179 research outputs found
Thorley Lane, Wythenshawe
No full textData and results from excavations and post-excavation analysis of archaeological investigations at Thorley Lane, Wythenshawe, including site records, drawings, photographs and technical report.</p
Effect of surface functionalisation on the interaction of carbon nanotubes with primary human alveolar cells in vitro
No full textLarge-flowered wooly meadowfoam : cultivation and seed bulking
No full textsubmitted by the Oregon Department of Agriculture to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region One ; contributors: Julia McGonigle, Kelly Amsberry, Alexis Brickner, Jordan Brown, Rebecca Currin, Matt Groberg, Ashley Johnson, Stephen Meyers, Kass Reuss-Schmidt, Liz Thorley, Courtney Wilson, Ryan Woolverton, and Robert MeinkeThis archived document is maintained by the State Library of Oregon as part of the Oregon Documents Depository Program. It is for informational purposes and may not be suitable for legal purposes.Includes bibliographical references (pages 12-14).OR-EP-2 Segment 21Mode of access: Internet from the Oregon Government Publications Collection.Text in English
A spatial regression model for the disaggregation of areal unit based data to high-resolution grids with application to vaccination coverage mapping: disaggregation of areal unit based data to high-resolution grids
No full textThe growing demand for spatially detailed data to advance the Sustainable Development Goals agenda of ‘leaving no one behind’ has resulted in a shift in focus from aggregate national and province-based metrics to small areas and high-resolution grids in the health and development arena. Vaccination coverage is customarily measured through aggregate-level statistics, which mask fine-scale heterogeneities and ‘coldspots’ of low coverage. This paper develops a methodology for high-resolution mapping of vaccination coverage using areal data in settings where point-referenced survey data are inaccessible. The proposed methodology is a binomial spatial regression model with a logit link and a combination of covariate data and random effects modelling two levels of spatial autocorrelation in the linear predictor. The principal aspect of the model is the melding of the misaligned areal data and the prediction grid points using the regression component and each of the conditional autoregressive and the Gaussian spatial process random effects. The Bayesian model is fitted using the INLA-SPDE approach. We demonstrate the predictive ability of the model using simulated data sets. The results obtained indicate a good predictive performance by the model, with correlations of between 0.66 and 0.98 obtained at the grid level between true and predicted values. The methodology is applied to predicting the coverage of measles and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccinations at 5 × 5 km2 in Afghanistan and Pakistan using subnational Demographic and Health Surveys data. The predicted maps are used to highlight vaccination coldspots and assess progress towards coverage targets to facilitate the implementation of more geographically precise interventions. The proposed methodology can be readily applied to wider disaggregation problems in related contexts, including mapping other health and development indicators
Imaging single nanoparticle interactions with human lung cells using fast ion conductance microscopy
No full textExperimental data on dynamic interactions between individual nanoparticles and membrane processes at nanoscale, essential for biomedical applications of nanoparticles, remain scarce due to limitations of imaging techniques. We were able to follow single 200 nm carboxyl-modified particles interacting with identified membrane structures at the rate of 15 s/frame using a scanning ion conductance microscope modified for simultaneous high-speed topographical and fluorescence imaging. The imaging approach demonstrated here opens a new window into the complexity of nanoparticle-cell interactions. © 2014 American Chemical Society
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High resolution age-structured mapping of childhood vaccination coverage in low and middle income countries
No full textBackgroundThe expansion of childhood vaccination programs in low and middle income countries has been a substantial public health success story. Indicators of the performance of intervention programmes such as coverage levels and numbers covered are typically measured through national statistics or at the scale of large regions due to survey design, administrative convenience or operational limitations. These mask heterogeneities and ‘coldspots’ of low coverage that may allow diseases to persist, even if overall coverage is high. Hence, to decrease inequities and accelerate progress towards disease elimination goals, fine-scale variation in coverage should be better characterized.MethodsUsing measles as an example, cluster-level Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data were used to map vaccination coverage at 1 km spatial