension fatigue endurance much superior to that of conventional nylon ropes. The nylon fiber is treated with a new proprietary coating which has excellent wet yarn abrasion properties. The parallel-subrope type rope construction further reduces internal abrasion. Extensive laboratory testing was carried out on this new nylon rope design. Cyclic tension fatigue tests were conducted at mean loads and load amplitudes typical of actual service conditions and at higher mean loads and amplitudes. These tests demonstrate that the special nylon rope has essentially the same, desirable stretch characteristics as conventional nylon rope and has much better endurance performance. The mooring connection to the floating MEC device consists of a high-modulus fiber rope pendant which passes through a low-friction bell-mouth nylon fairlead on the MEC device. This eliminates the use of heavy, unreliable chain in this critical connection. A unique bag anchor system would be used on sand, clay, rock and other sea beds in which conventional drag embedment anchors and driven piles are impractical. The bag anchor consists of a large abrasion resistant carcass with lifting straps and top closure. The bag is transported to site in a collapsed form and is filled with local sand or aggregate to provide ballast weight. Several or many such bags are enclosed within a fiber rope net for deployment and are grouped together for connection to the mooring line. The paper will be of particular interest to designers of moorings for MEC systems in shallow water and severe wave environments. It will also be of interest for other mooring applications.This work would not have been possible without the funding and support of the Scottish Government, the Carbon Trust and Innovate UK.   The project was funded under the Marine Renewables Commercialization Fund (MRCF) and Marine Energy Supporting Array Technologies (MESAT).   Other partners who contributed to this project include Lloyd’s Register, DNV‐GL, TenCate, Orion Energy Centre, Nylacast, and offshore wind developer IDEOL.    Input and encouragement was provided by tidal power developer partner Bluewater, and wave energy developers AWS Ocean Energy and Pelamis.

Estimating the incidence of acute infectious intestinal disease in the community in the UK:A retrospective telephone survey

Objectives: To estimate the burden of intestinal infectious disease (IID) in the UK and determine whether disease burden estimations using a retrospective study design differ from those using a prospective study design. Design/Setting: A retrospective telephone survey undertaken in each of the four countries comprising the United Kingdom. Participants were randomly asked about illness either in the past 7 or 28 days. Participants: 14,813 individuals for all of whom we had a legible recording of their agreement to participate Outcomes: Self-reported IID, defined as loose stools or clinically significant vomiting lasting less than two weeks, in the absence of a known non-infectious cause. Results: The rate of self-reported IID varied substantially depending on whether asked for illness in the previous 7 or 28 days. After standardising for age and sex, and adjusting for the number of interviews completed each month and the relative size of each UK country, the estimated rate of IID in the 7-day recall group was 1,530 cases per 1,000 person-years (95% CI: 1135 – 2113), while in the 28-day recall group it was 533 cases per 1,000 person-years (95% CI: 377 – 778). There was no significant variation in rates between the four countries. Rates in this study were also higher than in a related prospective study undertaken at the same time. Conclusions: The estimated burden of disease from IID varied dramatically depending on study design. Retrospective studies of IID give higher estimates of disease burden than prospective studies. Of retrospective studies longer recall periods give lower estimated rates than studies with short recall periods. Caution needs to be exercised when comparing studies of self-reported IID as small changes in study design or case definition can markedly affect estimated rates

The potential role of cost-utility analysis in the decision to implement major system change in acute stroke services in metropolitan areas in England

BACKGROUND: The economic implications of major system change are an important component of the decision to implement health service reconfigurations. Little is known about how best to report the results of economic evaluations of major system change to inform decision-makers. Reconfiguration of acute stroke care in two metropolitan areas in England, namely London and Greater Manchester (GM), was used to analyse the economic implications of two different implementation strategies for major system change. METHODS: A decision analytic model was used to calculate difference-in-differences in costs and outcomes before and after the implementation of two major system change strategies in stroke care in London and GM. Values in the model were based on patient level data from Hospital Episode Statistics, linked mortality data from the Office of National Statistics and data from two national stroke audits. Results were presented as net monetary benefit (NMB) and using Programme Budgeting and Marginal Analysis (PBMA) to assess the costs and benefits of a hypothetical typical region in England with approximately 4000 strokes a year. RESULTS: In London, after 90 days, there were nine fewer deaths per 1000 patients compared to the rest of England (95% CI -24 to 6) at an additional cost of £770,027 per 1000 stroke patients admitted. There were two additional deaths (95% CI -19 to 23) in GM, with a total costs saving of £156,118 per 1000 patients compared to the rest of England. At a £30,000 willingness to pay the NMB was higher in London and GM than the rest of England over the same time period. The results of the PBMA suggest that a GM style reconfiguration could result in a total greater health benefit to a region. Implementation costs were £136 per patient in London and £75 in GM. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of major system change in acute stroke care may result in a net health benefit to a region, even one functioning within a fixed budget. The choice of what model of stroke reconfiguration to implement may depend on the relative importance of clinical versus cost outcomes