Electrohydrodynamic and Aerosol Jet Printing for the Copatterning of Polydimethylsiloxane and Graphene Platelet Inks

The performance of soft sensing and actuation devices is dependent on their design, the electro‐mechanical response of materials, and the ability to copattern structural and functional features. For film based soft structures, such as wearable sensors and artificial muscles, manufacturing challenges exist that prevent the translation of technology from laboratory to practical application. In this work, a hybrid manufacturing technique is presented that integrates electro‐hydrodynamic and aerosol jet deposition to print multilayer, multimaterial structures. The combined approach overcomes the respective rheological constraints of the individual processes, while presenting a pathway to higher resolution computer‐controlled patterning. Electro‐hydrodynamic deposition of a polydimethylsiloxane elastomer is demonstrated and characterized, before being combined with aerosol jet deposition of a graphene platelet ink to produce functional devices. A proof‐of‐concept, multilayer capacitive sensor is presented as a first demonstration of the manufacturing technology

A review of aerosol jet printing—a non-traditional hybrid process for micro-manufacturing

Aerosol Jet Printing (AJP) is an emerging contactless direct write approach aimed at the production of fine features on a wide range of substrates. Originally developed for the manufacture of electronic circuitry, the technology has been explored for a range of applications, including, active and passive electronic components, actuators, sensors, as well as a variety of selective chemical and biological responses. Freeform deposition, coupled with a relatively large stand-off distance, is enabling researchers to produce devices with increased geometric complexity compared to conventional manufacturing or more commonly used direct write approaches. Wide material compatibility, high resolution and independence of orientation have provided novelty in a number of applications when AJP is conducted as a digitally driven approach for integrated manufacture. This overview of the technology will summarise the underlying principles of AJP, review applications of the technology and discuss the hurdles to more widespread industry adoption. Finally, this paper will hypothesise where gains may be realised through this assistive manufacturing process

Histiocytoid cardiomyopathy and microphthalmia with linear skin defects syndrome: phenotypes linked by truncating variants in NDUFB11

Variants in NDUFB11, which encodes a structural component of complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC), were recently independently reported to cause histiocytoid cardiomyopathy (histiocytoid CM) and microphthalmia with linear skin defects syndrome (MLS syndrome). Here we report an additional case of histiocytoid CM, which carries a de novo nonsense variant in NDUFB11 (ENST00000276062.8: c.262C > T; p.[Arg88*]) identified using whole-exome sequencing (WES) of a family trio. An identical variant has been previously reported in association with MLS syndrome. The case we describe here lacked the diagnostic features of MLS syndrome, but a detailed clinical comparison of the two cases revealed significant phenotypic overlap. Heterozygous variants in HCCS (which encodes an important mitochondrially targeted protein) and COX7B, which, like NDUFB11, encodes a protein of the MRC, have also previously been identified in MLS syndrome including a case with features of both MLS syndrome and histiocytoid CM. However, a systematic review of WES data from previously published histiocytoid CM cases, alongside four additional cases presented here for the first time, did not identify any variants in these genes. We conclude that NDUFB11 variants play a role in the pathogenesis of both histiocytoid CM and MLS and that these disorders are allelic (genetically related)

Myocardial infarction, ST-elevation and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction and modelled daily pollution concentrations; a case-crossover analysis of MINAP data

Objectives: To investigate associations between daily concentrations of air pollution and myocardial infarction (MI), ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Methods: Modelled daily ground-level gaseous, total and speciated particulate pollutant concentrations and ground-level daily mean temperature, all at 5 km x 5 km horizontal resolution, were linked to 202,550 STEMI and 322,198 NSTEMI events recorded on the England and Wales Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP) database. The study period was 2003-2010. A case-crossover design was used, stratified by year, month, and day of the week. Data were analysed using conditional logistic regression, with pollutants modelled as unconstrained distributed lags 0-2 days. Results are presented as percentage change in risk per 10 µg/m3 increase in the pollutant relevant metric, having adjusted for daily mean temperature, public holidays, weekly flu consultation rates, and a sine-cosine annual cycle. Results: There was no evidence of an association between MI or STEMI and any of O3, NO2, PM2.5, PM10 or selected PM2.5 components (sulphate and elemental carbon). For NSTEMI there was a positive association with daily maximum 1-hour NO2 (0.27% (95% CI: 0.01 to 0.54)), which persisted following adjustment for O3 and adjustment for PM2.5. The association appeared to be confined to the midland and southern regions of England and Wales. Conclusions: The study found no evidence of an association between the modelled pollutants (including components) investigated and STEMI but did find some evidence of a positive association between NO2 and NSTEMI. Confirmation of this association in other studies is required

