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Journal articleJiang Q, Otáhalová V, Burré V, et al., 2024,
Variable capacity polymer based energy harvesters with integrated macroporous elastomer springs
, Nano Energy, Vol: 124, ISSN: 2211-2855We introduce a manufacturing concept of variable capacity energy harvesters consisting of macroporous springs integrated within a conducting silicone rubber and dielectric. Printing and polymerising emulsion templates resulted in macroporous spring elements, which were coated with conducting silicone rubber to maintain the active contact surface. By increasing size and number of these springs, the capacitance change of the energy harvesters during compression and recovery increased from 0.4 nF/cm2 to 0.8 nF/cm2. During cyclic loading with 30 N at 2 Hz, the energy harvesters with macroporous springs delivered a power density of 0.58 µW/cm2 at a bias voltage of 50 V, which was 25 times higher than the control without springs. The energy harvesters provided a constant power output over three hours of cyclic loading (21,600 cycles), indicating their structural stability and the durability of the macroporous springs.
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Journal articleMatthews J, Dobra R, Wilson G, et al., 2024,
Levelling the playing field through the London Network of the UK clinical trials accelerator platform
, Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, Vol: 39, ISSN: 2451-8654Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multisystem, genetic disease with a significantly reduced life expectancy. Despite substantial progress in therapies in the last 10–15 years, there is still no cure. There are dozens of drugs in the development pipeline and multiple clinical trials are being conducted across the globe. The UK Cystic Fibrosis Trust's (CFT) Clinical Trials Accelerator Platform (CTAP) is a national initiative bringing together 25 UK based CF centres to support the CF community in accessing and participating in CF clinical trials. CTAP enables more CF centres to run a broader portfolio of trials and increases the range of CF studies available for UK patients.There are four large specialist CF centres based in London, all within a small geographical region as well as two smaller centres which deliver CF care. At the launch of CTAP, these centres formed a sub-network in a consortium-style collaboration. The purpose of the network was to ensure equity of access to trials for patients across the UK's capital, and to share experience and knowledge. Four years into the programme we have reviewed our practices through working group meetings and an online survey. We sought to identify strengths and areas for improvement. We share our findings here, as we believe they are relevant to others delivering research in regions outside of London and in other chronic diseases.
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Journal articleWisnom MR, Pimenta S, Shaffer MSP, et al., 2024,
High performance ductile and pseudo-ductile polymer matrix composites: a review
, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, Vol: 181, ISSN: 1359-835XThe ability of fibre reinforced composites to deform with a non-linear stress–strain response and gradual, rather than sudden, catastrophic failure is reviewed. The principal mechanisms by which this behaviour can be achieved are discussed, including ductile fibres, progressive fibre fracture and fragmentation, fibre reorientation, and slip between discontinuous elements. It is shown that all these mechanisms allow additional strain to be achieved, enabling a yield-like behaviour to be generated. In some cases, the response is ductile and in others pseudo-ductile. Mechanisms can also be combined, and composites which give significant pseudo-ductile strain can be produced. Notch sensitivity is reduced, and there is the prospect of increasing design strains whilst also improving damage tolerance. The change in stiffness or visual indications of damage can be exploited to give warning that strain limits have been exceeded. Load carrying capacity is still maintained, allowing continued operation until repairs can be made. Areas for further work are identified which can contribute to creating structures made from high performance ductile or pseudo-ductile composites that fail gradually.
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Journal articleWu Z, Smith DJF, Yazbeck L, et al., 2024,
Cough Severity Visual Analog Scale Assesses Cough Burden and Predicts Survival in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.
, Am J Respir Crit Care Med, Vol: 209, Pages: 1165-1167 -
Journal articleHassan S, Syun-Ichi U, Shabeer S, et al., 2024,
Molecular and biological characterization of a novel partitivirus from Talaromyces pinophilus
, Virus Research, Vol: 343, ISSN: 0168-1702Talaromyces spp. have a worldwide distribution, are ecologically diverse and have been isolated from numerous different substrates. Talaromyces spp. are considered biotechnologically important due to their ability to produce a range of enzymes and pigments. Talaromyces pinophilus, belonging to genus Talaromyces and family Trichocomaceae, is known for producing several important bioactive metabolites. Here we report the isolation and characterisation of a partitivirus from T. pinophilus which we have nominated Talaromyces pinophilus partitivirus-1 (TpPV-1). TpPV-1 possesses a genome consisting of three double stranded (ds) RNA segments i.e., dsRNAs1-3, 1824 bp, 1638 bp and 1451 bp respectively, which are encapsidated in icosahedral particles 35 nm in diameter. Both dsRNA1 and dsRNA2 contain a single open reading frame (ORF) encoding respectively a 572 amino acid (aa) protein of 65 kDa and a 504 aa protein of 50 kDa. The third segment (dsRNA3) is potentially a satellite RNA. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the TpPV-1 belongs to the family Partitiviridae in the proposed genus Zetapartitivirus. TpPV-1 infection decreases the mycelial growth rate of the host fungus and alters pigmentation as indicated by time course experiments performed on a range of different solid media comparing virus-infected and virus-free isogenic lines. This is the first report of mycovirus infection in T. pinophilus and may provide insights into understanding the effect of the mycovirus on the production of enzymes and pigments by the host fungus.
