Interactome comparison of human embryonic stem cell lines with the inner cell mass and trophectoderm

Networks of interacting co-regulated genes distinguish the inner cell mass (ICM) from the differentiated trophectoderm (TE) in the preimplantation blastocyst, in a species specific manner. In mouse the ground state pluripotency of the ICM appears to be maintained in murine embryonic stem cells (ESCs) derived from the ICM. This is not the case for human ESCs. In order to gain insight into this phenomenon, we have used quantitative network analysis to identify how similar human (h)ESCs are to the human ICM. Using the hESC lines MAN1, HUES3 and HUES7 we have shown that all have only a limited overlap with ICM specific gene expression, but that this overlap is enriched for network properties that correspond to key aspects of function including transcription factor activity and the hierarchy of network modules. These analyses provide an important framework which highlights the developmental origins of hESCs

Making Connections and Building Confidence: A Study of Specialist Dating Agencies for People with Intellectual Disabilities

Dating agencies are a small, but growing sector of social care provision for people with intellectual disabilities. The research reported here is the first to explore, with 10 specialist agencies in the UK, why they were set up, how they operate, the barriers and problems they encounter and their success or otherwise in facilitating relationships for people with intellectual disabilities. A strong case is made for the proliferation of such services

Public Policy in the Development of Export Crops: Pineapples and Tea in Kenya

SUMMARY This article examines the organisation of production and role of the state in the development of two agricultural commodities in Kenya: pineapples and tea. It explores the variation in policy strategy and public and private mix for each industry Irom a historical perspective, suggesting some reasons for the different outcomes in the case of tea — which moved from an estate to smallholder dominated crop — while pineapple cultivation shifted from smallholder to large?scale production. In each case the balance between national and international forces in shaping policy outcomes and patterns of production is considered. What emerges clearly from both cases is the central role of the state in the process of accumulation. SOMMAIRE Cet article examine l'organisation de la production et le rôle de l'état dans le développement de deux produits au Kenya; l'ananas et le thé. II examine dans une perspective historique le changement dans la stratégie politique et le rapport entre le privé et le public pour chaque industrie, et suggère quelques explications en ce qui a trait aux différents résultats dans le cas du thé — qui était une récolte de plantation pour devenir une récolte produite par de petits agriculteurs — alors que la culture de l'ananas a connu un changement de petit cultivateurs vers une production à grande échelle. Dans chacun des cas l'équilibre entre les forces nationales et internationales dans la prise de décision de gestion et les formes de production, sont considérées. Ce qui resort clairement des deux cas est le rôle central de l'état dans le processus d'accumulation. RESUMEN Este artículo examina la organización y el rol del estado en el desarrollo de dos productos agrícolas en Kenya; ananá y té. Analiza la variación en la estrategia política y la participación pública y privada en cada industria desde una perspectiva histórica, sugiriendo algunas razones para explicar los diferentes resultados producidos en cada caso: el té que orgìnalmente fue estatal y pasó a estar dominado por pequeñas unidades, mientras que el cultivo de ananá se inició en pequeñas unidades y terminó en la producción en gran escala. En ambos casos se considera el peso de las fuerzas nacionales e internacionales en el diseño de las políticas resultantes y los modelos de producción. La consideración de las dos situaciones deja claramente en evidencia el rol central desempeñado por el estado en el proceso de acumulación

Airborne sampling of aerosol particles: Comparison between surface sampling at Christmas Island and P-3 sampling during PEM-Tropics B

Bulk aerosol sampling of soluble ionic compounds from the NASA Wallops Island P-3 aircraft and a tower on Christmas Island during PEM-Tropics B provides an opportunity to assess the magnitude of particle losses in the University of New Hampshire airborne bulk aerosol sampling system. We find that most aerosol-associated ions decrease strongly with height above the sea surface, making direct comparisons between mixing ratios at 30 m on the tower and the lowest flight level of the P-3 (150 m) open to interpretation. Theoretical considerations suggest that vertical gradients of sea-salt aerosol particles should show exponential decreases with height. Observed gradients of Na+ and Mg2+, combining the tower observations with P-3 samples collected below 1 km, are well described by exponential decreases (r values of 0.88 and 0.87, respectively), though the curve fit underestimates average mixing ratios at the surface by 25%. Cascade impactor samples collected on the tower show that \u3e99% of the Na+ and Mg2+mass is on supermicron particles, 65% is in the 1–6 micron range, and just 20% resides on particles with diameters larger than 9 microns. These results indicate that our airborne aerosol sampling probes must be passing particles up to at least 6 microns with high efficiency. We also observed that nss SO42− and NH4+, which are dominantly on accumulation mode particles, tended to decrease between 150 and 1000 m, but they were often considerably higher at the lowest P-3 sampling altitudes than at the tower. This finding is presently not well understood

Conservation of energy and momenta in nonholonomic systems with affine constraints

We characterize the conditions for the conservation of the energy and of the components of the momentum maps of lifted actions, and of their `gauge-like' generalizations, in time-independent nonholonomic mechanical systems with affine constraints. These conditions involve geometrical and mechanical properties of the system, and are codified in the so-called reaction-annihilator distribution

Gesture production and comprehension in children with specific language impairment

