Improving the biological interfacing capability of Improving the biological interfacing capability of diketopyrrolopyrrole polymers via p-type doping

Polydiketopyrrolopyrrole terthiophene (DPP3T), a high-performing conjugated polymer, holds great potential as active material for bioelectronics. Herein, its surface properties are modulated through p-type doping, thereby enhancing the cell behaviour on top of the doped films

Critical analysis of self-doping and water-soluble n-type organic semiconductors: structures and mechanisms

Self-doping organic semiconductors provide a promising route to avoid instabilities and morphological issues associated with molecular n-type dopants. Structural characterization of a naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide (NDI) semiconductor covalently bound to an ammonium hydroxide group is presented. The dopant precursor was found to be the product of an unexpected base catalyzed hydrolysis, which was reversible. The reversible hydrolysis had profound consequences on the chemical composition, morphology, and electronic performance of the doped films. In addition, we investigated the degradation mechanism of the quaternary ammonium group and the subsequent doping of NDI. These findings reveal that the products of more than one chemical reaction during processing of films must be considered when utilizing this promising class of water-soluble semiconductors

Student experience of hub and spoke model of placement allocation - An evaluative study

An evaluative projectwas undertaken at the University ofWolverhampton centring on the Hub and Spoke model utilised for organisation of placement allocation across the BNurs programme for all fields of nursing. Student experience was of particular interest throughout the evaluation with the research team focusing on the views, feelings and experiences of student nurses in relation to the hub and spoke model applied for practice. A qualitative approach was adopted, initially using Survey Monkey to collect student views through a series of open questions, and further enhanced by focus groups. These were transcribed and together with the data from the surveys, data was categorized and themed. Themes were analysed and conclusions drawn. The hub and spoke method for placements was found to enhance student understanding of the whole patient journey which offered students awide breadth of experience and development of transferable skills such as communication and adaptability. A sense of increased belonging was highlighted by students which encouraged the development of strong effective relationships positively affecting their learning. Some less positive aspects were apparent revolving around personality difficulties and organisational problems, in particular relating to spoke placements. The purpose of spoke placementswas not always apparent and sometimes therewas a lack of appropriate student placement experiences provided by spoke mentors. Overall the hub and spoke model for organising placement was found to be beneficial and enhanced the student's experience, satisfaction and learning, which in turn had a positive effect on practice

Risks of mining to salmonid-bearing watersheds

Mining provides resources for people but can pose risks to ecosystems that support cultural keystone species. Our synthesis reviews relevant aspects of mining operations, describes the ecology of salmonid-bearing watersheds in northwestern North America, and compiles the impacts of metal and coal extraction on salmonids and their habitat. We conservatively estimate that this region encompasses nearly 4000 past producing mines, with present-day operations ranging from small placer sites to massive open-pit projects that annually mine more than 118 million metric tons of earth. Despite impact assessments that are intended to evaluate risk and inform mitigation, mines continue to harm salmonid-bearing watersheds via pathways such as toxic contaminants, stream channel burial, and flow regime alteration. To better maintain watershed processes that benefit salmonids, we highlight key windows during the mining governance life cycle for science to guide policy by more accurately accounting for stressor complexity, cumulative effects, and future environmental change.This review is based on an October 2019 workshop held at the University of Montana Flathead Lake Biological Station (more information at https://flbs.umt.edu/ newflbs/research/working-groups/mining-and-watersheds/). We thank E. O’Neill and other participants for valuable contributions. A. Beaudreau, M. LaCroix, P. McGrath, K. Schofield, and L. Brown provided helpful reviews of earlier drafts. Three anonymous reviewers provided thoughtful critiques that greatly improved the manuscript. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Our analysis comes from a western science perspective and hence does not incorporate Indigenous knowledge systems. We acknowledge this gap and highlight that the lands and waters we explore in this review have been stewarded by Indigenous Peoples for millennia and continue to be so. Funding: The workshop was cooperatively funded by the Wilburforce Foundation and The Salmon Science Network funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Author contributions: C.J.S. led the review process, writing, and editing. C.J.S. and E.K.S. co-organized the workshop. E.K.S. and J.W.M. extensively contributed to all aspects of the review conceptualization, writing, and editing. A.R.W., S.A.N., J.L.E., D.M.C., S.L.O., R.L.M., F.R.H., D.C.W., and J.W. significantly contributed to portions of the review conceptualization, writing, and editing. J.C., M.Ca., M.Co., C.A.F., G.K., E.D.L., R.M., V.M., J.K.M., M.V.M., and N.S. provided writing and editing and are listed alphabetically. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Data and materials availability: All data needed to evaluate the conclusions in the paper are present in the paper and/or the Supplementary Materials.Ye

