The economic ecology of small businesses in Oxfordshire

Report by the Oxfordshire Economic Observatory (OEO) for the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Oxfordshire Branch

Combining optical trapping in a microfluidic channel with simultaneous micro-Raman spectroscopy and motion detection.

Since their invention by Ashkin optical tweezers have demonstrated their ability and versatility as a non-invasive tool for micromanipulation. One of the most useful additions to the basic optical tweezers system is micro-Raman spectroscopy, which permits highly sensitive analysis of single cells or particles. We report on the development of a dual laser system combining two spatial light modulators to holographically manipulate multiple traps (at 1064nm) whilst undertaking Raman spectroscopy using a 532nm laser. We can thus simultaneously trap multiple particles and record their Raman spectra, without perturbing the trapping system. The dual beam system is built around micro-fluidic channels where crystallisation of calcium carbonate occurs on polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) beads. The setup is designed to simulate at a microscopic level the reactions that occur on items in a dishwasher, where permanent filming of calcium carbonate on drinking glasses is a problem. Our system allows us to monitor crystal growth on trapped particles in which the Raman spectrum and changes in movement of the bead are recorded. Due to the expected low level of crystallisation on the bead surfaces this allows us to obtain results quickly and with high sensitivity. The long term goal is to study the development of filming on samples in-situ with the microfluidic system acting as a model dishwasher

Making sense of eating, weight and risk in the early teenage years: views and concerns of parents in poorer socio-economic circumstances

Peer reviewe

Studies on the ecological energetics of damselfly larvae (Odonata: Zygoptera)

Not availabl

The effects of acute garlic supplementation on fibrinolytic potential in young, healthy, trained males

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to examine the effects of acute garlic supplementation on fibrinolytic potential and the fibrinolytic response to exercise in young healthy trained males. Methods: 18 healthy trained males (Age = 20.9 ± 2.2 years, Height = 178 ± 7.7 cm, Weight = 75.5 ± 9.6 kg, VO2max = 59.8 ± 6.7 ml kg-1 min-1) performed a graded treadmill test to volitional exhaustion. Blood samples were taken at rest, within two minutes post-exercise, and one hour post-exercise. Participants were randomly assigned to ingest either 900 mg of powdered garlic or a placebo three hours before the exercise session. The supplement was distributed in a double-blind, crossover fashion. Participants repeated the protocol with the other treatment after a 14-day washout period. Paired t-tests were used to compare height, weight, resting hematocrit, VO2max, respiratory exchange ratio, and treadmill time between the two trials. A two-factor (treatment and time) repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess changes in tPA activity, tPA antigen, and PAI-1 activity. A priori statistical significance was set at P \u3c0.05. Results: A significant difference was found between the two treatment conditions for absolute and relative VO2max. No significant differences were observed between the two treatment conditions for treadmill time or respiratory exchange ratio at VO2max. There was no main effect for treatment and no treatment x time interaction for any of the fibrinolytic variables examined. Conclusion: Acute garlic supplementation does not alter fibrinolytic potential or the fibrinolytic response to exercise in young healthy trained males. Acute garlic supplementation does, however, cause a small but statistically significant increase in VO2max. It remains unclear if this increase in VO2max is of functional importance

Buckling without bending: a new paradigm in morphogenesis

A curious feature of organ and organoid morphogenesis is that in certain cases, spatial oscillations in the thickness of the growing "film" are out-of-phase with the deformation of the slower-growing "substrate," while in other cases, the oscillations are in-phase. The former cannot be explained by elastic bilayer instability, and contradict the notion that there is a universal mechanism by which brains, intestines, teeth, and other organs develop surface wrinkles and folds. Inspired by the microstructure of the embryonic cerebellum, we develop a new model of 2d morphogenesis in which system-spanning elastic fibers endow the organ with a preferred radius, while a separate fiber network resides in the otherwise fluid-like film at the outer edge of the organ and resists thickness gradients thereof. The tendency of the film to uniformly thicken or thin is described via a "growth potential". Several features of cerebellum, +blebbistatin organoid, and retinal fovea morphogenesis, including out-of-phase behavior and a film thickness amplitude that is comparable to the radius amplitude, are readily explained by our simple analytical model, as may be an observed scale-invariance in the number of folds in the cerebellum. We also study a nonlinear variant of the model, propose further biological and bio-inspired applications, and address how our model is and is not unique to the developing nervous system.Comment: version accepted by Physical Review

Establishing an Interinstitutional Tourism Research Center

Timing is essential in higher education to the positive development of a tourism center. Another essential ingredient is an inter-disciplinary team that allows for the development of an integrated approach to solving tourism problems. Tourism is a complex economic venture and impacts each state differently. Only through an integrated comprehensive approach can each state find its uniqueness and success in the travel industry