Children with specific language impairment (SLI) have difficulties with spoken language. However, some recent research suggests that these impairments reflect underlying cognitive limitations. Studying gesture may inform us clinically and theoretically about the nature of the association between language and cognition. A total of 20 children with SLI and 19 typically developing (TD) peers were assessed on a novel measure of gesture production. Children were also assessed for sentence comprehension errors in a speech-gesture integration task. Children with SLI performed equally to peers on gesture production but performed less well when comprehending integrated speech and gesture. Error patterns revealed a significant group interaction: children with SLI made more gesture-based errors, whilst TD children made semantically based ones. Children with SLI accessed and produced lexically encoded gestures despite having impaired spoken vocabulary and this group also showed stronger associations between gesture and language than TD children. When SLI comprehension breaks down, gesture may be relied on over speech, whilst TD children have a preference for spoken cues. The findings suggest that for children with SLI, gesture scaffolds are still more related to language development than for TD peers who have out-grown earlier reliance on gestures. Future clinical implications may include standardized assessment of symbolic gesture and classroom based gesture support for clinical groups

Review of domestic violence perpetrator programmes in the UK

Domestic violence is a social issue that is controversial and politically charged. Unlike many other academic and practitioner based areas there is a lack of discourse meaning current interventions are often not informed by a scientific evidence base. The aim of the current study was to review the current provision of domestic violence perpetrator programmes (DVPP) within the UK. This research was part of a worldwide review into DVPP provision with each team focusing on specific geographical areas. The objective of the current review was to address the following key research question: what are the characteristics of DVPP within the UK? This included reviewing the population they serve (e.g. male or female; age range), source referral (e.g. court-mandated, voluntary/self-referred) and the program characteristics (e.g. length of program, number of sessions, modality, curriculum informing the program). Questionnaires were sent to all known organisations delivering perpetrator programme which included prison, probation, and charities. This was supplemented with a review of the available literature on programmes where available. Findings are discussed in line with the importance of research informed and evidence based practice. Furthermore, we seek to highlight the importance of the communication between researcher and practitioners, establishing a more collaborative approach on this issue can inform better provision for perpetrators

Human feeder cell line for derivation and culture of hESc/hiPSc

AbstractWe have generated a human feeder cell line from early second trimester Placental Stromal Fibroblasts (ihPSF) stably over-expressing the polycomb protein BMI-1. These feeder cells retain the ability to maintain human Embryonic Stem cells (hESc) over long-term culture whereas hTERT or BMI-1/hTERT immortalised feeder cell lines do not. ihPSFs were able to support the derivation of a new hESc line in near xenofree (free of non-human animal components) conditions and support continued culture of newly derived hESc and human induced Pluripotent Stem (hiPS) cell lines in complete xenofree conditions necessary for clinical use

CoCREATE: Collaborative Curriculum Reimagining and Enhancement Aiming to Transform Education

The establishment of TU Dublin in January 2019 provided a unique opportunity to create a bespoke curriculum framework for students, staff and stakeholders of TU Dublin, produced by the students, staff and stakeholders of TU Dublin. A curriculum framework is a set of guiding values that inform the design of teaching and learning activities within TU Dublin. A Teaching Fellowship Team, comprising eighteen teaching academics from across the three TU Dublin campuses and supported extensively by the Learning Teaching and Technology Centre (LTTC), was formed to collaboratively craft, in partnership with all stakeholders, a curriculum framework for TU Dublin. Working collaboratively under the project name CoCREATE (Collaborative Curriculum Reimagining and Enhancement Aiming to Transform Education) the Teaching Fellowship Team developed TU Dublin’s CoCREATED Curriculum Framework over eighteen months. The design and development of the CoCREATED Curriculum Framework was informed by consultation with all key stakeholders across all campuses, examination and synthesis of local, national and international best practice and policy, as well as relevant scholarly literature. The framework is underpinned by the core values and mission of TU Dublin, as well as local and national strategic plans. It provides a distinctive but tangible learning philosophy for all at TU Dublin. The framework is both considered, flexible and progressive so as to adapt to the diversity within TU Dublin, including accredited programmes, and is inclusive of all learners across the university. The four curriculum values of the TU Dublin CoCREATED Curriculum Framework are: Step forward and try new things Use all of our talents; everyone has something to learn and something to teach Make our learning experience active, useful and related to the world Create the space and time to do work that matters This new, dynamic and evolving TU Dublin CoCREATED Curriculum Framework characterises an innovative, responsive and caring learning environment for the diversity of our university’s student population across all programme levels. Simultaneously, it developed a synergy between staff, students, professional bodies, industry and community partners through a collaborative design process. It is as inspiring, distinctive and pioneering as Ireland’s first Technological University. The CoCREATED Curriculum Framework will support staff and students to develop a unique approach to teaching and learning, which will characterise a TU Dublin teaching and learning experience, and ultimately a TU Dublin graduate, in a competitive national and international higher education space. Going forward, the TU Dublin CoCREATED Curriculum Framework will empower the judicious creation of rich and diverse curricula across all disciplines and levels within TU Dublin, from apprenticeship, through undergraduate, to structured PhD

Development of human cartilage circadian rhythm in a stem cell-chondrogenesis model

202208 bcrcVersion of RecordSelf-fundedPublishe