Cross-modal associations in synaesthesia: vowel colours in the ear of the beholder

Human speech conveys many forms of information, but for some exceptional individuals (synaesthetes), listening to speech sounds can automatically induce visual percepts such as colours. In this experiment, grapheme–colour synaesthetes and controls were asked to assign colours, or shades of grey, to different vowel sounds. We then investigated whether the acoustic content of these vowel sounds influenced participants’ colour and grey-shade choices. We found that both colour and grey-shade associations varied systematically with vowel changes. The colour effect was significant for both participant groups, but significantly stronger and more consistent for synaesthetes. Because not all vowel sounds that we used are “translatable” into graphemes, we conclude that acoustic–phonetic influences co-exist with established graphemic influences in the cross-modal correspondences of both synaesthetes and non-synaesthetes

A review of metrology in lithium-ion electrode coating processes

Lithium-ion battery electrode design and manufacture is a multi-faceted process where the link between underlying physical processes and manufacturing outputs is not yet fully understood. This is in part due to the many parameters and variables involved and the lack of complete data sets under different processing conditions. The slurry coating step has significant implications for electrode design and advanced metrology offers opportunities to improve understanding and control at this stage. Here, metrology options for slurry coating are reviewed as well as opportunities for in-line integration, discussing the benefits of combining advanced metrology to provide comprehensive characterisation, improve understanding and feed into predictive design models. There is a comprehensive range of metrology which needs little improvement to provide the relevant quantifiable measures during coating, with one exception of particle sizing, where more precise, in-line measurement would be beneficial. However, there is a lack of studies that bring together the latest advancements in electrode coating metrology which is crucial to understanding the interdependency of myriad processing and product parameters. This review highlights the need for a comprehensive metrological picture whose value would be much greater than the sum of its parts for the next generation of multiphysics and data-driven models

Understanding the generation of methanol synthesis and water gas shift activity over copper-based catalysts – A spatially resolved experimental kinetic study using steady and non-steady state operation under CO/CO₂/H₂ feeds

AbstractUnderstanding the mechanism and generation of activity for methanol synthesis and the water gas shift reactions over copper-based catalysts remains a significant area of study in heterogeneous catalysis. In this work, steady and non-steady state experimental and kinetic modelling methods are presented to demonstrate changes in functionality of a Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst based on gas composition.Steady-state testing of a Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst, using experimental spatial discretisation approaches with fixed-bed, integral-operation micro reactors, has generated performance data over a range of PCO/PCO2 ratios (1–10). The data showed a mixture of observations where forward or reverse water gas shift was kinetically favourable, and also where the reaction was significantly limited by thermodynamic equilibrium. A steady state Langmuir–Hinshelwood model based on micro kinetics was most appropriate which includes kinetic descriptions of both directions of the water gas shift reaction. Using this method, the entire dataset could be predicted and an internal consistency within the kinetic model of the key adsorption constants was demonstrated.Non-steady state, ‘reactor start-up’, testing of a Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst marked a novel approach to further understanding the functionality of the catalyst. Initial changes in surface carbon and oxygen populations were quantified and linked to subsequent dynamic changes in methanol synthesis and water gas shift activity. Cu/ZnO and Cu/Al2O3 formulations were also evaluated and tested using kinetic models, permitting a structural and compositional comparison with Cu/ZnO/Al2O3

Report of the workshop on the Implementation of Multidisciplinary Sustained Ocean Observations (IMSOO)