Effect of remote ischaemic conditioning on clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (CONDI-2/ERIC-PPCI): a single-blind randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Remote ischaemic conditioning with transient ischaemia and reperfusion applied to the arm has been shown to reduce myocardial infarct size in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). We investigated whether remote ischaemic conditioning could reduce the incidence of cardiac death and hospitalisation for heart failure at 12 months. METHODS: We did an international investigator-initiated, prospective, single-blind, randomised controlled trial (CONDI-2/ERIC-PPCI) at 33 centres across the UK, Denmark, Spain, and Serbia. Patients (age >18 years) with suspected STEMI and who were eligible for PPCI were randomly allocated (1:1, stratified by centre with a permuted block method) to receive standard treatment (including a sham simulated remote ischaemic conditioning intervention at UK sites only) or remote ischaemic conditioning treatment (intermittent ischaemia and reperfusion applied to the arm through four cycles of 5-min inflation and 5-min deflation of an automated cuff device) before PPCI. Investigators responsible for data collection and outcome assessment were masked to treatment allocation. The primary combined endpoint was cardiac death or hospitalisation for heart failure at 12 months in the intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02342522) and is completed. FINDINGS: Between Nov 6, 2013, and March 31, 2018, 5401 patients were randomly allocated to either the control group (n=2701) or the remote ischaemic conditioning group (n=2700). After exclusion of patients upon hospital arrival or loss to follow-up, 2569 patients in the control group and 2546 in the intervention group were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. At 12 months post-PPCI, the Kaplan-Meier-estimated frequencies of cardiac death or hospitalisation for heart failure (the primary endpoint) were 220 (8·6%) patients in the control group and 239 (9·4%) in the remote ischaemic conditioning group (hazard ratio 1·10 [95% CI 0·91-1·32], p=0·32 for intervention versus control). No important unexpected adverse events or side effects of remote ischaemic conditioning were observed. INTERPRETATION: Remote ischaemic conditioning does not improve clinical outcomes (cardiac death or hospitalisation for heart failure) at 12 months in patients with STEMI undergoing PPCI. FUNDING: British Heart Foundation, University College London Hospitals/University College London Biomedical Research Centre, Danish Innovation Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, TrygFonden

RNA trafficking in parasitic plant systems

RNA trafficking in plants contributes to local and long-distance coordination of plant development and response to the environment. However, investigations of mobile RNA identity and function are hindered by the inherent difficulty of tracing a given molecule of RNA from its cell of origin to its destination. Several methods have been used to address this problem, but all are limited to some extent by constraints associated with accurately sampling phloem sap or detecting trafficked RNA. Certain parasitic plant species form symplastic connections to their hosts and thereby provide an additional system for studying RNA trafficking. The haustorial connections of Cuscuta and Phelipanche species are similar to graft junctions in that they are able to transmit mRNAs, viral RNAs, siRNAs and proteins from the host plants to the parasite. In contrast to other graft systems, these parasites form connections with host species that span a wide phylogenetic range, such that a high degree of nucleotide sequence divergence may exist between host and parasites and allow confident identification of most host RNAs in the parasite system. The ability to identify host RNAs in parasites, and vice versa, will facilitate genomics approaches to understanding RNA trafficking. This review discusses the nature of host parasite connections and the potential significance of host RNAs for the parasite. Additional research on host-parasite interactions is needed to interpret results of RNA trafficking studies, but parasitic plants may provide a fascinating new perspective on RNA trafficking

Convergent creative problem-solving in the context of working memory and field dependence/independence

Relationships between working memory capacity (WMC), field dependence/independence (FDI), and convergent thinking problem-solving tasks were investigated. Individuals with greater WMC and higher field independence should perform better on convergent thinking tasks, tasks requiring one ideal problem solution. Previous research has found positive correlations between these three constructs but not using convergent thinking problem-solving tasks. Greater WMC and higher field independence were hypothesized to correlate with increased performance on creative convergent thinking problem-solving tasks. The OSPAN and EFT were used to measure WMC and FDI, respectively. The OPSAN presents a sequence of letters followed by a math problem; the participants recall the sequence of letters in order. The EFT requires participants to trace target images within complex figures. The convergent thinking problem-solving tasks were the Visual Remote Association Task (vRAT), Candle Problem (CP), and Two String Problem (TSP). Participants were randomly assigned to perform CP/TSP tasks or vRAT. The vRAT requires the identification of a target word forming a compound word with three given words. The CP requires participants to attach a candle to a wall using a matchbox and pushpins. The TSP requires participants to tie two strings, spaced apart, together using various objects. Latency and solution measures were obtained for each task. A significant positive correlation between OSPAN and EFT scores, r (44) = .46, p = .001, was observed, suggesting that increases in WMC support an increase in field independence. A significant correlation between EFT and vRAT scores, r (21) = .42, p = .044, partially supports the hypothesis that high-scoring field-independent individuals would perform better on creative problem-solving tasks requiring convergent thinking. Implications suggest that individuals with greater WMC and higher field independence have advanced convergent thinking and creative problem-solving capabilities, offering a method for identifying individuals who should be selected for tasks requiring creative problem-solving abilities

Media 1: Optoperforation of single, intact Arabidopsis cells for uptake of extracellular dye-conjugated dextran

Originally published in Optics Express on 17 June 2013 (oe-21-12-14662

Media 2: Optoperforation of single, intact Arabidopsis cells for uptake of extracellular dye-conjugated dextran

Originally published in Optics Express on 17 June 2013 (oe-21-12-14662