The promotion of local wellbeing: A primer for policymakers

There is growing interest among policymakers in the promotion of wellbeing as an objective of public policy. In particular, local authorities have been given powers to undertake action to promote wellbeing in their area. Recent advances in the academic literature on wellbeing are giving rise to an increasingly detailed picture of the factors that determine people’s subjective wellbeing (how they think and feel about their lives). However, the concept of subjective wellbeing is poorly understood within local government and much of the evidence base is extremely recent. I therefore review the literature on the definition, measurement, and determinants of wellbeing, and discuss some of its implications for local public policy

The molecular basis of protein toxin HicA-dependent binding of the protein antitoxin HicB to DNA

This is the final version. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Experimental SAXS data and derived models of both HicB4 and HicAB4 have been deposited in the Small Angle Scattering Biological Data Bank (SASBDB) under the accession codes SASDD45 and SASDD55.Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are present in many bacteria and play important roles in bacterial growth, physiology, and pathogenicity. Those that are best studied are the type II TA systems, in which both toxins and antitoxins are proteins. The HicAB system is one of the prototypic TA systems, found in many bacterial species. Complex interactions between the protein toxin (HicA), the protein antitoxin (HicB), and the DNA upstream of the encoding genes regulate the activity of this system, but few structural details are available about how HicA destabilizes the HicB-DNA complex. Here, we determined the X-ray structures of HicB and the HicAB complex to 1.8 and 2.5 Å resolution respectively and characterized their DNA interactions. This revealed that HicB forms a tetramer and HicA and HicB form a hetero-octameric complex that involves structural reorganization of the C-terminal (DNA-binding) region of HicB. Our observations indicated that HicA has a profound impact on binding of HicB to DNA sequences upstream of hicAB in a stoichiometric-dependent way. At low ratios of HicA:HicB, there was no effect on DNA binding, but at higher ratios, the affinity for DNA declined cooperatively, driving dissociation of the HicA:HicB:DNA complex.These results reveal the structural mechanisms by which HicA de-represses the HicB-DNA complex.Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC

Spatiotemporal evaluation of EMEP4UK-WRF v4.3 atmospheric chemistry transport simulations of health-related metrics for NO2, O3, PM10 and PM2.5 for 2001-2010

This study was motivated by the use in air pollution epidemiology and health burden assessment of data simulated at 5 km  ×  5 km horizontal resolution by the EMEP4UK-WRF v4.3 atmospheric chemistry transport model. Thus the focus of the model–measurement comparison statistics presented here was on the health-relevant metrics of annual and daily means of NO2, O3, PM2. 5, and PM10 (daily maximum 8 h running mean for O3). The comparison was temporally and spatially comprehensive, covering a 10-year period (2 years for PM2. 5) and all non-roadside measurement data from the UK national reference monitor network, which applies consistent operational and QA/QC procedures for each pollutant (44, 47, 24, and 30 sites for NO2, O3, PM2. 5, and PM10, respectively). Two important statistics highlighted in the literature for evaluation of air quality model output against policy (and hence health)-relevant standards – correlation and bias – together with root mean square error, were evaluated by site type, year, month, and day-of-week. Model–measurement statistics were generally better than, or comparable to, values that allow for realistic magnitudes of measurement uncertainties. Temporal correlations of daily concentrations were good for O3, NO2, and PM2. 5 at both rural and urban background sites (median values of r across sites in the range 0.70–0.76 for O3 and NO2, and 0.65–0.69 for PM2. 5), but poorer for PM10 (0.47–0.50). Bias differed between environments, with generally less bias at rural background sites (median normalized mean bias (NMB) values for daily O3 and NO2 of 8 and 11 %, respectively). At urban background sites there was a negative model bias for NO2 (median NMB  =  −29 %) and PM2. 5 (−26 %) and a positive model bias for O3 (26 %). The directions of these biases are consistent with expectations of the effects of averaging primary emissions across the 5 km  ×  5 km model grid in urban areas, compared with monitor locations that are more influenced by these emissions (e.g. closer to traffic sources) than the grid average. The biases are also indicative of potential underestimations of primary NOx and PM emissions in the model, and, for PM, with known omissions in the model of some PM components, e.g. some components of wind-blown dust. There were instances of monthly and weekday/weekend variations in the extent of model–measurement bias. Overall, the greater uniformity in temporal correlation than in bias is strongly indicative that the main driver of model–measurement differences (aside from grid versus monitor spatial representivity) was inaccuracy of model emissions – both in annual totals and in the monthly and day-of-week temporal factors applied in the model to the totals – rather than simulation of atmospheric chemistry and transport processes. Since, in general for epidemiology, capturing correlation is more important than bias, the detailed analyses presented here support the use of data from this model framework in air pollution epidemiology