To date, largely independent observing systems have evolved to meet the needs of particular disciplines and end users – many of these still measure only ocean physical variables routinely. The Implementation of Multidisciplinary Sustained Ocean Observations (IMSOO) workshop was held to identify priority steps to further multi-disciplinary collaborations in coordinating continuous and long-term ocean observations for the benefit of better understanding of the ocean and its ecosystems, as well as human impacts and vulnerabilities. The workshop was designed to follow the approach of the Framework for Ocean Observing (FOO), within which societal and scientific requirements for measurements as well as the feasibility of making such measurements combine to prioritize Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs). With the goal of supporting the global implementation of the FOO, an international and multi-disciplinary group of experts in ocean observations and modelling successfully addressed the three major aims of the workshop which were: To build on the established societal and scientific requirements expressed in EOVs and identify the key applications and phenomena that will benefit from co-located multi-disciplinary sustained observations; To identify near-term innovation priorities for observing platforms and sensors to enable multi-disciplinary observations; and To identify programmatic and professional connections between existing and emerging observing networks and modelling efforts that will increase multidisciplinary observations and analyses. To provide an innovative mechanism fostering convergence across the ocean disciplines, the workshop focused on three “demonstration themes”, chosen because they represent global and challenging problems that are best addressed through collaboration of physical, biogeochemical and biological observations and analyses

Diophantine transference inequalities: weighted, inhomogeneous, and intermediate exponents

We extend the Khintchine transference inequalities, as well as a homogeneous-inhomogeneous transference inequality for lattices, due to Bugeaud and Laurent, to a weighted setting. We also provide applications to inhomogeneous Diophantine approximation on manifolds and to weighted badly approximable vectors. Finally, we interpret and prove a conjecture of Beresnevich-Velani (2010) about inhomogeneous intermediate exponents

Establishing the cascade of care for hepatitis C in England-benchmarking to monitor impact of direct acting antivirals

Little is known about engagement and retention in care of people diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) in England. Establishing a cascade of care informs targeted interventions for improving case-finding, referral, treatment uptake and retention in care. Using data from the Sentinel Surveillance of Blood Borne Virus testing (SSBBV) between 2005-2014 we investigate the continuum of care of those tested for HCV in England. Persons ≥1 years old, with an anti-HCV test and subsequent RNA tests between 2005-2014 reported to SSBBV were collated. We describe the cascade of care, as the patient pathway from a diagnostic test, referral into care, treatment, and patient outcomes. Between 2005-2014, 2,390,507 samples were tested for anti-HCV, corresponding to 1,766,515 persons. 53,038 persons (35,190 men and 17,165 women) anti-HCV positive were newly reported to SSBBV. An RNA test, was conducted on 77.0% persons anti-HCV positive, 72.3% of whom were viraemic (RNA positive) during this time period, 21.4% had evidence of treatment, and 3130 49.5% had evidence of a sustained virological response (SVR). In multivariable models confirmation of viraemia by RNA test varied by age and region/test setting; evidence of treatment varied by age, year of test and region/test setting; and SVR varied by age, year of test and region/setting of test. In conclusion, Our findings provide HCV cascade of care estimates prior to the introduction of direct acting antivirals. These findings provide important baseline cascade estimates to benchmark progress towards elimination of HCV as a major public health threat

A DNA-barcode biodiversity standard analysis method (DNA-BSAM) reveals a large variance in the effect of a range of biological, chemical and physical soil management interventions at different sites, but location is one of the most important aspects determining the nature of agricultural soil microbiology

There are significant knowledge gaps in our understanding of how to sustainably manage agricultural soils to preserve soil biodiversity. Here we evaluate and quantify the effects of agricultural management and location on soil microbiology using nine field trials that have consistently applied different soil management practices in the United Kingdom using DNA barcode sequence data. We tested the basic hypothesis that various agricultural management interventions have a significant and greater effect on soil bacterial and fungal diversity than geographic location. The analyses of soil microbial DNA sequence data to date has lacked standardisation which prevents meaningful comparisons across sites and studies. Therefore, to analyse these data and crucially compare and quantify the size of any effects on soil bacterial and fungal biodiversity between sites, we developed and employed a post-sequencing DNA-barcode biodiversity standard analysis method (DNA-BSAM). The DNA-BSAM comprises a series of standardised bioinformatic steps for processing sequences but more importantly defines a standardised set of ecological indices and statistical tests. Use of the DNA-BSAM reveals the hypothesis was not strongly supported, and this was primarily because: 1) there was a large variance in the effects of various management interventions at different sites, and 2) that location had an equivalent or greater effect size than most management interventions for most metrics. Some dispersed sites imposed the same organic amendments interventions but showed different responses, and this combined with observations of strong differences in soil microbiomes by location tentatively suggests that any effect of management may be contingent on location. This means it could be unreliable to extrapolate the findings of individual trials to others. The widespread use of a standard approach will allow meaningful cross-comparisons between soil microbiome studies and thus a substantial evidence-base of the effects of land-use on soil microbiology to accumulate and inform soil management decisions.Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB); British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO

