Taskscape

TASKSCAPE at The Collection by Lincolnshire based artists Kate Genever and Adam O’Meara. The exhibition is a collaboratively produced installation developed specifically for the space and will explore notions of landscape, journeying and contemporary collecting. Kate and Adam are Lincolnshire based artists, working to explore ideas related to landscape, livelihood, and dwelling. They attempt to offer an alternative and contemporary take on these age-old subjects. Their primary concern is to challenge and consider new and alternative ways of looking, thinking and representing our local landscape, whilst increasing audience access to contemporary artwork. Taskscape contains new work by both artists and has been developed especially for The Collection. Kate as an artist and farmer shows work from a growing archive that documents her family’s relationship to the land at their Lincolnshire based farm. Adam a photographer explores the relationship between rural and urban. An aspect of his visual practice will be produced in collaboration with the Cognitive Psychology Department at Lincoln University. Audience members will over several intervening Fridays be invited to re hang the show, acting as curators to restructure the space and the work. The artists will be present for questions and assistance, but we will not interfere with the choices. These re-hangs will encourage the audience to consider new meaning and ways of looking whilst allowing an exploration of landscape as a cultural construct. “We want the audience to interact with the work in a hands on, ears on, eyes on way, where we try to reinforce the relationships with the task/landscape we have built and commented on, but also as a way to demonstrate our particular views of what we have found and seen.

What is rural?

This event, a symposium, will explore the representation of landscape from farming to philosophy. The day will aim to further thinking around the intersection between art, real places and research and provide an arena for specialists to explore and challenge ideas and approaches to Rurality. The day will offer an opportunity to extend and inform current research and practice alongside developing new networks. What is Rural? aims to deepen levels of engagement and understanding in ethical, aesthetic, critical, funding, environmental and philosophical issues evident in rural spaces and related discourses. Artists, art and art practice will become the prompt that opens up a richer dialogue, encourages sharing and makes available specialist ideas to a wider public. The wide range of speakers have been linked to create a dynamic environment that will encourage audience involvement and allow for 3-way debate and discussion. This event coincides with exhibitions by Kate Genever, Adam O'Meara and Nick May

A virtual approach to evaluate therapies for management of multiple myeloma induced bone disease: Modelling Therapies for Multiple Myeloma Induced Bone Disease

Multiple myeloma bone disease is devastating for patients and a major cause of morbidity. The disease leads to bone destruction by inhibiting osteoblast activity while stimulating osteoclast activity. Recent advances in multiple myeloma research have improved our understanding of the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma-induced bone disease and suggest several potential therapeutic strategies. However, the effectiveness of some potential therapeutic strategies still requires further investigation and optimization. In this paper, a recently developed mathematical model is extended to mimic and then evaluate three therapies of the disease, namely: bisphosphonates, bortezomib and TGF-β inhibition. The model suggests that bisphosphonates and bortezomib treatments not only inhibit bone destruction, but also reduce the viability of myeloma cells. This contributes to the current debate as to whether bisphosphonate therapy has an anti-tumour effect. On the other hand, the analyses indicate that treatments designed to inhibit TGF-β do not reduce bone destruction, although it appears that they might reduce the viability of myeloma cells, which again contributes to the current controversy regarding the efficacy of TGF-β inhibition in multiple myeloma-induced bone disease

Investigating the efficacy of bisphosphonates treatment against multiple myeloma induced bone disease using a computational model

Multiple myeloma (MM)-induced bone disease is mortal for most MM patients. Bisphosphonates are first-line treatment for MM-induced bone disease, since it can inhibit osteoclast activity and the resultant bone resorption by suppressing the differentiation of osteoclast precursors into mature osteoclasts, promoting osteoclast apoptosis and disrupting osteoclast function. However, it is still unclear whether bisphosphonates have an anti-tumour effect. In our previous work, a computational model was built to simulate the pathology of MM-induced bone disease. This paper extends this proposed computational model to investigate the efficacy of bisphosphonates treatment and then clear the controversy of this therapy. The extended model is validated through the good agreement between simulation results and experimental data. The simulation results suggest that bisphosphonates indeed have an anti-tumour effect

Long-term potentiation in bone – a role for glutamate in strain-induced cellular memory?

BACKGROUND: The adaptive response of bone cells to mechanical strain is a primary determinant of skeletal architecture and bone mass. In vivo mechanical loading induces new bone formation and increases bone mineral density whereas disuse, immobilisation and weightlessness induce bone loss. The potency of mechanical strain is such that a single brief period of loading at physiological strain magnitude is able to induce a long-lasting osteogenic response that lasts for days. Although the process of mechanotransduction in bone is incompletely understood, observations that responses to mechanical strain outlast the duration of stimulation necessitate the existence of a form of cellular memory through which transient strain episodes are recorded, interpreted and remembered by bone cells. Recent evidence supports the existence of a complex multicellular glutamate-signalling network in bone that shares functional similarities to glutamatergic neurotransmission in the central nervous system. In neurones, these signalling molecules coordinate synaptic communication required to support learning and memory formation, through a complex process of long-term potentiation. PRESENTATION OF THE HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesise that osteoblasts use a cellular mechanism similar or identical to neuronal long-term potentiation in the central nervous system to mediate long-lasting changes in osteogenesis following brief periods of mechanical strain. TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS: N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonism should inhibit the saturating response of mechanical strain and reduce the enhanced osteogenicity of segregated loading to that of an equivalent period of uninterrupted loading. Changes in α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) receptor expression, localisation and electrophysiological responses should be induced by mechanical strain and inhibited by modulators of neuronal long-term potentiation. IMPLICATIONS OF THE HYPOTHESIS: If true, this hypothesis would provide a mechanism through which the skeleton could be pharmacologically primed to enhance or retrieve the normal osteogenic response to exercise. This would form a basis through which novel therapies could be developed to target osteoporosis and other prevalent bone disorders associated with low bone mass

