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High-valent dinuclear bis-μ-hydroxo complexes for PCET reactivity
No full textHigh valent dinuclear bis-μ-hydroxo transition metals complexes are hypothesised to play a potentially crucial role in several enzymatic mechanism involving their high-valent dinuclear bis-μ-oxo counterparts such as soluble Methane Monooxygenase (sMMO) and Tyrosinase. However, even though late transition metals such as Ni and Cu, are postulated to be extremely powerful oxidants, an overall dearth of high-valent late transition metals μ-hydroxo model systems is present in literature. Herein we report the synthesis and characterization of the first example of high valent bis(μ-hydroxo)NiIII2 and the mixed valent bis(μ-hydroxo)MIIMIII complexes (M = Ni, Cu). The complexes were prepared from low-valent precursors supported by a novel dicarboxamidate ligand and were characterised using X-ray absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies, mass spectrometry, and DFT calculations. These techniques confirmed the oxidation states of the metal sites in the complexes and showed the retention of the bis(μ-hydroxide) diamond core in the high valent species. Reactivity studies were performed, demonstrating that both high valent bis(μ-hydroxo)NiIII2 and the mixed valent bis(μ-hydroxo)MIIMIII (M = Ni, Cu) complexes were powerful oxidants towards oxidative activation of phenolic O-H bonds. Thorough kinetic analysis of these reactions showed that the high-valent complexes were able to react through a hydrogen atom transfer mechanism
Class-J RF power amplifier with wideband harmonic suppression
No full textThe 2011 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America, 5-10 June 2011This work outlines a design approach used for achieving highly efficient power amplification over a wide bandwidth, given narrowband passive harmonic load-pull results at a single center frequency. Specific considerations have been given to harmonic suppression concerns which are addressed by appropriate choice of matching network topology. The method is justified by amplifier fabrication using a commercially available 10W GaN HEMT transistor and achieving an efficiency of at least 60% over a 15% bandwidth from 2.3-2.7GHz. Output power between 10-12W was delivered across the band, centered at 2.5GHz. Harmonic suppression of at least -41dBc and -39dBc was obtained across the second and third harmonic bands respectively, largely removing the dependency on post-filtering.Science Foundation Irelan
Sexual intercourse, age of initiation and contraception among adolescents in Ireland: findings from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Ireland study
No full textBackground
The need to tackle sexual health problems and promote positive sexual health has been acknowledged in Irish health policy. Young people’s sexual behaviour however remains under-researched with limited national data available.
Methods
This study presents the first nationally representative and internationally comparable data on young people’s sexual health behaviours in Ireland. Self-complete questionnaire data were collected from 4494 schoolchildren aged 15–18 years as part of a broader examination of health behaviour and their context. The prevalence of sexual initiation, very early sexual initiation (< 14 years) and non-condom use at last intercourse are reported and used as outcomes in separate multilevel logistic regression models examining associations between sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle characteristics and young people’s sexual behaviours.
Results
Overall, 25.7% of boys and 21.2% of girls were sexually initiated. Older age was consistently predictive of initiation for both boys and girls, as were alcohol, tobacco and cannabis involvement, living in poorer neighbourhoods and having good communication with friends. Involvement in music and drama was protective. Very early sexual initiation (< 14 years) was reported by 22.8% of sexually initiated boys and 13.4% of sexually initiated girls, and was consistently associated with rural living, cannabis involvement and bullying others for both. Boys’ very early initiation was predicted by alcohol involvement, receiving unhealthy food from parents and taking medication for psychological symptoms, whereas better communication with friends and more experience of negative health symptoms were protective. Girls’ very early initiation was predicted by being bullied and belonging to a non-Traveller community, whereas taking medication for physical symptoms and attending regular health checks was protective. Condom use was reported by 80% of sexually initiated students at last intercourse. Boys’ condom use was associated with older age, higher family affluence, bullying others, more frequent physical activity and health protective behaviours. For girls, condom use was predicted by belonging to a non-Traveller community, healthy food consumption, higher quality of life and being bullied, whereas taking medication for physical and psychological symptoms was associated with non-condom use.
