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UKEV forum 2024: The UK Society for Extracellular Vesicle annual meeting - bridging innovation and impact
Get PDFIn December 2024, the United Kingdom Society for Extracellular Vesicles (UKEV) held its annual forum in Newcastle upon Tyne, marking 11 years since its founding. UKEV Forum 2024 brought together over 230 participants from the UK and abroad under the theme “Bridging Innovation and Impact”. The meeting emphasised translational science, regulatory foresight, methodological rigour, and cross-sector collaboration, reflecting the maturation of EV research towards clinical relevance.Hosted at Newcastle University, the event included plenary lectures, oral and lightning talks, poster sessions, and an Early Career Researcher (ECR) Day. Scientific discussions spanned EV biomarker discovery, mechanistic studies, tissue-derived EVs, and novel analytical tools such as cryo-TEM, electrochemical sensors, and DNA-PAINT microscopy. The forum showcased emerging topics in EV isolation, reproducibility, therapeutic development, and regulatory integration, drawing on diverse expertise across academia, biotech, and clinical sciences. Generous industry sponsorship and inclusive programming made UKEV 2024 a landmark event that reinforced the UK’s leadership in EV research
Utility of Earth Observation data in mapping post-disaster impact: A case of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas
Get PDFEarth Observation (EO) has a history of being used to support responses to disasters. Here, we present an assessment of socio-economic and environmental risk from Hurricane Dorian (September 2019) to populations across The Bahamas. Analyses of several satellite-derived indices from Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and validation by ground-reference data and PlanetScope sources were used. We highlight that the flooding experienced because of Hurricane Dorian on the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama posed a real risk to food security, life and livelihoods for informal communities, and fed into risks of wider economic insecurity that compounded community vulnerability and heightened exposure to potential exploitation. An improved human rights-based approach to integrate social indicators relating to both disaster preparedness and response can and should be supported by real-time EO monitoring made possible through technological innovations
What Do We Know About How Processes of Desistance Vary by Ethnicity?
Get PDFThis paper reviews what is known about ethnic identity and the processes by which people cease offending. Whilst the past 30 years have seen dramatic growth in what is known about desistance, in many jurisdictions, there is a paucity of research which examines this in terms of ethnicity or ethnic variations. We therefore review what is empirically known about ethnicity and desistance. Whilst this review draws from the global literature, our focus is on what this literature tells us about ethnicity and desistance from a British perspective. We find that the majority of these have been undertaken in the United States (although there are some European and Australasian studies). Few studies, however, have fully unpacked the role of racism (in terms of institutional processes or overt prejudice and hostility) and that there have been very few studies of the roles played by ethnicity in processes of desistance
Digital physical activity intervention via the Kidney BEAM platform in patients with polycystic kidney disease: a randomised controlled trial
Get PDFBackgroundIn people living with polycystic kidney disease (PKD), physical inactivity may contribute to poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). To date, no research has elucidated the impact of a PKD-specific physical activity programme on HRQoL and physical health. This sub-study of the Kidney BEAM Trial evaluated the impact of a PKD-specific 12-week educational and physical activity digital health intervention for people living with PKD.MethodsThis study was a mixed-methods, single-blind, randomised waitlist-controlled trial. Sixty adults with a diagnosis of PKD, were randomised 1:1 to the intervention or a wait-list control group. Primary outcome was difference in the Kidney Disease QoL Short Form 1.3 Mental Component Summary (KDQoL MCS) between baseline and 12 weeks. Six participants completed individualised semi-structured interviews.ResultsAll 60 individuals (mean 53 years, 37% male) were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. At 12 weeks, there was a significant difference in mean adjusted change in KDQoL MCS score between the intervention group and waitlist control (4.2 [95% confidence interval, CI: 1.0–7.4] arbitrary units [AU], p=0.012). Significant between-group differences in KDQoL sub-scales; burden of kidney disease (p=0.034), emotional wellbeing (p=0.001), and energy/fatigue (p=0.001) were also achieved. There was no significant between-group difference in KDQoL PCS scores (p=0.505). Per protocol analyses revealed significant between group differences in the PAM-13 patient activation score (p=0.010) and body mass (p=0.027). Mixed-methods analyses revealed key influences of the programme, including opportunities for peer support and to build on new skills and knowledge, as well as the empowerment and self-management. ConclusionA PKD-specific digital health educational and physical activity intervention is acceptable and has the potential to improve HRQoL. Further research is needed to better understand how specific education and lifestyle management may help to support self-management behaviour
Field plants strategically regulate water uptake from different soil depths by spatiotemporally adjusting their radial root hydraulic conductivity
Get PDFPlants modify their root hydraulics to maintain water status and strategically use soil water, but how they achieve this in the field conditions remains elusive. We developed a method to measure and calculate daily root water uptake, root water potential, and radial root water permeability at different depths in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) field and a permanent grassland dominated by ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). During the drying processes, both plant systems reduced the radial water permeability of their shallow roots to limit topsoil water uptake, while increasing the radial water permeability of their roots in the subsoil to enhance water extraction. Conversely, after the topsoil was rewetted, both plant systems increased the radial water permeability of their shallow roots to enhance water extraction, while reducing the radial water permeability of their roots in the subsoil to limit water uptake. Root water uptake in the subsoil was more influenced by the topsoil water than by the subsoil water. The topsoil water serves both as a resource and a signal, coordinating optimal water uptake from different soil depths. These findings have important implications for understanding how plants cope with periodic water stress in the field and for screening drought-tolerant crop varieties
