Henri Matisse and His Women Before the Window

Following World War I, Henri Matisse moved to the South of France to escape the chaotic terrain of post-war Paris. It was in the idyllic Nice where the artist would reveal a return to naturalism with his motif of contemplative women before an open window. Uniting portraiture, decorative interiors and landscapes in one composition, Matisse dually investigates the theme of interiority, while providing the viewer with the aesthetic delights, available for his delectation

Gender Identity and Academic Confidence Across College Major Fields

This study aimed to measure college students’ sense of personal efficacy and sense of belonging among various majors, specifically concerning the differences across gender identities. The findings thus indicate whether gender experience and norms impact some majors more than others, demonstrating how a history of male domination in certain fields can be internalized on a population level. A total of 300 respondents from a large public university in the northeast United States completed an online survey. In this survey, questions pertaining to self-reported gender identity; school of the respondent’s major, such as life sciences or liberal arts; and agreement with statements concerning one’s success and sense of belonging were posed to measure the relationship between the variables. The statements “I feel like I belong in my major” and “I feel successful in my major” will be referred to in this paper as “academic attitude” variables. Results from our survey, of which a majority of respondents were female, showed statistically significant relationships between major and academic attitudes and gender identity and major choice, as well as between gender and perceived personal success

Synthesis and application of novel hyperbranched polymers

In this thesis, a novel control method for the chain transfer polymerisation of di-functional monomers is presented, in which macromers, produced via catalytic chain transfer polymerisation, undergo β-scission to act as stoichiometric transfer agents for di-acrylate, -methacrylate and -styrenyl monomers. This versatile macromer control method enables the facile synthesis of hyperbranched (HB) polymers, which may be tailored for use as coatings in a wide variety of industrial and biological applications through suitable choice of monomer and macromer. In particular, the use of lauryl methacrylate macromers to control the polymerisation of divinyl benzene (DVB) (8:2 v/v LMA:DVB), facilitated the solubilisation of the HB DVB in hydrocarbyl engine oil through the incorporation of LMA fragments in the HB DVB structure. This HB DVB/LMA polymer was then demonstrated to readily form robust, protective films between metal contact surfaces under a wide range of temperatures, rolling speeds and lubrication regimes, which reduced friction and wear between the surfaces. Additionally, this synthesis method was found to be easily scalable, with the polymers demonstrating no significant difference in performance when synthesised at either 1 or 50mL scales. Thus, these HB polymers showed great promise as oil additives for prolonging engine life and improving engine efficiency, while the macromer control method was proven to the industrially viable. Meanwhile, when compared to catalytic control methods, macromeric control was found to give improved control over the polymerisation of the bio-active monomer tricyclodecanedimethanol diacrylate (TCDMDA), with greater consistency of polymerisation rate and architecture, and improved levels of functionality achieved due to the increased level of compatibility between the hydrophobic TCDMDA monomer and the macromer control agent. When butyl methacrylate macromers were used in a 2:1 v/v TCDMDA:BMA ratio, this enabled the synthesis of up to 50 mL of HB polymer which, when applied as a thin film coating to tissue culture plastic, was shown to support the growth of human pluripotent stem cells for up to 12 days. Finally, the use of thiolic control agents at high concentration (up to 65 mol%) was demonstrated to deliver improved yield of HB polymers, while enabling a similar ability to functionalise the HB polymers for a variety of applications, including as anti-fouling coatings and as a feedstock for two-photon polymerisation

Synthesis and application of novel hyperbranched polymers

In this thesis, a novel control method for the chain transfer polymerisation of di-functional monomers is presented, in which macromers, produced via catalytic chain transfer polymerisation, undergo β-scission to act as stoichiometric transfer agents for di-acrylate, -methacrylate and -styrenyl monomers. This versatile macromer control method enables the facile synthesis of hyperbranched (HB) polymers, which may be tailored for use as coatings in a wide variety of industrial and biological applications through suitable choice of monomer and macromer. In particular, the use of lauryl methacrylate macromers to control the polymerisation of divinyl benzene (DVB) (8:2 v/v LMA:DVB), facilitated the solubilisation of the HB DVB in hydrocarbyl engine oil through the incorporation of LMA fragments in the HB DVB structure. This HB DVB/LMA polymer was then demonstrated to readily form robust, protective films between metal contact surfaces under a wide range of temperatures, rolling speeds and lubrication regimes, which reduced friction and wear between the surfaces. Additionally, this synthesis method was found to be easily scalable, with the polymers demonstrating no significant difference in performance when synthesised at either 1 or 50mL scales. Thus, these HB polymers showed great promise as oil additives for prolonging engine life and improving engine efficiency, while the macromer control method was proven to the industrially viable. Meanwhile, when compared to catalytic control methods, macromeric control was found to give improved control over the polymerisation of the bio-active monomer tricyclodecanedimethanol diacrylate (TCDMDA), with greater consistency of polymerisation rate and architecture, and improved levels of functionality achieved due to the increased level of compatibility between the hydrophobic TCDMDA monomer and the macromer control agent. When butyl methacrylate macromers were used in a 2:1 v/v TCDMDA:BMA ratio, this enabled the synthesis of up to 50 mL of HB polymer which, when applied as a thin film coating to tissue culture plastic, was shown to support the growth of human pluripotent stem cells for up to 12 days. Finally, the use of thiolic control agents at high concentration (up to 65 mol%) was demonstrated to deliver improved yield of HB polymers, while enabling a similar ability to functionalise the HB polymers for a variety of applications, including as anti-fouling coatings and as a feedstock for two-photon polymerisation

