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Reliable and specific detection and identification of Brenneria goodwinii, the causal agent of oak and oriental beech decline
Get PDFChestnut-leaved oak (Quercus castaneifolia) and oriental beech (Fagus orientalis) are among the major tree species in the Hyrcanian forests. Brenneria goodwinii was identified as the causal agent of necrotic lesions and stem bleeding on affected oak trees in different countries. Oak and oriental beech trees with bleeding symptoms were observed in a few forest sites in northern Iran. The objectives of the present study were to identify and characterize the causal agents of bark canker in oak and oriental beech trees and develop a primer set for specific detection, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), of Brenneria goodwinii strains. A total of 31 and 20 samples from oak and oriental beech trees, respectively, with stem bleeding and bark canker symptoms were collected from Golestan and Mazandaran forests in northern Iran in 2020–2021. Bacterial strains displaying a green metallic sheen on EMB-agar medium were isolated from symptomatic oak (105 strains) and oriental beech samples (32 strains), while 31 and 20 strains were also isolated from healthy oak and oriental beech, respectively. Pathogenicity tests indicated that 51 and 25 strains isolated from oak and oriental beech, respectively were able to induce a necrotic area on oak acorns 15 days following inoculation. Moreover, four and two representative strains inoculated on oak and oriental beech twigs, respectively induced necrosis on all inoculated green twigs 1 month after inoculation. The sequences of the 16S rRNA and gyrB genes of representative strains isolated from and proved pathogenic on oak and oriental beech trees were 100% and over 99% similar to B. goodwinii LMG 26270T, respectively, which revealed the strains belong to B. goodwinii species. The primer pair BgF3/R2, which was designed to target the hrpN gene, was proven to be specific in the detection of B. goodwinii strains. The primer pair amplified a 618-bp DNA fragment from strains of B. goodwinii only and not from strains belonging to Rahnella, Gibbsiella, Lonsdalea, and the other Brenneria species among several other pathogenic bacteria tested. No fragment was amplified from DNA extracted from healthy trees or seedlings in PCR using this primer pair
Submission to the special rapporteur on violence against women and girls to inform her visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Get PDFWomen in Refugee Law (WiRL) is a global network of asylum seeking and refugee women, academics, practitioners, policymakers and activists. Our submission draws together recent evidence and knowledge from our UK members with lived experience of claiming asylum, and legal practitioners, advocates and researchers.1 We have prioritised the most important issues identified by our members, rather than addressing every possible topic
Doing Working Class History: Research, Heritage and Engagement
No full textPerhaps the most difficult aspect of researching, interpreting, and engaging with working-class history is how broad the terms of reference can be. Rarely a week seems to go by without the working-class, however defined (or undefined), being the subject of debate in the news, in opinion pieces, and online. At a time of rapid technological change, of surging populism in politics, and significant debate about identity and cultural grouping in society at large, the working class, defined or not, seems a significant presence in modern societies around the world. Across scholarship, commentary, and social debate, the study of the working class seems more vibrant and necessary with every passing day. For the historian, this outpouring of enthusiasm is both exhilarating and concerning. As in many disciplines, the study of class has been in decline for decades in history, seen (sometimes quite rightly) as a clumsy tool in comparison to new, insightful, questions about sexuality, cultural capital, race (particularly in colonial and post-colonial eras), and other ways of understanding identity amongst individuals and groups. That class history, and especially working-class history, is flourishing once again offers exciting opportunities for historians to bring the topic into conversation with these new lines of inquiry, all in front of an increasingly interested public audience. The aim of this book is to act as a primer – an introductory text to understanding how the history of the working class has, is, and can be researched, written, and represented. Its imagined audience is newcomers to the subject, just beginning their steps into this field, but also those interested in how this history can be researched, understood, and shared
How hydrogen (H2) can support food security: From farm to fork
No full textMolecular hydrogen (H2) is a low-molecular-weight, non-polar and electrochemically neutral substance that acts as an effective antioxidant and cytoprotective agent, with research into the effects of H2 incorporation into the food chain, at various stages, rapidly gaining momentum. H2 can be delivered throughout the food growth, production, delivery and storage systems in numerous ways, including as a gas, as hydrogen-rich water (HRW), or with hydrogen-donating food supplements such as calcium (Ca) or magnesium (Mg). In plants, H2 can be exploited as a seed-priming agent, during seed germination and planting, during the latter stages of plant development and reproduction, as a post-harvest treatment and as a food additive. Adding H2 during plant growth and developmental stages is noted to improve the yield and quality of plant produce, through modulating antioxidant pathways and stimulating tolerance to such environmental stress factors as drought stress, enhanced tolerance to herbicides (paraquat), and increased salinity and metal toxicity. The benefits of pre- and post-harvest application of H2 include reductions in natural senescence and microbial spoilage, which contribute to extending the shelf-life of animal products, fruits, grains and vegetables. This review collates empirical findings pertaining to the use of H2 in the agri-food industry and evaluates the potential impact of this emerging technology
Inequalities in birth before arrival at hospital in South West England: a multimethods study of neonatal hypothermia and emergency medical services call-handler advice.