Diffusion weighted imaging to predict longer term response in Crohn’s disease patients commencing biological therapy: Results from the MOTILITY Trial
Get PDFObjectivesPredicting longer term response to biological therapy for small bowel Crohn’s disease (SBCD) is an unmet clinical need. Diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) may indicate disease activity, but its predictive ability, if any, is unknown. We investigated the prognostic value of DWI for one year response or remission (RoR) in SBCD patients commencing biologic therapy, including incremental value over C-reactive protein (CRP) and faecal calprotectin (FC).MethodsA subset of participants in a prospective, multicentre study investigating the predictive ability of motility MRI for one-year RoR in patients starting biologic therapy for active SBCD, underwent additional DWI at baseline and post-induction (12-30 weeks). CRP and FC were collected in a subgroup. RoR at one year was evaluated using clinical and morphological MRE parameters. We calculated sensitivity and specificity to predict RoR and Quality of life (QoL) at one year, comparing apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value, Clermont score and CRP using multivariable logistic regression.Results25 participants were included (mean 36.9 years, 32% female). ADC changes and Clermont score had poor sensitivity (30.0% [95%CI: 6.7-65.2] and 40.0% [95%CI: 12.2-73.8] respectively) and poor-to-modest specificity (50.0 [95%CI: 27.2-72.8] and 65.0% [95%CI: 40.8-84.6]) for RoR. None of Clermont score, CRP or FC predicted QoL.ConclusionsDWI has inadequate sensitivity and specificity for RoR at one year. There is no significant incremental prognostic value of DWI over CRP and FC to predict RoR and/or QoL at one year
Enhancing fatigue resistance and low-temperature performance of asphalt pavements using antioxidant additives
Get PDFAgeing results in significant performance deterioration of asphalt, especially in relation to its fatigue and low-temperature performance. This performance deterioration can theoretically be lowered by incorporating antioxidants in asphalt mixtures. Although there are several promising studies that have shown the potential efficacy of antioxidants such as zinc diethyldithiocarbamate (ZDC), no work has comprehensively evaluated its performance. In this regard, ZDC was employed to evaluate its effect as an antioxidant to slow down the ageing related performance deterioration of bitumen and asphalt mixtures. Both ZDC-modified (3% and 5%) and unmodified bitumen and asphalt mixtures were subjected to short-term and long-term ageing. Afterwards, linear amplitude sweep (LAS) tests and low-temperature frequency sweep tests were carried out on the bitumen samples using a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR). Four-point bending (4PB) fatigue tests were carried out at 25 °C, and indirect tensile asphalt cracking tests (IDEAL-CT) were carried out at 25 °C and −10 °C on the various asphalt mixtures. It was seen that properties of long-term aged bitumen and asphalt mixtures measured at low temperature and intermediate temperature could be improved by 13–69% for mixtures and 1–44% for bitumen with the addition of ZDC, compared to the unmodified samples. The ageing-mitigation efficiency of ZDC was more pronounced for the low-temperature performance-based metrics since its performance deterioration rate was significantly reduced. Overall, a comprehensive performance evaluation of the effectiveness of antioxidants at different scales provided robust evidence for the potential extension of this technology to field trials and application
Self-optimising continuous-flow hydrothermal reactor for nanoparticle synthesis
Get PDFAn autonomous continuous-flow, hydrothermal synthesis reactor, capable of self-optimising nanoparticle size using an in-line characterisation technique and machine learning is presented. The developed system is used for synthesis of hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles across three process variables, optimising for a target particle size. Optimisation is achieved in under 7 h with only 500 ml of 0.1 M Fe(NO3)3·9H2O aqueous stock solution used, and without human intervention
Introductory note to application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel); request for the indication of provisional measures (ICJ)
Get PDFDirectly imaging the cooling flow in the Phoenix cluster
Get PDFIn the centres of many galaxy clusters, the hot (approximately 107 kelvin) intracluster medium can become dense enough that it should cool on short timescales. However, the low measured star formation rates in massive central galaxies and the absence of soft X-ray lines from the cooling gas suggest that most of this gas never cools. This is known as the cooling flow problem. The latest observations suggest that black hole jets are maintaining the vast majority of gas at high temperatures. A cooling flow has yet to be fully mapped through all the gas phases in any galaxy cluster. Here we present observations of the Phoenix cluster using the James Webb Space Telescope to map the [Ne vi] λ 7.652-μm emission line, enabling us to probe the gas at 105.5 kelvin on large scales. These data show extended [Ne vi] emission that is cospatial with the cooling peak in the intracluster medium, the coolest gas phases and the sites of active star formation. Taken together, these imply a recent episode of rapid cooling, causing a short-lived spike in the cooling rate, which we estimate to be 5,000–23,000 solar masses per year. These data provide a large-scale map of gas at temperatures between 105 kelvin and 106 kelvin in a cluster core, and highlight the critical role that black hole feedback has in not only regulating cooling but also promoting it
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