Do overarching mitigation objectives dominate transport-specific targets in the EU?

International audienceThis research investigates if the stringent 2020 and 2050 overarching CO2 mitigation objectives set out by the European Union dominate its 2010 to 2020 targets specific to the transportation arena, specifically its biofuel penetration objectives and gram CO2 per kilometre emission caps. Using a dynamic recursive general equilibrium model, IMACLIM-R, we demonstrate that these overarching targets do not dominate the interim transportation targets when the carbon policy triggering compliance with the mitigation objectives boils down to the theoretical least-cost option of uniform carbon pricing. Ground transportation is confirmed as quite insensitive to high carbon prices, even when such prices are applied over a long term. It is tempting to conclude that pursuing the mitigation objectives specific to transportation will impose unnecessary costs. However, because of the second best conditions prevailing in actual economies, and of the risk of lock-in in carbon intensive trajectories, we conclude with the urgent need for some ambitious transport-specific policy design research agenda

Dust Flux Monitor Instrument measurements during Stardust-NExT Flyby of Comet 9P/Tempel 1

The Dust Flux Monitor Instrument (DFMI) on the Stardust and Stardust-NExT missions measured impacts from coma dust particles with masses from ∼10−15 to >10−6 kg using two kinds of sensors – one based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) thin films and the other on acoustic detectors (ACs) mounted on the front and second layers of the Whipple Bumper Shield. At the higher encounter speed of 10.9 km s−1 at Comet 9P/Tempel 1 compared with 6.12 km s−1 at 81P/Wild 2 encounter, the mass sensitivity of DFMI sensors increased by between a factor of 2 and 12 (depending on the sensor subsystem), but the spatial resolution (⩾1.09 km) decreased to approximately a half. The coma of Comet Tempel 1 exhibits highly non-uniform spatial distribution of dust, as found at comet Wild 2, with bursts of impacts of up to 1000 particles over km scales near closest approach surrounded by void regions of many kilometers with no impacts. These data are consistent with passage through clouds of particles resulting from fragmentation of larger aggregates emitted from the nucleus. These fragmentation products dominate the total dust production of small particles, with only a small contribution likely from direct emission from the nucleus. The derived overall mass distribution is similar to that found at comet Wild 2 with the total mass dominated by large particles. The average cumulative mass index α = 0.65 ± 0.08 (where the particle flux is defined by ϕ (>m) = km−α) but a better fit is obtained with α = 0.85 ± 0.08 for particle masses below 10−10 kg and a significantly lower value for higher masses

Research Information Management System (KRIMSON) at Kent

This paper is a case study describing the implementation of an integrated research information system (CRIS), using the Converis v5 system, at the University of Kent, branded locally as KRIMSON – Kent Research and Innovation System Online. It reflects on the lessons learned for the implementation as a whole, and, in particular, the experiences with the various integrations and interfaces that were developed to other existing University IT systems: user authentication, HR, Finance, Institutional Repository, and the, student records system

A comprehensive analysis of the impact of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> colonization on prognosis in adult bronchiectasis

Rationale: Eradication and suppression of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a key priority in national guidelines for bronchiectasis and is a major focus of drug development and clinical trials. An accurate estimation of the clinical impact of P. aeruginosa in bronchiectasis is therefore essential. Methods: Data derived from 21 observational cohort studies comparing patients with P. aeruginosa colonization with those without it were pooled by random effects meta-analysis. Data were collected for key longitudinal clinical outcomes of mortality, hospital admissions, exacerbations, and lung function decline, along with cross-sectional outcomes such as quality of life. MeasurementsandMainResults: In the aggregate, the included studies comprised 3,683 patients. P. aeruginosa was associated with a highly significant and consistent increase in all markers of disease severity, including mortality (odds ratio [OR], 2.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.98-4.40; P <0.0001), hospital admissions (OR, 6.57; 95% CI, 3.19-13.51; P <0.0001), and exacerbations (mean difference, 0.97/yr; 95% CI, 0.64-1.30; P <0.0001). The patients with P. aeruginosa also had worse quality of life on the basis of their St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire results (mean difference, 18.2 points; 95% CI, 14.7-21.8; P <0.0001). Large differences in lung function and radiological severity were also observed. The definitions of colonization were inconsistent among the studies, but the findings were robust regardless of the definition used. Conclusion: P. aeruginosa is associated with an approximately threefold increased risk of death and an increase in hospital admissions and exacerbations in adult bronchiectasis