Get PDFObjectivesTo examine inequalities in birth before arrival (BBA) at hospitals in South West England, understand which groups are most likely to experience BBA and how this relates to hypothermia and outcomes (phase A). To investigate opportunities to improve temperature management advice given by emergency medical services (EMS) call-handlers during emergency calls regarding BBA in the UK (phase B).DesignA two-phase multimethod study. Phase A analysed anonymised data from hospital neonatal records between January 2018 and January 2021. Phase B analysed anonymised EMS call transcripts, followed by focus groups with National Health Service (NHS) staff and patients.SettingSix Hospital Trusts in South West England and two EMS providers (ambulance services) in South West and North East England.Participants18 multidisciplinary NHS staff and 22 members of the public who had experienced BBA in the UK.Results35% (64/184) of babies conveyed to hospital were hypothermic on arrival. When compared with national data on all births in the South West, we found higher percentages of women with documented safeguarding concerns at booking, previous live births and 'late bookers' (booking their pregnancy >13 weeks gestation). These women may, therefore, be more likely to experience BBA. Preterm babies, babies to first-time mothers and babies born to mothers with disability or safeguarding concerns at booking were more likely to be hypothermic following BBA. Five main themes emerged from qualitative data on call-handler advice: (1) importance placed on neonatal temperature; (2) advice on where the baby should be placed following birth; (3) advice on how to keep the baby warm; (4) timing of temperature management advice and (5) clarity and priority of instructions.ConclusionsFindings identified factors associated with BBA and neonatal hypothermia following BBA. Improvements to EMS call-handler advice could reduce the number of babies arriving at hospital hypothermic
EM-COGLOAD: An investigation into age and cognitive load detection using eye tracking and deep learning
No full textAlzheimer's Disease is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease, and is a leading cause of disability among the elderly. Eye movement behaviour demonstrates potential as a non-invasive biomarker for Alzheimer's Disease, with changes detectable at an early stage after initial onset. This paper introduces a new publicly available dataset: EM-COGLOAD (available at https://osf.io/zjtdq/, DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/ZJTDQ). A dual-task paradigm was used to create effects of declined cognitive performance in 75 healthy adults as they carried out visual tracking tasks. Their eye movement was recorded, and time series classification of the extracted eye movement traces was explored using a range of deep learning techniques. The results of this showed that convolutional neural networks were able to achieve an accuracy of 87.5% when distinguishing between eye movement under low and high cognitive load, and 76% when distinguishing between the oldest and youngest age groups
Electroactive composite biofilms integrating Kombucha, Chlorella and synthetic proteinoid Proto-Brains
Get PDFIn this study, we present electroactive biofilms made from a combination of Kombucha zoogleal mats and thermal proteinoids. These biofilms have potential applications in unconventional computing and robotic skin. Proteinoids are synthesized by thermally polymerizing amino acids, resulting in the formation of synthetic protocells that display electrical signalling similar to neurons. By incorporating proteinoids into Kombucha zoogleal cellulose mats, hydrogel biofilms can be created that have the ability to efficiently transfer charges, perform sensory transduction and undergo processing. We conducted a study on the memfractance and memristance behaviours of composite biofilms, showcasing their capacity to carry out unconventional computing operations. The porous nanostructure and electroactivity of the biofilm create a biocompatible interface that can be used to record and stimulate neuronal networks. In addition to in vitro neuronal interfaces, these soft electroactive biofilms show potential as components for bioinspired robotics, smart wearables, unconventional computing devices and adaptive biorobotic systems. Kombucha-proteinoids composite films are a highly customizable material that can be synthesized to suit specific needs. These films belong to a unique category of 'living' materials, as they have the ability to support cellular systems and improve bioelectronic functionality. This makes them an exciting prospect in various applications. Ongoing efforts are currently being directed towards enhancing the compositional tuning of conductivity, signal processing and integration within hybrid bioelectronic circuits
