Mass spectrometry imaging for the proteomic study of clinical tissue

Over the last decade, MALDI-MS imaging has been used by researchers to explore areas of proteomics, lipidomics and metabolomics in samples of clinical origin for both targeted and global biomarker analysis. Numerous technological advancements in MS and clinical tissue MS imaging have been accomplished; hence, in this article we aim to critically discuss whether MS imaging has now in fact become a true champion of the ‘Omics Era’. In order to assess the potential for it to be routinely used in the clinical setting, it is pertinent to discuss some of its limitations, and to examine how these have been addressed by researchers. The key limitations of the technique we will discuss in this viewpoint article are as follows: sample throughput; relevance to patients, the availability of validated/standardised techniques; and integration with conventional pathology and other medical imaging techniques. Good progress has been made over the last 5 years in overcoming these limitations that had previously restricted the use of this technology in the clinical setting.     

The effect of design on the usability and real world effectiveness of medical devices: A case study with adolescent users

Adolescents are currently overlooked in many fields of healthcare research and as a result are often required to use medical devices that have been designed for use by either children or adults. This can lead to poor adherence and a reduction in health outcomes.     

Improvement of Major Depression is Associated with Increased Erythrocyte DHA

The aim of this study was to determine if changes in omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid status following tuna oil supplementation correlated with changes in scores of depression. A total of 95 volunteers receiving treatment for major depression were randomised to consume 8 × 1 g capsules per day of HiDHA (2 g DHA, 0.6 g EPA and 10 mg Vitamin E) or olive oil (placebo) for 16 weeks, whilst undergoing weekly counseling sessions by trained clinical psychologists using a standard empirically validated psychotherapy. Depression status was assessed using the 17 item Hamilton rating scale for depression and the Beck Depression Inventory by a psychodiagnostician who was blind to the treatment. Blood was taken at baseline and 16 weeks (n = 48) for measurement of erythrocyte fatty acids. With HiDHA supplementation, erythrocyte DHA content rose from 4.1 ± 0.2 to 7.9 ± 0.4 % (mean ± SEM, p < 0.001) of total fatty acids but did not change (4.0 ± 0.2 to 4.1 ± 0.2 %) in the olive oil group. The mean changes in scores of depression did not differ significantly between the two groups (?12.2 ± 2.1 for tuna oil and ?14.4 ± 2.3 for olive oil). However, analysis of covariance showed that in the fish oil group there was a significant correlation (r = ?0.51) between the change in erythrocyte DHA and the change in scores of depression (p < 0.05). Further study of the relationship between DHA and depression is warranted.     

Laminar flow through unconsolidated packed beds of spherical and non-spherical material

This paper presents a revised form of the Kozeny equation for laminar fluid flow through packed beds in terms of particle shape factor and surface mean diameter, rather than specific surface. The equation is based upon a model of pore formation which takes into account the interlocking of irregular particles. It is concluded that for comparative purposes the ‘effective’ specific surface is a quantity which can be derived exactly from permeability and porosity measurement. The effective specific surface affords a ready means of control in comparing one packing with another, provided that a standard, conventional method is adopted for the assessment of surface mean diameter.     

Anionic functional initiators. 1: 3-dimethylaminopropyllithium as an initiator for the synthesis of Bi- and difunctional polybutadienes

Methods are described whereby a series of novel bi- and difunctional (telechelic) high 1,4-microstructure polybutadienes are prepared by use of an anionic functional initiator. This initiator, 3-dimethylaminopropyllithium, has been extensively investigated and methods for its preparation and use in non-polar solvents are described. When utilised in such non-polar solvents the polybutadienes produced are uniquely functionalised, possessing a high 1,4-structure and a low glass transition temperature. Evidence is presented to demonstrate that these reactions are true ‘living’ polymerisations and that quantitative functional termination reactions may be used to yield a wide range of multi-, bi- or difunctional polymers.     

An algorithm for generating color scales for both categorical and ordinal coding

Previous research has shown multihue scales to be well‐suited to code categorical features and shown lightness scales to be well‐suited to code ordinal quantities. We introduce an algorithm, Motley, that produces color scales varying in both hue and lightness, intended to be effective for both categorical and ordinal coding, allowing users to determine both absolute and relative quantities efficiently and accurately. The algorithm first determines the lightnesses of scale colors to maximize perceived lightness differences and establish the lightness ordering, generating separate search spaces for each scale position. It then selects hues by heuristic search to maximize the discriminability of the scale. It produces scales that are ordered with respect to lightness but unordered with respect to hue and thus more discriminable than typical multihue lightness scales. In an experimental evaluation on human subjects, Motley's scales enabled accurate judgments of relative quantity, with response times superior to unordered multihue scales and comparable to ordered lightness scales, and enabled accuracy and speed of judgments of absolute quantity superior to lightness scales and comparable to multihue scales. Published 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Col Res Appl, 2010.     

Assessing the sustainability of the UK society using thermodynamic concepts: Part 1

This paper provides a concise overview of the influence of human activity within the UK society on resource consumption and the subsequent effects on the environment. The concept of the Multi Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal Metabolism (MSIASM) is applied in order to elucidate the evolution of the UK economy for the period between 1981 and 2004. Our findings highlight the transition to a service-based economy and the disproportionate increase of energy demand when compared to the overall population increase. Emergy synthesis is applied in order to understand the production and consumption patterns and the environmental support required to sustain human activity within the UK for the year 2004. Generally speaking the UK society greatly benefits from its significant natural resources with 44.3% of the total emergy used coming from home sources and 29.1% from locally renewable sources. Interestingly enough, despite its significant natural resources, the UK economy, seems to be a net emergy importer by 638.5 × 10²¹ seJ. Furthermore, the current economic activity is believed to have a significant impact in the environment despite the relatively low environmental load ratio of 2.44.     

The Frustration of Talent: A Study in Scarlet

Many organisations are under pressure as they face strong buyers’ markets. This paper presents the findings of a research project designed to discover why talent is so often frustrated by mediocre management and what might be done about it. ICI and Marks & Spencer were selected as the setting, as both are well‐respected corporations and are facing stiff business challenges. The paper explores the locking hold that cultures can exert on operational management. It opens with a profile of each organisation before passing the consultancy brief to an imaginary business detective, Sherlock Holmes. By means of various devices the famous detective applies his powers to the case and the paper closes with a summary of his findings.     

Entrapment of water by subunit c of ATP synthase.

We consider an ancient protein, and water as a smooth surface, and show that the interaction of the two allows the protein to change its hydrogen bonding to encapsulate the water. This property could have made a three-dimensional microenvironment, 3-4 Gyr ago, for the evolution of subsequent complex water-based chemistry. Proteolipid, subunit c of ATP synthase, when presented with a water surface, changes its hydrogen bonding from an alpha-helix to beta-sheet-like configuration and moves away from its previous association with lipid to interact with water surface molecules. Protein sheets with an intra-sheet backbone spacing of 3.7A and inter-sheet spacing of 6.0 A hydrogen bond into long ribbons or continuous surfaces to completely encapsulate a water droplet. The resulting morphology is a spherical vesicle or a hexagonal crystal of water ice, encased by a skin of subunit c. Electron diffraction shows the crystals to be highly ordered and compressed and the protein skin to resemble beta-sheets. The protein skin can retain the entrapped water over a temperature rise from 123 to 223 K at 1 x 10(-4) Pa, whereas free water starts to sublime significantly at 153 K.