A Continuing Role for Minimum Parking Requirements in a Dense Growing City? Evidence from New York City

Depuis le début de l'occupation de la Cisjordanie et de la Bande de Gaza en 1967, l'émergence, le renforcement ou l'affaiblissement d'un leadership palestinien « de l'intérieur » fait l'objet d'une âpre concurrence entre la population locale première concernée, Israël puissance occupante, la Jordanie, puissance nominalement souveraine sur la Cisjordanie et Jérusalem-Est jusqu'en juillet 88, et l'Organisation de Libération de la Palestine (OLP) reconnue « unique représentant légitime du peuple..

The 'Antiretrovirals, Sexual Transmission Risk and Attitudes' (ASTRA) study. Design, methods and participant characteristics.

Life expectancy for people diagnosed with HIV has improved dramatically however the number of new infections in the UK remains high. Understanding patterns of sexual behaviour among people living with diagnosed HIV, and the factors associated with having condom-less sex, is important for informing HIV prevention strategies and clinical care. In addition, in view of the current interest in a policy of early antiretroviral treatment (ART) for all people diagnosed with HIV in the UK, it is of particular importance to assess whether ART use is associated with increased levels of condom-less sex. In this context the ASTRA study was designed to investigate current sexual activity, and attitudes to HIV transmission risk, in a large unselected sample of HIV-infected patients under care in the UK. The study also gathered background information on demographic, socio-economic, lifestyle and disease-related characteristics, and physical and psychological symptoms, in order to identify other key factors impacting on HIV patients and the behaviours which underpin transmission. In this paper we describe the study rationale, design, methods, response rate and the demographic characteristics of the participants. People diagnosed with HIV infection attending 8 UK HIV out-patient clinics in 2011-2012 were invited to participate in the study. Those who agreed to participate completed a confidential, self-administered pen-and-paper questionnaire, and their latest CD4 count and viral load test results were recorded. During the study period, 5112 eligible patients were invited to take part in the study and 3258 completed questionnaires were obtained, representing a response rate of 64% of eligible patients. The study includes 2248 men who have sex with men (MSM), 373 heterosexual men and 637 women. Future results from ASTRA will be a key resource for understanding HIV transmission within the UK, targeting prevention efforts, and informing clinical care of individuals living with HIV

Can Virtual Reality (VR) enhance students’ learning experience?

Immunology is a fascinating yet complex subject area to teach undergraduate students, mostly due to the vast specialised vocabulary and complex processes associated with the topic. One solution to this challenge is to embrace innovative digital technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), which immerses users in an interactive environment and encourages them to actively participate in their own learning. This alternative teaching model also creates an inclusive learning environment, allowing students to learn at their own pace, aiding their comprehension of the material. Here we describe the development and implementation of a novel VR simulation at the University of Glasgow. The bespoke ‘Battling Infection’ VR simulation takes place inside the human body: students visit different anatomical sites in their quest to eradicate an infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella, interacting with and choosing the appropriate immune cells to do so. We explored how this innovative resource could support medical and life sciences students with their understanding of immunity to infection. Following the interactive VR session, students completed a voluntary questionnaire to enable us to determine the impact this digital tool had on their learning experience. Most students surveyed agreed the VR simulation enhanced their understanding of the topic and helped them to visualise the complex processes of host immunity. Some participants commented on the discomfort of the headset and others suffered motion sickness, issues commonly reported within VR technology. Overall, this study found that the VR simulation was an innovative model of educational delivery which enhances the student learning experience and helped students to conceptualise complex information. Future work will focus on student knowledge retention using this method of teaching, in addition to developing further resources to supplement the VR simulation and exploring immune responses to other pathogens

Adipose Tissue in Persons With HIV Is Enriched for CD4+ T Effector Memory and T Effector Memory RA+ Cells, Which Show Higher CD69 Expression and CD57, CX3CR1, GPR56 Co-expression With Increasing Glucose Intolerance