resolution in Cambodia, Mozambique and Nigeria for varying age-group categories of children under five years, using Bayesian geostatistical techniques built on a suite of publicly available geospatial covariates and implemented via Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods.ResultsMeasles vaccination coverage was found to be strongly predicted by just 4–5 covariates in geostatistical models, with remoteness consistently selected as a key variable. The output 1 × 1 km maps revealed significant heterogeneities within the three countries that were not captured using province-level summaries. Integration with population data showed that at the time of the surveys, few districts attained the 80% coverage, that is one component of the WHO Global Vaccine Action Plan 2020 targets.ConclusionThe elimination of vaccine-preventable diseases requires a strong evidence base to guide strategies and inform efficient use of limited resources. The approaches outlined here provide a route to moving beyond large area summaries of vaccination coverage that mask epidemiologically-important heterogeneities to detailed maps that capture subnational vulnerabilities. The output datasets are built on open data and methods, and in flexible format that can be aggregated to more operationally-relevant administrative unit levels
Differential reactivity of engineered nanomaterials with human alveolar epithelium and macrophages in vitro: importance of physicochemistry
No full textThere is a vast range of diverse consumer applications for engineered nanomaterials (ENM). Commercially, titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO2) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) are two of the most popular ENMs. Appreciating the overt vulnerability of the lung to ENM occupational and
consumer exposure, we studied the biointeraction of these ENMs with cells of
the alveolar unit. We hypothesised that the bioreactivity of nano-TiO2 and CNTs with cells of the alveolar unit depends on the physicochemical properties of the ENM. Transformed human alveolar type-I-like epithelial cells (TT1) and primary human alveolar type-II epithelial cells (ATII) and alveolar macrophages (AM), in mono- and co-culture, were exposed to concentrations of ENMs before probing for cytotoxicity, apoptosis, oxidative stress, glutathione activity,
inflammatory mediator release, kinase signal transduction and gene transcription. With TT1 cells, we found that ENM crystalline phase is important in cellular reactivity; predominantly rutile and pure rutile nano-TiO2 induced a greater pro-inflammatory response from exposed TT1 cells than their pure and mixed anatase counterparts. The dynamic pro-inflammatory mediator release from TT1 cells, induced by nano-TiO2 exposure, was accompanied by concomitant changes in oxidative stress and modified glutathione activity. Assessing CNTs, we found that shorter CNTs (~0.6 m in length, 15nm in diameter) induced significantly greater pro-inflammatory mediator release from TT1 and ATII cells when compared to longer CNTs. Conversely, AMs showed greater reactivity following exposure to longer CNTs (~20 m in length, 15nm
in diameter), releasing greater amounts of pro-inflammatory mediators when
compared to shorter CNTs; these responses were associated with kinase
signal transduction. Mechanisms of ENM reactivity with TT1 cells were further
elucidated using transcriptomics, where a number of common and unique gene
transcription responses were identified. In conclusion, we have critically shown
that ENM interactions with alveolar cells depend on the physicochemical
properties of the particular ENM, and the cell type involved.Open Acces
Connecting learners, employers and practitioners through emergent digital technology
No full textThe major impact of technology upon music composition, production and consumption has shifted from production tools (the project studio, DAWs etc.), to the digital technologies which facilitate the digital distribution and streaming of music. This has altered the commercial landscape (and therefore, the skills needed) for music practitioners, recording studios and record companies amongst many others. The traditional barrier between music composer or producer and the audience has been bridged by emergent digital technologies, and there are now many ways in which music can be showcased, demonstrated, shared or collaborated upon. These same facilitating technologies offer a significant opportunity for learners (and therefore, educators) particularly where the aim is to develop capability in composing or producing music in the expectation of working in the 'real world'. Despite this, (and possibly for cultural and structural reasons), the potential associated with adopting such technology is largely unrealised in educational contexts. This is particularly surprising given the push towards Employer/Higher Education Partnership by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, a general increased emphasis upon the skills required for employment (Dawes and Jewell, 2005), and the documented difficulty which students have in articulating their skills to the outside world (Brown, 2007). This paper describes the realisation and outcomes of a project funded by the UK's Higher Education Academy (HEA) designed to embed employer and practitioner involvement in the development and assessment of final year Music Technology portfolios. The rationale and methodology (project realisation and research examination) are described before turning to an examination of the key outcomes which have found application nationally and internationally in a variety of disciplinary contexts
