Keele University

About: Keele University is a education organization based out in Newcastle-under-Lyme, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Stars. The organization has 11318 authors who have published 26323 publications receiving 894671 citations. The organization is also known as: Keele University.

Gelatin-Based Materials in Ocular Tissue Engineering.

Abstract: Gelatin has been used for many years in pharmaceutical formulation, cell culture and tissue engineering on account of its excellent biocompatibility, ease of processing and availability at low cost. Over the last decade gelatin has been extensively evaluated for numerous ocular applications serving as cell-sheet carriers, bio-adhesives and bio-artificial grafts. These different applications naturally have diverse physical, chemical and biological requirements and this has prompted research into the modification of gelatin and its derivatives. The crosslinking of gelatin alone or in combination with natural or synthetic biopolymers has produced a variety of scaffolds that could be suitable for ocular applications. This review focuses on methods to crosslink gelatin-based materials and how the resulting materials have been applied in ocular tissue engineering. Critical discussion of recent innovations in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine will highlight future opportunities for gelatin-based materials in ophthalmology.

Rad51 and Dmc1 Form Mixed Complexes Associated with Mouse Meiotic Chromosome Cores and Synaptonemal Complexes

Abstract: The eukaryotic RecA homologues RAD51 and DMC1 function in homology recognition and formation of joint-molecule recombination intermediates during yeast meiosis. The precise immunolocalization of these two proteins on the meiotic chromosomes of plants and animals has been complicated by their high degree of identity at the amino acid level. With antibodies that have been immunodepleted of cross-reactive epitopes, we demonstrate that RAD51 and DMC1 have identical distribution patterns in extracts of mouse spermatocytes in successive prophase I stages, suggesting coordinate functionality. Immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy with these antibodies demonstrate colocalization of the two proteins on the meiotic chromosome cores at early prophase I. We also show that mouse RAD51 and DMC1 establish protein–protein interactions with each other and with the chromosome core component COR1(SCP3) in a two-hybrid system and in vitro binding analyses. These results suggest that the formation of a multiprotein recombination complex associated with the meiotic chromosome cores is essential for the development and fulfillment of the meiotic recombination process.

Renewable energy communities under the 2019 European Clean Energy Package – Governance model for the energy clusters of the future?

Abstract: The recast of the European Union Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) entered into force in December 2018, followed by the Internal Electricity Market Directive (IEMD) and Regulation (IEMR) as part of the Clean Energy for all Europeans Package. The RED II, that the 28 Member States have until June 2021 to transpose into national law, defines “Renewable Energy Communities” (RECs), introduces a governance model for them and the possibility of energy sharing within the REC. It also provides an “enabling framework” to put RECs on equal footing with other market players and to promote and facilitate their development. This article defines "renewable energy clusters" that are comprised of complementarity of different energy sources, flexibility, interconnectivity of different actors and bi-directionality of energy flows. We argue that RECs and RE clusters are socio-technical mirrors of the same concept, necessary in a renewable energy transition. To test how these new rules will fare in practice, drawing on a secondary dataset of 67 best-practice cases of consumer (co-)ownership from 18 countries, each project is assessed using the criteria of cluster potential, and for the extent that they meet the RED II governance requirements of heterogeneity of members and of ownership structure. Nine cases were identified as having cluster potential all of which were in rural areas. Of these, five projects were found to be both RECs and RE clusters. The absence of the governance and heterogeneity criteria is observed in projects that fall short of the cluster elements of flexibility, bi-directionality and interconnectivity, while cluster elements occur where the governance and heterogeneity criteria are met. When transposing the new rules into national law we recommend careful attention to encourage complementarity of renewables, RECs in urban contexts and “regulatory sandboxes” for experimentation to find the range of optimal preferential conditions of the “enabling framework”.

Time variation of ammonia, acetone, isoprene and ethanol in breath: a quantitative SIFT-MS study over 30 days.

Abstract: A study of the concentrations of the common breath metabolites ammonia, acetone, isoprene, ethanol and acetaldehyde in the breath of five subjects over a period of 30 days has been carried out Breath samples were taken and analysed in the early morning on arrival at the laboratory The real time analyses of three consecutive breath exhalations were carried out using selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) on line to the instrument Sufficient data were obtained to allow meaningful concentration distributions to be obtained for ammonia, acetone, isoprene and ethanol These showed that the ammonia, acetone and isoprene concentrations exhibited sensibly normal distributions, with coefficients of variation of typically 03 Obvious and statistically significant (p < 001) differences are apparent in the mean concentrations of these metabolites between the five individuals The acetaldehyde concentrations were relatively low and close to the instrument detection limit, and the differences between the mean concentrations of the five subjects were not statistically significant (p = 04), so distributions were not obtained The mean concentrations, in parts per billion (ppb), of each metabolite range amongst the five subjects are as follows: ammonia, 422–2389; acetone, 293–870; isoprene, 55–121; ethanol, 27–153; acetaldehyde, 2–5 There are no obvious patterns in the distributions of these particular metabolites for these individuals, except that the ammonia levels were greatest in the breath of the two oldest subjects