Synchrotron X-Ray Scattering as a Tool for Characterising Catalysts on Multiple Length Scales

Optimising the properties of catalysts for industrial processes requires a detailed knowledge of their structure and properties on multiple length scales. Synchrotron light sources are ideal tools for characterising catalyts for industrial R&D, providing data with high temporal and spatial resolution, under realistic operating conditions, in a non-destructive way. Here, we describe the different synchrotron techniques that can be employed to gain a wealth of complementary information, and highlight recent developments that have allowed remarkable insight to be gained into working catalytic systems. These techniques have the potential to guide future industrial catalyst design

Genome-wide profiling of uncapped mRNA

Gene transcripts are under extensive posttranscriptional regulation, including the regulation of their stability. A major route for mRNA degradation produces uncapped mRNAs, which can be generated by decapping enzymes, endonucleases, and small RNAs. Profiling uncapped mRNA molecules is important for the understanding of the transcriptome, whose composition is determined by a balance between mRNA synthesis and degradation. In this chapter, we describe a method to profile these uncapped mRNAs at the genome scale

Associations between sporting physical activity and cognition in mid and later-life: Evidence from two cohorts

Evidence has linked sporting leisure time physical activity (sporting-LTPA) to healthy cognition throughout adulthood. This may be due to the physiological effects of physical activity (PA), or to other, psychosocial facets of sport. We examined associations between sporting-LTPA and cognition while adjusting for device-measured PA volume devoid of context, both in midlife (N = 4041) participants from the 1970 British Cohort Study and later-life (N = 957) participants from the British Regional Heart Study. Independent of device-measured PA, we identified positive associations between sporting-LTPA and cognition. Sports with team/partner elements were strongly positively associated with cognition, suggesting LTPA context may be critical to this relationship

Pattern scaling using ClimGen: monthly-resolution future climate scenarios including changes in the variability of precipitation

Development, testing and example applications of the pattern-scaling approach for generating future climate change projections are reported here, with a focus on a particular software application called “ClimGen”. A number of innovations have been implemented, including using exponential and logistic functions of global-mean temperature to represent changes in local precipitation and cloud cover, and interpolation from climate model grids to a finer grid while taking into account land-sea contrasts in the climate change patterns. Of particular significance is a new approach for incorporating changes in the inter-annual variability of monthly precipitation simulated by climate models. This is achieved by diagnosing simulated changes in the shape of the gamma distribution of monthly precipitation totals, applying the pattern-scaling approach to estimate changes in the shape parameter under a future scenario, and then perturbing sequences of observed precipitation anomalies so that their distribution changes according to the projected change in the shape parameter. The approach cannot represent changes to the structure of climate timeseries (e.g. changed autocorrelation or teleconnection patterns) were they to occur, but is shown here to be more successful at representing changes in low precipitation extremes than previous pattern-scaling methods

The afterlife of Laurence Sterne (1713-1768): Body snatching, dissection and the role of Cambridge anatomist Charles Collignon

This paper aims to highlight the practice of body snatching from graves in the 1700s for the purpose of providing corpses for anatomical dissection, and for stocking anatomy museums. To do this, we examine the exhumation and dissection of the famous eighteenth-century novelist Laurence Sterne and explore the involvement of Charles Collignon, Professor of Anatomy at the University of Cambridge. We also show that osteological and cut-mark analysis of a skull purported to be that of Sterne, currently housed in the Duckworth Collection at Cambridge, provides the key to solving the mystery surrounding why Sterne was resurrected

Factors associated with medication adherence in school-aged children with asthma

Adherence to preventive asthma treatment is poor, particularly in children, yet the factors associated with adherence in this age group are not well understood. Adherence was monitored electronically over 6 months in school-aged children who attended a regional emergency department in New Zealand for an asthma exacerbation and were prescribed twice-daily inhaled corticosteroids. Participants completed questionnaires including assessment of family demographics, asthma responsibility and learning style. Multivariable analysis of factors associated with adherence was conducted. 101 children (mean (range) age 8.9 (6-15) years, 51% male) participated. Median (interquartile range) preventer adherence was 30% (17-48%) of prescribed. Four explanatory factors were identified: female sex (+12% adherence), Asian ethnicity (+19% adherence), living in a smaller household (-3.0% adherence per person in the household), and younger age at diagnosis (+2.7% for every younger year of diagnosis) (all p<0.02). In school-aged children attending the emergency department for asthma, males and non-Asian ethnic groups were at high risk for poor inhaled corticosteroid adherence and may benefit most from intervention. Four factors explained a small proportion of adherence behaviour indicating the difficulty in identifying adherence barriers. Further research is recommended in other similar populations

The use of conservation biomass feedstocks as potential bioenergy resources in the United Kingdom

A number of countries have introduced energy policies to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide which, in the case of bio-heat, has resulted in increased use of small wood burning stoves and boilers, particularly in Europe. There are issues surrounding the supply of sustainable wood feedstock, prompting a desire to utilise local biomass resources. This includes biomass generated through the management of natural woodlands in nature reserves and conservation areas. These management practices can also extend to other areas, such as raised bog wildernesses and estuary Reed beds. We term the biomass from this resource as conservation biomass. This study is concerned with the viability of this resource as a fuel within the United Kingdom, and combustion tests were carried out using a small domestic stove. It was concluded that there is as much as 500 kt y−1 that could be used in this way

Echocardiographic assessment and percutaneous closure of multiple atrial septal defects

Atrial septal defect closure is now routinely performed using a percutaneous approach under echocardiographic guidance. Centrally located, secundum defects are ideal for device closure but there is considerable morphological variation in size and location of the defects. A small proportion of atrial septal defects may have multiple fenestrations and these are often considered unsuitable for device closure. We report three cases of multiple atrial septal defects successfully closed with two Amplatzer septal occluders

Organic Carbon Emissions from the Co-firing of Coal and Wood in a Fixed Bed Combustor

Co-firing of biomass and coal and biomass reduces the emission of pollutants and the overall effects have been extensively studied, but many aspects of the detailed mechanism remain uncertain. A number of studies have been previously made by us of emissions from the combustion in a fixed-bed furnace of bituminous coal and wood, both individually and together, and it was observed that biomass produced less soot and lower NOX emissions. These data are combined with recent measurements of emissions of black carbon (BC) and organic carbon (OC), which are an important source of climate forcing, from the combustion of a number of solid fuels. Conclusion are drawn about the nature of the OC and how the values are dependent on the measurement technique used. Complementary analytical-scale combustion and pyrolysis experiments were also carried out. The results of the analysis of emissions and reaction products, mainly by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), were interpreted so as to construct a model for pollutant formation during co-firing