Conventional and toxicogenomic assessment of the acute pulmonary damage induced by the instillation of Cardiff PM10 into the rat lung

There is strong epidemiological evidence of association between PM₁₀ (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 10 μm) and adverse health outcomes including death and increased hospital admissions for cardiopulmonary conditions. Ambient PM₁₀ surrogates such as diesel exhaust particles (DEP), a common component of UK PM_10, have been shown to induce lung inflammation in both humans and rodents. To date, few studies have reported on the toxicological response of UK PM₁₀ in experimental animals.This study examines the pulmonary toxicological responses in male Sprague Dawley rats following the intratracheal instillation of Cardiff urban PM₁₀. A mild but significant change in lung permeability was observed in the lung post-instillation of a high (10 mg) dose of the whole PM₁₀ as adjudged by increases in lung to body weight ratio and total acellular lavage protein. Such effects were less marked following instillation of a water-soluble fraction (80% of the total mass) but histological examination showed that lung capillaries were swollen in size with this treatment.In conclusion, conventional toxicological, histological and toxicogenomic studies have indicated that Cardiff PM₁₀ exhibits low bioreactivity in the form of mild permeability changes. Differential gene expression was observed when the lung was treated with whole PM₁₀, containing durable particles, in comparison with the water-soluble fraction of PM₁₀ that was devoid of particles. Such changes were linked to different histopathological events within the lung.     

Salmonella typhimurium in the Australian egg industry: Multidisciplinary approach to addressing the public health challenge and future directions

In Australia, numerous egg-related human Salmonella typhimurium outbreaks have prompted significant interest among public health authorities and the egg industry to jointly address this human health concern. Nationwide workshops on Salmonella and eggs were conducted in Australia for egg producers and regulatory authorities. State and national regulators represented Primary Production, Communicable Disease Control, Public Health and Food Safety, and Food Standards Australia and New Zealand. All attendees participated in discussions aimed at evaluating current evidence-based information, issues related to quality of egg production, and how to ensure safe eggs in the supply chain, identifying research gaps and practical recommendations. The perceptions from egg producers and regulatory authorities from various states were recorded during the workshops. We presented the issues discussed during the workshops, including Salmonella in the farm environment, Salmonella penetration across eggshell, virulence in humans, food/egg handling in the supply chain, and intervention strategies. We also discussed the perceptions from egg producers and regulators. Recommendations placed emphasis on the future research needs, communication between industry and regulatory authorities, and education of food handlers. Communication between regulators and industry is pivotal to control egg-borne S. typhimurium outbreaks, and collaborative efforts are required to design effective and appropriate control strategies.     

Motivating small construction companies to adopt new technology

Construction companies are increasingly being challenged to transfer and use new technology. However, little investigation has been undertaken on technology transfer from the perspective of the small construction company. A contribution to this underdeveloped area is based on results from an interview survey of seven small UK construction companies. The results stress that the technology which small construction companies tend to transfer more successfully is that which can contribute to the business in a quick, tangible fashion, and which can fit into existing organizational capabilities. Any technology that is too far removed from this ‘comfort zone’ is seen to require too much investment and to contain too much risk, and thus tends to be intuitively and swiftly sifted out. This is in marked contrast to the relevant literature that depicts large companies operating in more complex networks, drawing upon them for new tacit and explicit technologies that support more long-term, formal technology strategies, and which often complement some form of specialized internal research and development capability. The implication for policy is that any technology transfer initiatives need to appreciate and actively manage the different motivations and capabilities of small and large construction companies to absorb and use new technology.