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus ORF57 protein: exploiting all stages of viral mRNA processing

Nuclear mRNA export is a highly complex and regulated process in cells. Cellular transcripts must undergo successful maturation processes, including splicing, 5'-, and 3'-end processing, which are essential for assembly of an export competent ribonucleoprotein particle. Many viruses replicate in the nucleus of the host cell and require cellular mRNA export factors to efficiently export viral transcripts. However, some viral mRNAs undergo aberrant mRNA processing, thus prompting the viruses to express their own specific mRNA export proteins to facilitate efficient export of viral transcripts and allowing translation in the cytoplasm. This review will focus on the Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus ORF57 protein, a multifunctional protein involved in all stages of viral mRNA processing and that is essential for virus replication. Using the example of ORF57, we will describe cellular bulk mRNA export pathways and highlight their distinct features, before exploring how the virus has evolved to exploit these mechanisms

Facile Synthesis of Functionalised Hyperbranched Polymers for Application as Novel, Low Viscosity Lubricant Formulation Components

A novel, previously unreported, method for synthesising hyperbranched (HB) materials is detailed. Their use as additives to produce lubricant formulations that exhibit enhanced levels of wear protection and improved low-temperature oil viscosity and flow is also reported. The lubricant formulations containing HB additives were found to exhibit both significantly lower viscosities and improved in-use film-forming properties than the current industry standard formulations. To achieve this, alkyl methacrylate oligomers (predominantly dimers and trimers) were synthesised using catalytic chain transfer polymerisation. These were then used as functional chain transfer agents (CTA) to control the polymerisation of divinyl benzene (DVB) monomers to generate highly soluble, high polydispersity HB polymers. The level of dimer/trimer purification applied was varied to define its influence on both these HB resultant structures and the resultant HB additives’ performance as a lubricant additive. It was shown that, while the DVB acted as the backbone of the HB, the base oil solubility of the additive was imparted by the presence of the alkyl chains included in the structure via the use of the oligomeric CTAs

Structure-based design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a novel series of isoquinolone and pyrazolo[4,3-c]pyridine inhibitors of fascin 1 as potential anti-metastatic agents

Fascin is an actin binding and bundling protein that is not expressed in normal epithelial tissues but overexpressed in a variety of invasive epithelial tumors. It has a critical role in cancer cell metastasis by promoting cell migration and invasion. Here we report the crystal structures of fascin in complex with a series of novel and potent inhibitors. Structure-based elaboration of these compounds enabled the development of a series with nanomolar affinities for fascin, good physicochemical properties and the ability to inhibit fascin-mediated bundling of filamentous actin. These compounds provide promising starting points for fascin-targeted anti-metastatic therapies

Maintaining independence in individuals with dementia at home after a fall:a protocol for the UK pilot cluster randomised controlled trial MAINTAIN

Introduction: Individuals with dementia face an increased risk of falls. Falls can cause a decline in the individual’s overall functionality. All types of falls, including those that do not result in injury, can lead to psychosocial consequences, such as diminished confidence and a fear of falling. Projections indicate a rising trend in dementia diagnoses, implying an increase in fall incidents. Yet, there is a lack of evidence to support interventions for people living with dementia who have fallen. Our objective is to test the feasibility of a falls intervention trial for people with dementia. Method and analysis: This is a UK-based two-arm pilot cluster randomised controlled trial. In this study, six collaborating sites, which form the clusters, will be randomly allocated to either the intervention arm or the control arm (receiving treatment as usual) at a 1:1 ratio. During the 6 month recruitment phase, each cluster will enrol 10 dyads, comprising 10 individuals with dementia and their respective carers, leading to a total sample size of 60 dyads. The primary outcomes are the feasibility parameters for a full trial (ie, percentage consented, follow-up rate and cost framework). Secondary outcomes include activities of daily living, quality of life, fall efficacy, mobility, goal attainment, cognitive status, occurrence of falls, carer burden and healthcare service utilisation. Outcome measures will be collected at baseline and 28 weeks, with an additional assessment scheduled at 12 weeks for the healthcare service utilisation questionnaire. An embedded process evaluation, consisting of interviews and observations with participants and healthcare professionals, will explore how the intervention operates and the fidelity of study processes. Ethics and dissemination: The study was approved by the NHS and local authority research governance and research ethics committees (NHS REC reference: 23/WA/0126). The results will be shared at meetings and conferences and will be published in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number: ISRCTN16413728