Conclusions
These nationally representative research findings highlight the importance of focusing on young people as a distinct population subgroup with unique influences on their sexual health requiring targeted interventions and policy.HBSC Ireland is funded by the Department of Health. Funding for this work came from an Irish Research Council Collaborative Research Grant with the Crisis Pregnancy Programme of the Health Service Executive. The lead author, now based at Cardiff University, is supported by DECIPHer, a UKCRC Public Health Research Centre of Excellence. Joint funding (MR/KO232331/1) from the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, the Welsh Government and the Wellcome Trust, under the auspices of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration, is gratefully acknowledged
Education on childrens complex care needs in general nursing curricula in Europe: An inductive content analysis
No full textNursing programmes must prepare children\u27s nurses to respond effectively to the health needs of children and young people. The aim of this study was to examine general nursing curricula for child-related content. A non-experimental descriptive study design was used. Curricular plans from 18 countries where general nursing education was the only requirement to care for children with complex care needs in the community were analysed. Curricula were obtained from institutions who educated the largest number of student nurses in each country. An inductive analysis of the curricula was carried out. Almost three-quarters of the curricula (n = 13) offered one or more compulsory core modules on children. The content varied from one to sixteen ECTS credits showing a wide variation in the focus on children in these curricula. In 12 of the 18 countries most of the child-related content was in other modules. The sample curricula from five countries had no compulsory modules on children. Child-related curricular content varied considerably across countries, with little content focused on children with complex care needs. This can illustrate that nurses are not always adequately prepared to meet the needs of sick children
Estrogen withdrawal alters cytoskeletal and primary ciliary dynamics resulting in increased Hedgehog and osteoclastogenic paracrine signalling in osteocytes.
No full textEstrogen deficiency during post-menopausal osteoporosis leads to osteoclastogenesis and bone loss. Increased pro-osteoclastogenic signalling (RANKL/OPG) by osteocytes occurs following estrogen withdrawal (EW) and is associated with impaired focal adhesions (FAs) and a disrupted actin cytoskeleton. RANKL production is mediated by Hedgehog signalling in osteocytes, a signalling pathway associated with the primary cilium, and the ciliary structure is tightly coupled to the cytoskeleton. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the role of the cilium and associated signalling in EW-mediated osteoclastogenic signalling in osteocytes. We report that EW leads to an elongation of the cilium and increase in Hedgehog and osteoclastogenic signalling. Significant trends were identified linking cilia elongation with reductions in cell area and % FA area/cell area, indicating that cilia elongation is associated with disruption of FAs and actin contractility. To verify this, we inhibited FA assembly via αvβ3 antagonism and inhibited actin contractility and demonstrated an elongated cilia and increased expression of Hh markers and Rankl expression. Therefore, our results suggest that the EW conditions associated with osteoporosis lead to a disorganisation of αvβ3 integrins and reduced actin contractility, which were associated with an elongation of the cilium, activation of the Hh pathway and osteoclastogenic paracrine signalling
Combining transcriptomics and genetic linkage based information to identify candidate genes associated with Heterobasidion-resistance in Norway spruce
No full textThe Heterobasidion annosum s.l species complex comprises the most damaging forest pathogens to Norway spruce. We revisited previously identified Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) related to Heterobasidion-resistance in Norway spruce to identify candidate genes associated with these QTLs. We identified 329 candidate genes associated with the resistance QTLs using a gene-based composite map for Pinaceae. To evaluate the transcriptional responses of these candidate genes to H. parviporum, we inoculated Norway spruce plants and sequenced the transcriptome of the interaction at 3 and 7 days post inoculation. Out of 298 expressed candidate genes 124 were differentially expressed between inoculation and wounding control treatment. Interestingly, PaNAC04 and two of its paralogs in the subgroup III-3 of the NAC family transcription factors were found to be associated with one of the QTLs and was also highly induced in response to H. parviporum. These genes are possibly involved in the regulation of biosynthesis of flavonoid compounds. Furthermore, several of the differentially expressed candidate genes were associated with the phenylpropanoid pathway including a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, a cinnamoyl-CoA reductase, a caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase and a PgMYB11-like transcription factor gene. Combining transcriptome and genetic linkage analyses can help identifying candidate genes for functional studies and molecular breeding in non-model species
Fish By-Product Use as Biostimulants: An Overview of the Current State of the Art, Including Relevant Legislation and Regulations within the EU and USA
No full textCrop production systems have adopted cost-effective, sustainable and environmentally
friendly agricultural practices to improve crop yields and the quality of food derived from plants.
