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Effects of mould wear on hydrophobic polymer surfaces replicated using plasma treated and laser-textured stainless steel inserts
Get PDFYesThe mass production of polymeric parts with functional surfaces requires economically viable manufacturing routes. Injection moulding is a very attractive option however wear and surface damage can be detrimental to the lifespan of replication masters. In this research, the replication of superhydrophobic surfaces is investigated by employing a process chain that integrates surface hardening, laser texturing and injection moulding. Austenitic stainless steel inserts were hardened by low temperature plasma carburising and three different micro and nano scale surface textures were laser fabricated, i.e. submicron triangular LaserInduced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS), micro grooves and Lotus-leaf like topographies. Then, a commonly available talc-loaded polypropylene was used to produce 5000 replicas to investigate the evolution of surface textures on both inserts and replicas together with their functional response. Any wear orsurface damage progressively built up on the inserts during the injection moulding process had a clear impact on surface roughness and peak-to-peak topographies of the replicas. In general, the polymer replicas produced with the carburised inserts retained the wetting properties of their textured surfaces for longer periods compared with those produced with untreated replication masters.European Union's H2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 675063 (www.laser4fun.eu); H2020 projects, i.e. “HighImpact Injection Moulding Platform for mass-production of 3D and/or large micro-structured surfaces with Antimicrobial, Self-cleaning, Anti-scratch, Anti-squeak and Aesthetic functionalities”(HIMALAIA, No. 766871), “Process Fingerprint for Zero-defect Net-shape Micromanufacturing”(MICROMAN, No. 674801) and “Modular laser based additive manufacturing platform for large scale industrial applications� (MAESTRO, No. 723826). The UKIERI DST programme “Surface functionalisation for 18/20 Accepted in the journal Tribology - Materials, Surfaces & Interfaces. food, packaging, and healthcare applications
Digital payments adoption research: A review of factors influencing consumer’s attitude, intention and usage
Get PDFYesDigital payment methods (DPMs) are evolving fast but they are yet to be widely adopted particularly in the developing countries. An initial review of literature suggests that several studies have already been conducted on this topic for understanding antecedents of digital payments adoption. However, only a few studies have examined this emerging topic in the context of developing countries. The aim of this submission is to identify antecedents of consumer adoption and usage of digital payments methods. The results of this literature analysis suggest that constructs related to technology acceptance model (TAM) and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) along with trust and risk are the most frequently examined constructs for determining consumer’s behavioural intention to use and usage of DPMs. The findings from this work can help researchers selecting factors for inclusion in the future empirical works on this topic
International consensus on quality indicators for comprehensive assessment of dementia in young adults using a modified e-Delphi approach
Get PDFYesTo develop guidance for clinicians about essential elements that can support clinical decision-making in the diagnostic workup of young onset dementia. Methods/design: Three iterations of a modified e-Delphi consensus survey comprising 23 international expert clinicians specialising in diagnosis of young onset dementia. Outcome measures: A priori consensus was pre-defined as 80% of experts ranking statements in the upper threshold on a seven-point Likert scale that ranged from “not important at all” to “absolutely essential” to diagnosis. Results: 80% consensus was reached on 48 statements that were rated as “absolutely essential” or “very important” to a comprehensive assessment of dementia in a younger adult. In order to inform a subsequent audit of clinical records in which compliance with these statements was assessed, the statements were divided into a Minimum Standard, (consisting of the 15 statements voted by all experts as being “absolutely essential” or “very important”) and a Gold Standard where 48 statements were voted by 80% of the experts as being “absolutely essential” or “very important”. The experts’ response rate across the three rounds was 91.3%. Conclusion: A Minimum Standard and Gold Standard have been created for the diagnostic workup of young onset dementia. The standards provide a clinically useful tool for decision-making, particularly for generalists and those with less experience in the field. The standards will be used to inform a UK case note audit of recently diagnosed patients with young onset dementia.This work was supported by the Alzheimer's Society grant number 278 AS-PG-15b-034