Les entreprises de construction sont de plus en plus appelées à résoudre des questions de transfert et d'utilisation de technologies nouvelles. En revanche, on s'est peu intéressé au point de vue des petites entreprises de ce secteur sur les transferts de technologies. Cette contribution à ce secteur peu développé repose sur les résultats d'une enquête menée en Grande Bretagne auprès de sept petites entreprises de construction. Il en ressort que les technologies que les petites entreprises ont tendance à transférer le mieux sont celles qui peuvent contribuer au développement rapide et tangible des affaires et qui peuvent s'intégrer dans une structure organisationnelle existante. Toute technologie qui s'écarte de trop de cette ‘zone de confort’ est considérée comme nécessitant un investissement trop lourd et présenter trop de risques et a donc tendance à être intuitivement et rapidement mise à l'écart. Cette constatation est en complète opposition avec la littérature qui décrit de grandes entreprises opérant dans le cadre de réseaux plus complexes, attirant vers elles de nouvelles technologies tacites et explicites, compatibles avec des stratégies technologiques officielles à plus long terme et qui, souvent, complètent des formes de recherche interne spécialisée et de capacité de développement. L'implication politique est que toute initiative de transfert de technologie nécessite d'évaluer et de gérer activement les différentes motivations et capacités des petites et grandes entreprises de construction dans leur aptitude à absorber et utiliser de nouvelles technologies.     

Investigations on fabrication and lifetime performance of self – air breathing direct hydrogen micro fuel cells

There is an ever – increasing demand for more powerful, compact and longer – life power modules for portable electronic devices for leisure, communication and computing. Micro fuel cells have the potential to replace battery packs for portable electronic appliances because of their high power density, longer operating and standby times, and substantially shorter recharging times. However, fuel cells have stringent operating requirements, including no fuel leakage, water formed in the electrochemical reactions, heat dissipation, robustness, easy and safe use, and reliability. Due to the large market potential, several companies are currently involved in the development of micro fuel cells. For application of fuel cells as a battery charger or in a battery replacement market, the cells require simplification in terms of their construction and operation and must have volumetric power densities equivalent to or better than those of existing battery power packs. This paper discusses results of investigation on methods and materials for direct hydrogen micro fuel cells as well as the lifetime performance of single cells and 2 W_e arrays. The paper also reviews the global technology development status for the direct hydrogen micro fuel cell and compares its salient features with other types of micro fuel cells.     

"School readiness and later achievement": Correction to Duncan et al. (2007).

Reports an error in "School readiness and later achievement" by Greg J. Duncan, Chantelle J. Dowsett, Amy Claessens, Katherine Magnuson, Aletha C. Huston, Pamela Klebanov, Linda S. Pagani, Leon Feinstein, Mimi Engel, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Holly Sexton, Kathryn Duckworth and Crista Japel (Developmental Psychology, 2007[Nov], Vol 43[6], 1428-1446). The DOI for the supplemental materials was printed incorrectly. The correct DOI is as follows: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.43.6.1428.supp. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2007-16709-012.) Using 6 longitudinal data sets, the authors estimate links between three key elements of school readiness--school-entry academic, attention, and socioemotional skills--and later school reading and math achievement. In an effort to isolate the effects of these school-entry skills, the authors ensured that most of their regression models control for cognitive, attention, and socioemotional skills measured prior to school entry, as well as a host of family background measures. Across all 6 studies, the strongest predictors of later achievement are school-entry math, reading, and attention skills. A meta-analysis of the results shows that early math skills have the greatest predictive power, followed by reading and then attention skills. By contrast, measures of socioemotional behaviors, including internalizing and externalizing problems and social skills, were generally insignificant predictors of later academic performance, even among children with relatively high levels of problem behavior. Patterns of association were similar for boys and girls and for children from high and low socioeconomic backgrounds. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Deposition of substituted apatites onto titanium surfaces using a novel blasting process

A novel coating technique has been developed to modify the surface of metallic substrates. By simultaneously blasting the surface with an abrasive and a dopant, it is possible to impregnate the dopant into the surface. In this study, the surface of a titanium alloy has been impregnated with either hydroxyapatite or a variety of substituted (magnesium, carbonate or fluoro) apatites. EDX and XPS analysis clearly reveal high levels of dopant inclusion in the surface to a depth of less than 10 μm. A combination of XRD and ion elution measurements suggest that highly crystalline precursors are not degraded by the process and dissolution of materials with low crystallinity proceeds at a significantly higher rate than that of the crystalline hydroxyapatite. The biocompatibility of these surfaces has been investigated using an in vitro osteoblast proliferation study and the carbonate doped material was found to induce the highest level of cell proliferation.     