Approaches such as genetic selection and the creation of varieties displaying favorable traits such
as disease and drought resistance have been used in the past and continue to be used. However,
the use of biostimulants to promote plant growth has increasingly gained attention, and the market
size for biostimulants is estimated to reach USD 4.14 billion by 2025. Plant biostimulants are products
obtained from different inorganic or organic substances and microorganisms that can improve plant
growth and productivity and abate the negative effects of abiotic stresses. They include materials
such as protein hydrolysates, amino acids, humic substances, seaweed extracts and food or industrial
waste-derived compounds. Fish processing waste products have potential applications as plant
biostimulants. This review gives an overview of plant biostimulants with a focus on fish protein
hydrolysates and legislation governing the use of plant biostimulants in agriculture
Lactolisterin BU, a Novel Class II Broad-Spectrum Bacteriocin from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis bv. diacetylactis BGBU1-4
No full textLactococcus lactis subsp. lactis bv. diacetylactis BGBU1-4 produces a novel bacteriocin, lactolisterin BU, with strong antimicrobial activity against many species of Gram-positive bacteria, including important food spoilage and foodborne pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus spp., and streptococci. Lactolisterin BU was extracted from the cell surface of BGBU1-4 by 2-propanol and purified to homogeneity by C18 solid-phase extraction and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The molecular mass of the purified lactolisterin BU was 5,160.94 Da, and an internal fragment, AVSWAWQH, as determined by N-terminal sequencing, showed low-level similarity to existing antimicrobial peptides. Curing and transformation experiments revealed the presence of a corresponding bacteriocin operon on the smallest plasmid, pBU6 (6.2 kb), of strain BGBU1-4. Analysis of the bacteriocin operon revealed a leaderless bacteriocin of 43 amino acids that exhibited similarity to bacteriocin BHT-B (63%) from Streptococcus ratti, a bacteriocin with analogy to aureocin A.Ministarstvo Prosvete, Nauke i Tehnološkog Razvoj
Clinicians’ experience of collaboration in the treatment of suicidal clients within the collaborative assessment and management of suicidality framework
No full textIntroduction: There is little known about the clinicians’ experience of collaboration using
the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicide (CAMS) frame work. This study aimed to give voice to the clinician experience. Method: A qualitative design utilised semi-structured interviews with ten psychologists who worked in a Suicide Assessment and Treatment Service (SATS) in Ireland which utilises the CAMS framework. Results: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach revealed several important findings. The superordinate themes included ‘Finding Safety’, ‘Regulation of the Self’, ‘Connecting’, and ‘Systemic Challenges’. Discussion: The CAMS framework plays an important role in providing a safe base for the clinician (in terms of understanding
suicidality, in addition to the structures of the framework). It provides a mechanism in which to process difficult emotions, and a way of communicating a formulation of suicide to the treating team. Importantly, the CAMS emerged as facilitating a collaborative, therapeutic way of working
Recycling of iron-rich sediment for surface modification of filters for underground water deironing
No full textGroundwater is one of the cleanest natural sources of drinking water available, which, at the same time, often requires deironing – removal of the dissolved iron ions – before the water could be used. In this paper, there are describe the preparation, characterization, and deironing properties of surface-modified refractory chamotte granules, used as active components of fillers for deironing filters. For this research, chamotte surface modification was made by solution combustion synthesis (SCS) approach of an aqueous solution of synthetic iron nitrate and citric acid with the different iron-to-chamotte ratios. An iron-rich precipitate from deironing filters was used as a source of iron for the preparation of a precursor solution. Obtained materials were characterized using diffraction, spectroscopic and microscopic methods. The SCS modification resulted in the formation of layers of
hematite Fe3O4 nanocrystallites of ~5–15 nm on the surface of refractory chamotte granules. It was shown the effect of the dose of iron nitrate on the absorbed iron oxide species content on the surface of the modified chamotte granules and its influence on the surface and operational characteristics. Pilot-plant deironing tests showed that an increase in the concentration of iron on the chamotte granules surface from 5.8 wt% for unmodified samples, to 19.0, 48.7, and 55.8 wt% for the modified ones, led to the respective increase in the deironing efficiency from 41% to 65%, 73% and 78%, respectively