Chronic T cell activation and accelerated immune senescence are hallmarks of HIV infection, which may contribute to the increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases in people living with HIV (PLWH). T lymphocytes play a central role in modulating adipose tissue inflammation and, by extension, adipocyte energy storage and release. Here, we assessed the CD4+ and CD8+ T cell profiles in the subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and blood of non-diabetic (n = 9; fasting blood glucose [FBG] &lt; 100 mg/dL), pre-diabetic (n = 8; FBG = 100–125 mg/dL) and diabetic (n = 9; FBG ≥ 126 mg/dL) PLWH, in addition to non- and pre-diabetic, HIV-negative controls (n = 8). SAT was collected by liposuction and T cells were extracted by collagenase digestion. The proportion of naïve (TNai) CD45RO−CCR7+, effector memory (TEM) CD45RO+CCR7−, central memory (TCM) CD45RO+CCR7+, and effector memory revertant RA+(TEMRA) CD45RO−CCR7− CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were measured by flow cytometry. CD4+ and CD8+ TEM and TEMRA were significantly enriched in SAT of PLWH compared to blood. The proportions of SAT CD4+ and CD8+ memory subsets were similar across metabolic status categories in the PLWH, but CD4+ T cell expression of the CD69 early-activation and tissue residence marker, particularly on TEM cells, increased with progressive glucose intolerance. Use of t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE) identified a separate group of predominantly CD69lo TEM and TEMRA cells co-expressing CD57, CX3CR1, and GPR56, which were significantly greater in diabetics compared to non-diabetics. Expression of the CX3CR1 and GPR56 markers indicate these TEM and TEMRA cells may have anti-viral specificity. Compared to HIV-negative controls, SAT from PLWH had an increased CD8:CD4 ratio, but the distribution of CD4+ and CD8+ memory subsets was similar irrespective of HIV status. Finally, whole adipose tissue from PLWH had significantly higher expression of TLR2, TLR8, and multiple chemokines potentially relevant to immune cell homing compared to HIV-negative controls with similar glucose tolerance

Mapping the UK research & innovation landscape: Energy & development

The UK is already a major player in terms of research and innovation into low carbon transitions within the countries of the developing world. However, there are significant opportunities for the UK to enhance its presence within these markets whilst also making a major contribution to meeting international development targets and climate commitments. At the core of the research analysed in the report is that it reflects disparate, research initiatives funded with different research/innovation targets in mind; much latent strength in UK research for low carbon energy for development therefore is implicit in linkage possibilities enhancing systemic effectiveness, particularly by cross-fertilizing innovations taking place in the private sector. Gaps and weaknesses are reflected as much in the lack of collaborative initiatives and ‘siloization’ as in the absence of actual research/funding. The Low Carbon Energy for Development Network (LCEDN) is currently taking the initiative in one aspect of this through the provision of a programme of capacity building and partnership activities to support the development of DfID’s Transforming Energy Access research initiative. What is required of UK energy for development research for the purposes of building a functional system, however, is that the discrete areas of research outlined in this report be re-assembled as coherent, overall research narratives addressing the apparent contradiction of increasing energy access whilst transitioning to the low-carbon economy. Part of this work involves identifying the state and dynamics of UK research capacity in this sector, facilitating greater integration between research funders active in this area, evaluating gaps and key research needs and mapping potential future directions for research interventions and collaborations that build on, and develop, existing UK research capacity. It is expected that this will lead to a range of UK-led energy innovations developed, tested and scaled across developing countries by 2020. The much-needed harmonization of energy access and low carbon transition as a UK research theme however has ultimately to be created out of rethinking research fields from a combination of existing research, plus demand known to be ‘out there’ but which has yet to enter the field of vision of research-funders. This report presents the first part of this work with an overview of current UK research and innovation capacity in a widely defined ‘Energy and International Development’ research area. It identifies key institutions and research centres, thematic areas of excellence, research funding trends over the last decade, emerging research themes plus an overview of grant funding for innovation on the ground. A number of key areas/questions for potential further development of UK research and innovation capacity have been identified and are up for discussion and consultation. The work has been undertaken by LCEDN in partnership with the Knowledge Transfer Network, Energy 4 Impact and IOD PARC