When the turbines stop: Unveiling the factors shaping end-of-life decisions of ageing wind infrastructure in Italy
Get PDFWind farms reaching their end of technical, or consent life, are increasing. One of the biggest emerging environmental sustainability issues faced by countries globally is what to do with this ageing infrastructure. This is an urgent issue across Europe and a challenge for countries such as Italy, where about 50 % of the country wind capacity is expected to reach end-of-life by 2030. As wind industry actors, governments and academics seek to identify the scale of this problem, this paper investigates the technical, legal, economic, financial, social and environmental challenges that are coalescing in determining when a turbine has reached the end of its productive lifetime. While the standard design lifetime of a turbine is 20–25 years, the timescale under which wind turbines approach the end of their operational lifetime is not uniform. Through an in-depth analysis of secondary documents and expert interviews, we investigate when end-of-life decisions are being undertaken and how these can influence the different options of waste management alternatives to landfill. The ‘age’ of the wind farm- and its degrading performance- is determined by a number of factors, with end-of-life decision becoming increasingly an ad-hoc strategy for wind assets, ultimately influencing the environmental impact of wind infrastructure
Other lives: Relationships of young disabled men on the margins of alternative provision
Get PDFThis article draws on a qualitative data analysis of the experiences of a small group of so-called ‘hard-to-reach’ disabled young men in Alternative Provisions (APs). Supporting young people has largely focused on the use of professional interventions. We contrast the young men’s experiences of professional service interventions with the complementary functions of social and psychological capital embedded in their own friendship networks. The young men rarely used the professional support offered, often finding professional practices and institutional systems unhelpful. This contrasted with the support gained in their own friendship networks which offered opportunities for enhancing well-being and agency. There are implications here for how young people facing risks associated with school exclusion and marginalisation can best be supported. We suggest that young people themselves are important agents in providing mutuality and solidarity, which can enhance various and varied life-course transitions
Effect of combined Tai Chi and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for sleep disturbance in older adults: A randomized controlled trial
Get PDFBackground and aims Novel approaches to improve sleep disturbance in older adults are needed. Our study comprises a pioneering attempt to test the efficacy of Tai Chi (TC) combined with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in improving sleep disturbance in older adults. The influence of baseline depressive symptoms was tested in a subset of the sample. Method In the randomized controlled trial, 152 participants were each allocated to one of the following groups: (1) TC plus active rTMS (n = 38), (2) TC plus sham rTMS (n = 38), (3) TC alone (n = 38), and (4) low-intensity physical exercise (PE) control group (n = 38). Four-week interventions were conducted for each group. The outcomes included insomnia severity, actigraphy-assessed and self-reported sleep parameters, mood states, and quality of life. Assessments were carried out at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1), and 3-month follow-up (T2). Results Of the 152 randomized participants, the mean (SD) age was 67.68 (4.98) years, with 112 female (73.68%). The findings revealed that TC plus active rTMS induced a significant reduction in actigraphy-assessed sleep onset latency compared to TC plus sham rTMS at T1 and T2. In the subsample without depressive symptoms, the combination treatment exhibited a greater benefit in actigraphy-assessed sleep efficiency and wake time after sleep onset compared to both variables in the PE group and in the sham comparator group at T1, respectively. The other subsample with depressive symptoms showed the improvements with TC plus active rTMS, TC plus sham rTMS, and TC alone differed significantly from PE at T1 and T2. Conclusions This study has demonstrated the positive effect of TC combined with rTMS on sleep disturbance in older adults. Specific sample characteristics should be considered when applying TC, either alone or combined with rTMS