1,891 research outputs found
Influence of cell surface characteristics on adhesion of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to the biomaterial hydroxylapatite
The influence of the physicochemical properties of biomaterials on microbial cell adhesion is well known, with the extent of adhesion depending on hydrophobicity, surface charge, specific functional groups and acidâbase properties. Regarding yeasts, the effect of cell surfaces is often overlooked, despite the fact that generalisations may not be made between closely related strains. The current investigation compared adhesion of three industrially relevant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (M-type, NCYC 1681 and ALY, strains used in production of Scotch whisky, ale and lager, respectively) to the biomaterial hydroxylapatite (HAP). Adhesion of the whisky yeast was greatest, followed by the ale strain, while adhesion of the lager strain was approximately 10-times less. According to microbial adhesion to solvents (MATS) analysis, the ale strain was hydrophobic while the whisky and lager strains were moderately hydrophilic. This contrasted with analyses of water contact angles where all strains were characterised as hydrophilic. All yeast strains were electron donating, with low electron accepting potential, as indicated by both surface energy and MATS analysis. Overall, there was a linear correlation between adhesion to HAP and the overall surface free energy of the yeasts. This is the first time that the relationship between yeast cell surface energy and adherence to a biomaterial has been described
Frontâline perspectives on âjoinedâupâ working relationships: a qualitative study of social prescribing in the west of Scotland
Cross-sector collaboration has been promoted by government policies in the United Kingdom and many western welfare states for decades. Literature on joint working has focused predominantly on the strategic level, neglecting the role of individual practitioners in putting âjoined-up workingâ into practice. This paper takes the case of âsocial prescribingâ in the West of Scotland as an instance of joined-up working, in which primary healthcare professionals are encouraged to refer patients to non-medical sources of support in the third sector. This study draws on social capital theory to analyse the quality of the relationships between primary healthcare professionals and third sector practitioners. Eighteen health professionals and 15 representatives of third sector organisations participated in a qualitative interview study. Significant barriers to collaborative working were evident. The two stakeholder groups expressed different understandings of health, with few primary healthcare professionals considering non-medical sources of support to be useful or relevant. Health professionals were mistrustful of unknown third sector organisations, and concerned about their accountability for referrals that were not successful or positive for the patient. Third sector practitioners sought to build trust through face-to-face interactions with health professionals. However, primary healthcare professionals and third sector practitioners were not connected in effective networks. We highlight the on-going imbalance of power between primary healthcare professionals and third sector organisations. Strategic collaborations should be complemented by efforts to build shared understandings, trust and connections between the diverse frontline workers whose mutual co-operation is necessary to achieve effective joined-up working
Enhancement of chemotherapy using oncolytic virotherapy: Mathematical and optimal control analysis
Oncolytic virotherapy (OV) has been emerging as a promising novel cancer
treatment that may be further combined with the existing therapeutic modalities
to enhance their effects. To investigate how OV could enhance chemotherapy, we
propose an ODE based model describing the interactions between tumour cells,
the immune response, and a treatment combination with chemotherapy and
oncolytic viruses. Stability analysis of the model with constant chemotherapy
treatment rates shows that without any form of treatment, a tumour would grow
to its maximum size. It also demonstrates that chemotherapy alone is capable of
clearing tumour cells provided that the drug efficacy is greater than the
intrinsic tumour growth rate. Furthermore, OV alone may not be able to clear
tumour cells from body tissue but would rather enhance chemotherapy if viruses
with high viral potency are used. To assess the combined effect of OV and
chemotherapy we use the forward sensitivity index to perform a sensitivity
analysis, with respect to chemotherapy key parameters, of the virus basic
reproductive number and the tumour endemic equilibrium. The results from this
sensitivity analysis indicate the existence of a critical dose of chemotherapy
above which no further significant reduction in the tumour population can be
observed. Numerical simulations show that a successful combinational therapy of
the chemotherapeutic drugs and viruses depends mostly on the virus burst size,
infection rate, and the amount of drugs supplied. Optimal control analysis was
performed, by means of Pontryagin's principle, to further refine predictions of
the model with constant treatment rates by accounting for the treatment costs
and sides effects.Comment: This is a preprint of a paper whose final and definite form is with
'Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering', ISSN 1551-0018 (print), ISSN
1547-1063 (online), available at
[http://www.aimsciences.org/journal/1551-0018]. Submitted 27-March-2018;
revised 04-July-2018; accepted for publication 10-July-201
Frontline perspectives on "joined-up" working relationships: a qualitative study of social prescribing in the West of Scotland
Cross-sector collaboration has been promoted by government policies in the United Kingdom and many western welfare states for decades. Literature on joint working has focused predominantly on the strategic level, neglecting the role of individual practitioners in putting âjoined-up workingâ into practice. This paper takes the case of âsocial prescribingâ in the West of Scotland as an instance of joined-up working, in which primary healthcare professionals are encouraged to refer patients to non-medical sources of support in the third sector. This study draws on social capital theory to analyse the quality of the relationships between primary healthcare professionals and third sector practitioners. Eighteen health professionals and 15 representatives of third sector organisations participated in a qualitative interview study. Significant barriers to collaborative working were evident. The two stakeholder groups expressed different understandings of health, with few primary healthcare professionals considering non-medical sources of support to be useful or relevant. Health professionals were mistrustful of unknown third sector organisations, and concerned about their accountability for referrals that were not successful or positive for the patient. Third sector practitioners sought to build trust through face-to-face interactions with health professionals. However, primary healthcare professionals and third sector practitioners were not connected in effective networks. We highlight the on-going imbalance of power between primary healthcare professionals and third sector organisations. Strategic collaborations should be complemented by efforts to build shared understandings, trust and connections between the diverse frontline workers whose mutual co-operation is necessary to achieve effective joined-up working