Evaluation of the toxicity of two electron-deficient half-sandwich complexes against human lymphocytes from healthy individuals
Get PDFYesElectron‐deficient half‐sandwich complexes are a class of under‐studied organometallics with demonstrated potential as metallodrug candidates. The present study investigates the effect of two 16‐electron organoruthenium complexes ([( p‐ cym)Ru(benzene‐1,2‐dithiolato)] ( 1 ) and [( p ‐cym)Ru(maleonitriledithiolate)] ( 2 )) on the cell viability of non‐immortalised human lymphocytes from healthy individuals. The genotoxic effects of 1 and 2 in lymphocytes using the Comet and cytokinesis‐block micronucleus assays is also investigated. Gene expression studies were carried out on a panel of genes involved in apoptosis and DNA damage repair response. Results show that the two 16‐electron complexes do not have significant effect on the cell viability of human lymphocytes from healthy individuals. However, an increase in DNA damage is induced by both compounds, presumably through oxidative stress production.This project was supported by the Royal Society (University Research Fellowship No. UF150295 to NPEB), the University of Bradford (RDF Award), and by the Academy of Medical Sciences/the Wellcome Trust/ the Government Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy/ the British Heart Foundation Springboard Award [SBF003\1170 to NPEB]
Dying to Talk? Co-producing resources with young people to get them talking about bereavement, death and dying
Get PDFYesThe Dying to Talk project in Bradford, UK aimed to build resilience in young people around the topic of death, dying and bereavement. Starting conversations early in life could buttress people’s future wellbeing when faced with bereavement and indeed their own mortality. Research indicates that a key feature in young people’s experience of bereavement is ‘powerlessness’ (Ribbens McCarthy, 2007). Drawing on the principles of co-production, young people led the development of the project aimed at encouraging young people to talk about death, using archaeology as a facilitator to those conversations. The partnership between the University of Bradford, the voluntary sector and the young people proved to be a positive and empowering one. It laid the foundations for future collaboration and developed a framework for engaging young people in talking about death, building their resilience for dealing with death and dying in the future – a step towards building a ‘compassionate city’ for young people (Kellehear, 2012)University of Bradford, Higher Education Innovation Fund; AHR
An annotated and critical glossary of the terminology of inclusion in healthcare and health research
Get PDFYesThe importance of including members of the public has been accorded a significant position in health planning, service delivery and research. But this position masks a lack of clarity about terms that are used. This paper identifies terms that are in common use in the lexicon of community based involvement and engagement in health with the intention of clarifying meaning and thus reducing ambiguity. We define and distinguish between key terms related to inclusion, we consider the terminology attached to community processes and to the challenges of inclusion and we engage with the strengths and weaknesses of the commonly used metaphor of "a ladder of participation". We wish to contribute to the clear communication of intentions, challenges and achievements in pursuing varied forms of inclusion in health
Cyclooxygenase activity mediates colorectal cancer cell resistance to the omega‑3 polyunsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid
No full textYesPurpose The naturally-occurring omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is safe, well-tolerated and
inexpensive, making it an attractive anti-cancer intervention. However, EPA has only modest anti-colorectal cancer (CRC)
activity, when used alone. Both cyclooxygenase (COX) isoforms metabolise EPA and are over-expressed in CRC cells. We
investigated whether COX inhibition increases the sensitivity of CRC cells to growth inhibition by EPA.
Methods A panel of 18 human and mouse CRC cell lines was used to characterize the differential sensitivity of CRC cells to
the growth inhibitory effects of EPA. The effect of CRISPR-Cas9 genetic deletion and pharmacological inhibition of COX-1
and COX-2 on the anti-cancer activity of EPA was determined using in vitro and in vivo models.
Results Genetic ablation of both COX isoforms increased sensitivity of CT26 mouse CRC cells to growth inhibition by EPA
in vitro and in vivo. The non-selective COX inhibitor aspirin and the selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib increased sensitivity
of several human and mouse CRC cell lines to EPA in vitro. However, in a MC38 mouse CRC cell tumour model, with
dosing that mirrored low-dose aspirin use in humans, thereby producing significant platelet COX-1 inhibition, there was
ineffective intra-tumoral COX-2 inhibition by aspirin and no effect on EPA sensitivity of MC38 cell tumours.