Implicit trust in clinical decision-making by multidisciplinary teams

In clinical practice, decision-making is not performed by individual knowers but by an assemblage of people and instruments in which no one member has full access to every piece of evidence. This is due to decision making teams consisting of members with different kinds of expertise, as well as to organisational and time constraints. This raises important questions for the epistemology of medicine, which is inherently social in this kind of setting, and implies epistemic dependence on others. Trust in these contexts is a highly complex social practice, involving different forms of relationships between trust and reasons for trust: based on reasons, and not based on reasons; based on reasons that are easily accessible to reflection and others that are not. In this paper, we focus on what it means to have reasons to trust colleagues in an established clinical team, collectively supporting or carrying out every day clinical decision-making. We show two important points about these reasons, firstly, they are not sought or given in advance of a situation of epistemic dependence, but are established within these situations; secondly they are implicit in the sense of being contained or nested within other actions that are not directly about trusting another person. The processes of establishing these reasons are directly about accomplishing a task, and indirectly about trusting someone else’s expertise or competence. These processes establish a space of reasons within which what it means to have reasons for trust, or not, gains a meaning and traction in these team-work settings. Based on a qualitative study of decision-making in image assisted diagnosis and treatment of a complex disease called pulmonary hypertension (PH), we show how an intersubjective framework, or ‘space of reasons’ is established through team members forging together a common way of identifying and dealing with evidence. In dealing with images as a central diagnostic tool, this also involves a common way of looking at the images, a common mode or style of perception. These frameworks are developed through many iterations of adjusting and calibrating interpretations in relation to those of others, establishing what counts as evidence, and ranking different kinds of evidence. Implicit trust is at work throughout this process. Trusting the expertise of others in clinical decision-making teams occurs while the members of the team are busy on other tasks, most importantly, building up a framework of common modes of seeing, and common ways of identifying and assessing evidence emerge. It is only in this way that trusting or mistrusting becomes meaningful in these contexts, and that a framework for epistemic dependence is established

Implicit trust in clinical decision-making by multidisciplinary teams

In clinical practice, decision-making is not performed by individual knowers but by an assemblage of people and instruments in which no one member has full access to every piece of evidence. This is due to decision making teams consisting of members with different kinds of expertise, as well as to organisational and time constraints. This raises important questions for the epistemology of medicine, which is inherently social in this kind of setting, and implies epistemic dependence on others. Trust in these contexts is a highly complex social practice, involving different forms of relationships between trust and reasons for trust: based on reasons, and not based on reasons; based on reasons that are easily accessible to reflection and others that are not. In this paper, we focus on what it means to have reasons to trust colleagues in an established clinical team, collectively supporting or carrying out every day clinical decision-making. We show two important points about these reasons, firstly, they are not sought or given in advance of a situation of epistemic dependence, but are established within these situations; secondly they are implicit in the sense of being contained or nested within other actions that are not directly about trusting another person. The processes of establishing these reasons are directly about accomplishing a task, and indirectly about trusting someone else’s expertise or competence. These processes establish a space of reasons within which what it means to have reasons for trust, or not, gains a meaning and traction in these team-work settings. Based on a qualitative study of decision-making in image assisted diagnosis and treatment of a complex disease called pulmonary hypertension (PH), we show how an intersubjective framework, or ‘space of reasons’ is established through team members forging together a common way of identifying and dealing with evidence. In dealing with images as a central diagnostic tool, this also involves a common way of looking at the images, a common mode or style of perception. These frameworks are developed through many iterations of adjusting and calibrating interpretations in relation to those of others, establishing what counts as evidence, and ranking different kinds of evidence. Implicit trust is at work throughout this process. Trusting the expertise of others in clinical decision-making teams occurs while the members of the team are busy on other tasks, most importantly, building up a framework of common modes of seeing, and common ways of identifying and assessing evidence emerge. It is only in this way that trusting or mistrusting becomes meaningful in these contexts, and that a framework for epistemic dependence is established