Reaction of 316L stainless steel with a galvanizing bath

Type 316L stainless steel (316L SS), commonly used as pot roll material, was tested in an industrial Zn–Al galvanizing bath, with an effective Al content of 0.2 wt.%. Samples welded to the supporting roll arms and sides of the sink roll experienced heavy dross buildup. Samples placed at locations away from the incoming strip generally experienced much less dross buildup. Dross particles within the buildup on samples attached to supporting roll arms were small in size but numerous while particles on samples welded to the sides of the sink roll were much larger. SEM-EDS analyses indicated that the buildup consisted of two layers. The inner layer was the product of the corrosive reaction of 316L SS with the bath metal, and the outer layer was formed by dross particles built up on the inner reaction layer. The intermetallic phase, which formed at the reaction front of the samples was the inhibition compound Fe₂Al₅ containing some Mo and Cr. The formation of this intermetallic layer provided a thermodynamically favourable base for the attachment and further buildup of suspended dross particles on the sample surfaces.     

The association of nocturnal asthma with asthma severity

In order to elucidate the role and aetiology of chorioamnionitis in stillbirth a case referent study was carried out in 58 pregnant women with late foetal death (cases) and in 58 pregnant women at term with live foetus (referents) matched for age and parity in Maputo Mozambique. Samples from women, stillborns and liveborns, were collected for microbiological and histological assessment. Histological chorioamnionitis was diagnosed in 96% of the cases and in 67% of the referents (OR = 13.5; 95% CI: 2.9-123.9). Escherichia coli was the species most frequently isolated in stillborns; in 14/16 (88%) cases it was isolated from intracardiac fluid. E. coli was associated with chorioamnionitis in 28% of the stillborns as compared to 5% of the referents (OR = 6.9; 95% CI: 1.4-65.4). No group B streptococci were recovered from any placenta or newborn. Vasculitis was present in 12 (21%) cases and in 3 (5%) referents (OR = 4.8; 95%, CI: 1.2-27.7). Histological chorioamnionitis was thus associated with stillbirth. E. coli was common in stillborns. The presence of vasculitis in one fifth of the stillborns indicated that the foetus was alive at the onset of infection.     

Purification of calcitonin-like peptides from rat brain and pituitary

Accumulating evidence supports the existence of nonthyroidal calcitonin (CT)-like peptides, more similar to fish CTs, which may act as endogenous regulators of CT receptors in brain and other tissues. In this study, we have carried out large-scale extractions from Sprague-Dawley rat brain diencephalon and pituitary, and purified a novel, biologically active, CT-like peptide from pituitary. Monitoring of the calcitonin-like activity of the peptides from rat brain and pituitary required different detection systems. While the brain CT cross-reacted with C-terminally directed salmon CT-specific antisera, the pituitary CT did not. However, the pituitary CT was biologically active, exhibiting specific interaction with CT receptors to activate adenylate cyclase. Conventional chromatographic techniques were employed to purify the CT-like peptides. Although the brain CT was not purified to homogeneity, size exclusion chromatography revealed the presence of multiple molecular weight forms of immunoreactive CT. Of these, only the lowest molecular weight form was biologically active. Purification from the pituitary resulted in the isolation of a biologically active peptide with a mass of 3267 Da. This mass differs from the mass of both salmon and thyroid-derived rat CT. Initial amino acid sequencing of the pituitary CT indicated that it was N-terminally blocked. Following aminopeptidase digestion, a unique six amino acid sequence, EKSQSP, was identified. Elucidation of the amino acid composition provided supporting evidence that the peptide was novel and was consistent with a full length peptide of approximately 30 amino acids. These data support the existence of novel, nonthyroidal, CTs which are potential regulators of CT receptor-mediated functions.