WHO collaborative study to assess the suitability of the 1st International Standard and the 1st International Reference Panel for antibodies to Ebola virus

A WHO international collaborative study was undertaken to evaluate preparations of Ebola virus disease (EVD) convalescent plasmas for their suitability to serve as the WHO 1st International Standard (IS) and the WHO 1st International Reference Panel (IRP) for Ebola virus antibodies for use in the standardization and control of assays. The study involved participants testing the convalescent plasma sample preparations and additional monoclonal antibody samples in a blinded manner alongside the WHO International Reference Reagent (NIBSC code 15/220) using anti-EBOV assays established in their laboratories. The candidate 1st IS for Ebola virus antibodies (study sample code 92, NIBSC 15/262) consists of ampoules containing the freeze-dried equivalent of 0.5 mL pooled convalescent plasma obtained from six Sierra Leone patients recovered from EVD. The candidate 1st IRP of anti-Ebola virus convalescent plasmas (NIBSC 16/344) consists of freeze-dried preparations of single donations of convalescent plasma obtained from four patients and one healthy blood donor. Each panel member is an ampoule containing the equivalent of 0.25mL plasma. All convalescent plasmas are confirmed PCR-negative for Ebola virus and underwent, along with the negative plasma, solvent detergent (SD) treatment prior to their development into candidate WHO biological reference materials. In this collaborative study, 17 laboratories from 4 countries used a range of live Ebola virus neutralization assays, pseudotyped virus neutralisation assays and enzyme immunoassays to test the collaborative study samples. Surface plasmon resonance and Western blot assessments were also undertaken. The study found that the candidate International Standard has the highest absolute titre among the convalescent plasma samples, although the geometric mean titres of all the convalescent plasmas fall within ~5-fold of each other. The potencies of three of the convalescent samples fall near the detection limit of some assays. This study also demonstrated that the agreement between laboratories for potencies relative to the candidate International Standard represents an improvement compared to the agreement in absolute titres; however, there is poor agreement between relative potencies for some assays. The results obtained from accelerated thermal degradation studies at 1year indicate that the candidate IS is stable and suitable for long-term use. The results of the collaborative study indicate the suitability of the candidates to serve as WHO reference materials and it is proposed that 15/262 is established as the WHO 1st IS for EBOV antibodies with an assigned potency of 1.5 IU/mL when reconstituted as directed in the instructions for use. It is also proposed that 16/344 is established as the WHO 1st IRP of anti-EBOV convalescent plasmas with panel member code 95 (NIBSC 15/280) assigned a unitage of 1.1 IU/mL when reconstituted as directed in the instructions for use. The other panel members have not been assigned a unitage. The implementation and use by laboratories of the proposed WHO reference materials for EBOV antibodies will facilitate the characterization of the factors that contribute to assay variability and standardization of results across assays and laboratorie

TAXON version 1.1: A simple way to generate uniform and fractionally weighted three-item matrices from various kinds of biological data

An open-access program allowing three-item statement matrices to be generated from data such as molecular sequences does not exist so far. The recently developed LisBeth package (ver. 1.0) allows representing hypotheses of homology among taxa or areas directly as rooted trees or as hierarchies; however, this is not a standard matrix-based platform. Here we present "TAXON version 1.1" (TAXON), a program designed for building three-item statement-matrices from binary, additive (ordered) and non-additive (unordered) multistate characters, with both fractional and uniform weighting of the resulted statements.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, 1 Supplement, 3 Supplemental example