Mechanical Properties and Biological Responses of Bioactive Glass Ceramics Processed using Indirect SLS

This paper will report on research which aims to generate bone replacement components by processing bioactive glass-ceramic powders using indirect selective laser sintering. The indirect SLS route has been chosen as it offers the ability to tailor the shape of the implant to the implantation site, and two bioactive glass ceramic materials have been processed through this route: apatite-mullite and apatite-wollostanite. The results of bend tests, to investigate mechanical properties, and in vitro and in vivo experiments to investigate biological responses of the materials will be reported, and the suitability of completed components for implant will be assessed.Mechanical Engineerin

Lived Experiences of Crisis Counselors with Repeat Exposure to Mental Health Crises

Due to the potentially traumatic content that crisis counselors face, members of the counselor education community must understand the psychological implications of repeated exposure to mental health crises to fulfill their responsibility of properly training, supervising, and supporting crisis counselors. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of crisis counselors who had worked full-time with a variety of mental health emergencies. A hermeneutic design and constructivist self-development theoretical lens allowed for the illumination of the perceived positive and negative consequences of crisis work. Purposive sampling strategies were employed to recruit seven crisis counselors for individual in-depth semi-structured interviews. Interpretative phenomenological analysis generated two main themes and ten subthemes: (a) negative implications of crisis work with subthemes of burnout, compassion fatigue, struggle with self-care, limitation of client resources, and unfair compensation; and (b) positive implications of crisis work with subthemes of work satisfaction, professional growth, sense of purpose, work-based support, and resiliency. Implications for social change include increased support for crisis counselor preparedness and wellness as well as increased effectiveness of client care

Effect of freshwater washing pretreatment on Sargassum muticum as a feedstock for biogas production

The pretreatment of seaweed by washing in freshwater is often used in seaweed biofuel research studies. However, the effect of washing seaweed prior to anaerobic digestion (AD) does not appear to have been greatly studied. This study examines washing Sargassum muticum with freshwater and its effect on ultimate and proximate analyses, salt content, methane production from anaerobic digestion, and leachate loss from ensiling. Washing with freshwater significantly (P 0.05) between unwashed (0.225 L CH4 g−1 VS) and washed samples (0.177 L CH4 g−1 VS). However, washing delayed biomethane productio

The variable toxicity of silver ions in cell culture media

The elevated interest in silver ions (Ag+) as a broad spectrum antimicrobial for use on medical devices has increased the number and importance of in vitro biocompatibility testing, however little consideration is given to the culture environment in which the assessments are performed. The current investigation assessed the viability of mouse fibroblasts (L929) exposed to different concentrations of Ag+ in both Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) and minimal essential medium Eagle, alpha modification (αMEM). We identified a significant increase in the EC50 of L929 cells exposed to Ag+ in αMEM compared to DMEM, which was matched by a corresponding decrease in Ag+ availability in αMEM at concentrations ≤400 μM, as detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The reduced availability was not observed for Ag+ > 400 μM, the concentration above which caused in vitro cytotoxicity in L929 cells in αMEM; while linear quantification of Ag+ was observed in DMEM. Equilibration of the chloride and glucose components between media did not affect cytotoxicity on primary test cells; mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Overall, our results present evidence of the importance of culture conditions on the in vitro evaluation of silver, with DMEM providing a reliable basal media in which to conduct assessments

An evaluation of the use of ronidazole for the treatment of Tritrichomonas foetus in cats

PICO question&#x0D; In cats infected with Tritrichomonas foetus, does treatment with oral ronidazole compared to an alternative antiprotozoal treatment or placebo result in successful resolution of clinical signs and eradication of disease?&#x0D; Clinical bottom line&#x0D; Ronidazole use appears to be efficacious in eradicating infection with Tritrichomonas foetus and resolving diarrhoea associated with infection. A dose range of 30–50 mg/kg 12–24 hourly has been suggested, with evidence suggesting that a dose of 30 mg/kg 24 hourly for 14 days may be effective. However, some cats may require higher doses and some may not respond to treatment, and relapse may occur during a protracted period following completion of the treatment course. Neurological side effects appear to be uncommon but may occur with doses of 30 mg/kg and above.&#x0D; A total of six studies are reviewed: Three randomised, controlled studies, one cohort study and two case series (one retrospective). Findings indicate efficacy of ronidazole treatment in eradicating infection and resolving diarrhoea, however many studies involved small sample sizes and limited follow-up. Therefore, evidence to support the use of ronidazole in Tritrichomonas foetus infected cats remains relatively limited.&#x0D;  &#x0D; </jats:p