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Journal articleDarawshy F, Molyneaux PL, Segal LN, 2024,
Looking Beyond the Lower Airways for Microbes Affecting Pulmonary Fibrosis.
, Am J Respir Crit Care Med, Vol: 209, Pages: 1054-1056 -
Journal articleYuen ELH, Leary AY, Clavel M, et al., 2024,
A RabGAP negatively regulates plant autophagy and immune trafficking.
, Curr BiolPlants rely on autophagy and membrane trafficking to tolerate stress, combat infections, and maintain cellular homeostasis. However, the molecular interplay between autophagy and membrane trafficking is poorly understood. Using an AI-assisted approach, we identified Rab3GAP-like (Rab3GAPL) as a key membrane trafficking node that controls plant autophagy negatively. Rab3GAPL suppresses autophagy by binding to ATG8, the core autophagy adaptor, and deactivating Rab8a, a small GTPase essential for autophagosome formation and defense-related secretion. Rab3GAPL reduces autophagic flux in three model plant species, suggesting that its negative regulatory role in autophagy is conserved in land plants. Beyond autophagy regulation, Rab3GAPL modulates focal immunity against the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans by preventing defense-related secretion. Altogether, our results suggest that Rab3GAPL acts as a molecular rheostat to coordinate autophagic flux and defense-related secretion by restraining Rab8a-mediated trafficking. This unprecedented interplay between a RabGAP-Rab pair and ATG8 sheds new light on the intricate membrane transport mechanisms underlying plant autophagy and immunity.
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Journal articleQuintero Santofimio V, Knox-Brown B, Potts J, et al., 2024,
Small airways obstruction and mortality: Findings from the UK Biobank
, Chest, ISSN: 0012-3692 -
Journal articleMerckx VSFT, Gomes SIF, Wang D, et al., 2024,
Mycoheterotrophy in the wood-wide web.
, Nat PlantsThe prevalence and potential functions of common mycorrhizal networks, or the 'wood-wide web', resulting from the simultaneous interaction of mycorrhizal fungi and roots of different neighbouring plants have been increasingly capturing the interest of science and society, sometimes leading to hyperbole and misinterpretation. Several recent reviews conclude that popular claims regarding the widespread nature of these networks in forests and their role in the transfer of resources and information between plants lack evidence. Here we argue that mycoheterotrophic plants associated with ectomycorrhizal or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi require resource transfer through common mycorrhizal networks and thus are natural evidence for the occurrence and function of these networks, offering a largely overlooked window into this methodologically challenging underground phenomenon. The wide evolutionary and geographic distribution of mycoheterotrophs and their interactions with a broad phylogenetic range of mycorrhizal fungi indicate that common mycorrhizal networks are prevalent, particularly in forests, and result in net carbon transfer among diverse plants through shared mycorrhizal fungi. On the basis of the available scientific evidence, we propose a continuum of carbon transfer options within common mycorrhizal networks, and we discuss how knowledge on the biology of mycoheterotrophic plants can be instrumental for the study of mycorrhizal-mediated transfers between plants.
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Journal articleMohammed A, Mohammed C, Mautner A, et al., 2024,
On the performance of Sargassum-derived calcium alginate ion exchange resins for Pb2+ adsorption: batch and packed bed applications.
, Environ Sci Pollut Res IntDriven by climate change and human activity, Sargassum blooming rates have intensified, producing copious amount of the invasive, pelagic seaweed across the Caribbean and Latin America. Battery recycling and lead-smelter wastes have heavily polluted the environment and resulted in acute lead poisoning in children through widespread heavy metal contamination particular in East Trinidad. Our study details a comprehensive investigation into the use of Sargassum (S. natans), as a potential resource-circular feedstock for the synthesis of calcium alginate beads utilized in heavy metal adsorption, both in batch and column experiments. Here, ionic cross-linking of extracted sodium alginate with calcium chloride was utilized to create functional ion-exchange beads. Given the low quality of alginates extracted from Sargassum which produce poor morphological beads, composite beads in conjunction with graphene oxide and acrylamide were used to improve fabrication. Stand-alone calcium alginate beads exhibited superior Pb2+ adsorption, with a capacity of 213 mg g-1 at 20 °C and pH 3.5, surpassing composite and commercial resins. Additives like acrylamide and graphene oxide in composite alginate resins led to a 21-40% decrease in Pb2+ adsorption due to reduced active sites. Column operations confirmed Alginate systems' practicality, with 20-24% longer operating times, 15 times lower adsorbent mass on scale-up and 206% smaller column diameters compared to commercial counterparts. Ultimately, this study advocates for Sargassum-based Alginate ion-exchange beads as a bio-based alternative in Trinidad and developing nations for dealing with heavy metal ion waste, offering superior heavy metal adsorption performance and supporting resource circularity.
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