Author Correction: Delineating COVID-19 subgroups using routine clinical data identifies distinct in-hospital outcomes
No full textCorrection to: Scientific Reports, published online 20 June 2023 The original version of this Article contained an error in the name of author, Andrew Scarsbrook which was incorrectly given as Prof Andrew Scarsbrook. He is a member of the NCCID Collaborative team. The original Article has been corrected
Investigation of the effects of nano-sized materials at the blood-gas barrier of the lung: implications for cardiovascular reactivity
No full textCarbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess a number of unique properties and play a pivotal role in the nanotechnology industry with widespread applications in construction, medicine and electronics. Previous studies have demonstrated an association between CNT inhalation and adverse cardiovascular effects, however, it is currently unclear whether this is due to the release of pulmonary inflammatory mediators or particle translocation across the blood-gas barrier. A better understanding of CNT interactions at this barrier is therefore essential for developing safer nanomedicines and reducing occupational health risks associated with carbon nanotube manufacture.
The working hypothesis of this study was that the physicochemical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) would determine their toxicity and reactivity at the blood-gas barrier.
To test this hypothesis, primary alveolar type-2 epithelial cells (AT2) and microvascular endothelial cells (HPMVEC) were isolated from resected human lung and employed alongside a unique immortalised human type-1 alveolar cell line (TT1). The cells were then exposed to functionalised MWNT to determine the cellular reactivity of the particles.
Using this model, it was shown that MWNT exposure induced endothelial cell activation, characterised by a pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic response, and MWNT functionalisation was a key factor in determining the nature of this response. Acid-oxidised MWNTs induced the greatest endothelial activation, however as-received and thermochemically grafted MWNTs induced a lesser pro-inflammatory response that also coincided with an increase in ROS formation. Of the thermochemically grafted MWNTs, P(M4-VP) and P(PEGMA) MWNTs induced the greatest and smallest response respectively.
At the epithelium, MWNTs were far less reactive. All MWNTs were non-toxic to AT2 cells, however a small cytotoxic and inflammatory response was observed in TT1s following chronic exposures (72h) and MWNTs were present in both vesicles and the cytoplasm of TT1s following 24h exposure. The thermochemically grafted P(M4-VP) MWNTs were shown to induce the greatest pro-inflammatory response during these chronic exposures.
In vivo, disruption of cell-cell junction could have implications for particle translocation, inflammation and atherosclerotic lesion formation. Exposure to MWNTs was shown to increase the permeability of type 1, but not type 2 alveolar epithelial barriers. The greatest disruption was seen at the endothelial cell junctions, which was accompanied by depletion of adherens junction protein and rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton.
Finally, to assess whether epithelial-endothelial crosstalk could affect particle toxicity a co-culture model of the alveolar blood-gas barrier was constructed using a transwell system where alveolar type 1 and type 2 epithelial cells were separated from pulmonary microvascular cells by a porous membrane. There were disparities between the mono and co-culture findings and acid oxidised MWNTs applied to the epithelial surface of the co-culture induced a significant release of inflammatory mediator into both the apical and basolateral chambers of the co-culture system, indicative of inflammation in both the pulmonary and vascular systems. This highlighted the need to incorporate endothelial cells into NP toxicity assays, especially when considering the cardiovascular reactivity of a particle.
This thesis has demonstrated that MWNT toxicity is both cell and MWNT surface functionalisation dependent, and that endothelial activation could be responsible for the adverse cardiovascular effects observed following CNT inhalation in vivo. These findings will aid the generation of safer nanomaterials and further the understanding of CNT induced cardiovascular reactivity.Open Acces
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