Association between rheumatoid arthritis disease activity, progression of functional limitation and long-term risk of orthopaedic surgery : Combined analysis of two prospective cohorts supports EULAR treat to target DAS thresholds

Objectives: To examine the association between disease activity in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), functional limitation and long-term orthopaedic episodes. Methods: Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) disability scores were collected from two longitudinal early RA inception cohorts in routine care; Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Study and Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Network from 1986 to 2012. The incidence of major and intermediate orthopaedic surgical episodes over 25 years was collected from national data sets. Disease activity was categorised by mean disease activity score (DAS28) annually between years 1 and 5; remission (RDAS≤2.6), low (LDAS>2.6-3.2), low-moderate (LMDAS≥3.2-4.19), high-moderate (HMDAS 4.2-5.1) and high (HDAS>5.1). Results: Data from 2045 patients were analysed. Patients in RDAS showed no HAQ progression over 5 years, whereas there was a significant relationship between rising DAS28 category and HAQ at 1 year, and the rate of HAQ progression between years 1 and 5. During 27 986 person-years follow-up, 392 intermediate and 591 major surgeries were observed. Compared with the RDAS category, there was a significantly increased cumulative incidence of intermediate surgery in HDAS (OR 2.59 CI 1.49 to 4.52) and HMDAS (OR 1.8 CI 1.05 to 3.11) categories, and for major surgery in HDAS (OR 2.48 CI 1.5 to 4.11), HMDAS (OR 2.16 CI 1.32 to 3.52) and LMDAS (OR 2.07 CI 1.28 to 3.33) categories. There was no significant difference in HAQ progression or orthopaedic episodes between RDAS and LDAS categories. Conclusions: There is an association between disease activity and both poor function and long-term orthopaedic episodes. This illustrates the far from benign consequences of persistent moderate disease activity, and supports European League Against Rheumatism treat to target recommendations to secure low disease activity or remission in all patients.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Robotic assisted Laparoscopic partial Nephrectomy for suspected Renal Cell Carcinoma: Retrospective review of surgical outcomes of 35 Cases

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

Establishing the cascade of care for hepatitis C in England-benchmarking to monitor impact of direct acting antivirals

Little is known about engagement and retention in care of people diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) in England. Establishing a cascade of care informs targeted interventions for improving case-finding, referral, treatment uptake and retention in care. Using data from the Sentinel Surveillance of Blood Borne Virus testing (SSBBV) between 2005-2014 we investigate the continuum of care of those tested for HCV in England.Persons ≥1 years old, with an anti-HCV test and subsequent RNA tests between 2005-2014 reported to SSBBV were collated. We describe the cascade of care, as the patient pathway from a diagnostic test, referral into care, treatment, and patient outcomes.Between 2005-2014, 2,390,507 samples were tested for anti-HCV, corresponding to 1,766,515 persons. 53,038 persons (35,190 men and 17,165 women) anti-HCV positive were newly reported to SSBBV. An RNA test, was conducted on 77.0% persons anti-HCV positive, 72.3% of whom were viraemic (RNA positive) during this time period, 21.4% had evidence of treatment, and 3130 49.5% had evidence of a sustained virological response (SVR). In multivariable models confirmation of viraemia by RNA test varied by age and region/test setting; evidence of treatment varied by age, year of test and region/test setting; and SVR varied by age, year of test and region/setting of test. In conclusion,Our findings provide HCV cascade of care estimates prior to the introduction of direct acting antivirals. These findings provide important baseline cascade estimates to benchmark progress towards elimination of HCV as a major public health threat