Conclusion Cyclooxygenase inhibition by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs represents a therapeutic opportunity to
augment the modest anti-CRC activity of EPA. However, intra-tumoral COX inhibition is likely to be critical for this drug-nutrient interaction and careful tissue pharmacodynamic profiling is required in subsequent pre-clinical and human studies
Biomaterials for breast reconstruction: Promises, advances, and challenges
No full textYesBreast reconstruction is the opportunity that provides the chance of having breast after undergoing surgical removal of the breast tissue due to cancer-related surgery. However, this varies on the stage of the cancer diagnosis and the procedure undertaken. There are many regenerative medicine methods that provide several initiatives and direct solutions to problems such as the development of “bioactive tissue,” which can regenerate adipose tissues with similar normal functions and structures. There have been several studies which have previously explored for the improvement of breast reconstruction including different variations of biomaterials, different fabrication and processing techniques, cells as well as growth factors which enable bioengineers and tissue engineers to reconstruct a suitable breast for patients with breast cancer. Many factors such as shape, proper volume, mechanical properties have been studies but very scattered with not adequate solutions for existing patients worldwide. This review article aims to cover recent advances in biomaterials, which can be used for reconstruction of breasts as well as looking at the various factors that might lead to individuals needing reconstruction and the materials that are available. The focus would be to look at the various biomaterials that are available to use for reconstruction, their properties, and their structural integrity
Exploring change in small firms' HRM practices
Get PDFYesThe academic literature widely acknowledges changes and variation in the practices of small firms but only a small amount of empirical work has explored the processes through which HRM practices undergo change. Research has tended, instead, to examine the presence and effectiveness of HRM in small firms and has often viewed this in terms of a deficit model relating such practices to an understanding of HRM derived from larger firms. This chapter focuses on the recruitment and selection and staff payment practices in use in three small services firms to explore the everyday, ongoing detail of their HRM processes and practices. Identifying the different processes through which recruitment and selection and staff payment practices changed in the participant firms provides a base for discussing persistent forms of informality and the lack of stability that reflects the everyday realities of the firms, not only in contrast to their formalized policies but in engagement with them. This chapter advances understanding of selected HRM practices in small services firms after periods of formalization and adoption of HRM policies and practices. The chapter also discusses how developing knowledge of small firms’ HRM practices in this way has implications for researchers and practitioners
Assessment of nutritional stress in famine burials using stable isotope analysis
Get PDFYesObjectives: We compared δ15N and δ13C values from bone and dentine collagen profiles of individuals interred in famine‐related and attritional burials to evaluate whether individuals in medieval London who experienced nutritional stress exhibit enriched nitrogen in bone and tooth tissue. Dentine profiles were evaluated to identify patterns that may be indicative of famine during childhood and were compared with the age of enamel hypoplasia (EH) formation to assess whether isotopic patterns of undernutrition coincide with the timing of physiological stress.
Materials and Methods: δ15N and δ13C isotope ratios of bone collagen were obtained from individuals (n = 128) interred in attritional and famine burials from a medieval London cemetery (c. 1120–1539). Temporal sequences of δ15N and δ13C isotope profiles for incrementally forming dentine collagen were obtained from a subset of these individuals (n = 21).
Results: Results indicate that individuals from attritional graves exhibit significantly higher δ15N values but no significant differences were found between burial types for the sexes. Analyses of dentine profiles reveal that a lower proportion of famine burials exhibit stable dentine profiles and that several exhibit a pattern of opposing covariance between δ15N and δ13C. EH were also observed to have formed during or after the opposing covariance pattern for some individuals.
Conclusions: The results of this study may reflect differences in diet between burial types rather than nutritional stress. Though nutritional stress could not be definitively identified using bone and dentine collagen, the results from dentine analysis support previous observations of biochemical patterns associated with nutritional stress during childhood.Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences. Grant Numbers: BCS‐1261682, BCS‐1540208. Office of the Vice President for Research, University of South Carolina. Grant Number: SPARC Fellowship Gran