Using the media for family planning
For more about the East-West Center, see http://www.eastwestcenter.org/</a
A Tailored Systems Engineering Framework for Science and Technology Projects
As government and industry becomes subject to a wider range of technology initiatives, science and technology (S&T) research project leadership recognizes the need to incorporate more systems engineering (SE) rigor into their projects. The objective of this research is to develop a tailorable systems engineering framework for S&T project planning, execution, assessment and transition. The key deliverable is an Excel-based tool instantiating the SE framework for a wide range of S&T projects in technology development organizations. It includes a report with tailored methods based on programmatic discriminants. To develop this framework, a comprehensive understanding of SE principles is applied to several case studies across government and supporting industry-sponsored S&T activities. This research followed a six-step approach: (1) Literature Review; (2) Formulate Taxonomy; (3) Prepare Data Gathering Approach; (4) Review Case Studies; (5) Develop Tailorable SE Framework for Technology Development and Transition; and (6) Validate Framework.The framework allows S&T project leaders and engineers to customize a recommended set of SE processes, methods and tools for their specific project type, size, maturity, budget, and integration level. Recommendations for SE methods are made at a summary level, with additional details available for desired activities. References to established SE documentation is also included for further investigation of appropriate SE techniques
Early Neoproterozoic limestones from the Gwna Group, Anglesey
Limestone megaclasts up to hundreds of metres in size are present within the Gwna Group mélange, North Wales, UK. The mélange has been interpreted as part of a Peri-Gondwanan fore-arc accretionary complex although the age of deposition remains contentious, proposals ranging from Neoproterozoic to Early Ordovician. This paper uses strontium isotope chemostratigraphy to establish the age of the limestone blocks and thus provide a maximum age constraint on mélange formation. Results show that, although the carbonates are locally dolomitized, primary 87Sr/86Sr ratios can be identified and indicate deposition sometime between the late Tonian and earliest Cryogenian. This age is older than that suggested by stromatolites within the limestone and indicates that the limestone did not form as cap carbonate deposits
Standing dead trees are a conduit for the atmospheric flux of CH4 and CO2 from wetlands
In vegetated wetland ecosystems, plants can be a dominant pathway in the atmospheric flux of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Although the roles of herbaceous vegetation and live woody vegetation in this flux have been established, the role of dead woody vegetation is not yet known. In a restored wetland of North Carolinaâs coastal plain, static flux chambers were deployed at two heights on standing dead trees to determine if these structures acted as a conduit for methane emissions. Methane fluxes to the atmosphere were measured in five of the chambers, with a mean flux of 0.4±0.1 mg m-2 h-1. Methane consumption was also measured in three of the chambers, with a mean flux of -0.6±0.3 mg m-2 h-1. Standing dead trees were also a source of the flux of CO2 (114.6±23.8 mg m-2 h-1) to the atmosphere. Results confirm that standing dead trees represent a conduit for the atmospheric flux of carbon gases from wetlands. However, several questions remain regarding the ultimate source of these carbon gases, the controls on the magnitude and direction of this flux, the mechanisms that induce this flux, and the importance of this pathway relative to other sources at the landscape level
Monitoring the collaborative capacity grant outcomes of Oregon's Federal Forest Restoration Program, 2019-2021 biennium
22 pagesCollaborative Capacity Grants (âcollaborative
grantsâ) have supported forest collaborative groups
to increase restoration efforts on federal forests
statewide by enhancing and strengthening their effectiveness.
These grants are funded by the Federal
Forest Restoration Program (FFR Program) and administered
by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement
Board. The stated goal of these grants is to increase
the number, acreage, and complexity of collaboratively
planned restoration projects on federal lands
by developing or expanding zones of agreement
(ZOA). ZOA are collaborative agreements that may
focus on a project, Forest Plan allocation unit, forest
type, or ecological function. A secondary goal
of the program is to build capacity to accomplish
ZOA. For the 2019â2021 biennium, grants were
awarded to groups working on either ZOA or improvements
to collaborative governance capacities.
Several collaboratives requested extensions due to
the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore this is not a final
account of all funded activities and outcomes.Funding for this study was provided by the Oregon Department of Forestry through an intergovernmental agreement with Oregon State University (Task order #191-677-3) and a collection agreement with the USDA Forest Service (#20-CO-11261979-021)
Fire management in a changing landscape: a case study from Lopé National Park, Gabon
A key management goal in Lopé National Park, Gabon, is to protect regionally-rare savannah ecosystems within the continuous rainforest block. In order to evaluate the impact of existing protection efforts, data on burning season environmental conditions, burning effort and current woody values for savannahs were examined between 1995 and 2008. Results showed (a) spatial heterogeneity in woody values to be correlated with grassy vegetation type (b) a negative relationship between woody vegetation and fire return frequency over the study, suggesting that decreased fire return frequency may favour savannah thickening and (c) that inconsistent burn effort by Park staff, and burns designed for reduced heat, may limit the efficiency of fire to prevent savannah thickening or forest expansion. Optimal humidity and fuel moisture conditions for burning are identified and recommendations made for improving the existing fire plan to achieve the management goal. Modifications will require significant investment of resources and training and require urgent experimental work to disentangle the direct impacts of fire from other processes of vegetation change. Lopé's fire policy should ultimately be a dynamic response to change in the local landscape driven by direct fire impacts or by global climate change
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