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Standardized Assessment Of Hereditary Ataxia Patients In Clinical Studies, Brigitte K. Paap, Sandra Roeske, Alexandra Durr, Ludger Schöls, Tetsuo Ashizawa, Sylvia Boesch, Lisa M. Bunn, Martin B. Delatycki, Paola Giunti, Stéphane Lehéricy, Caterina Mariotti, Jörg Melegh, Massimo Pandolfo, Chantal M.E. Tallaksen, Dagmar Timmann, Shoji Tsuji, Jörg Bela Schulz, De Warrenburg Bp Van, Thomas Klockgether Jan 2016

Standardized Assessment Of Hereditary Ataxia Patients In Clinical Studies, Brigitte K. Paap, Sandra Roeske, Alexandra Durr, Ludger Schöls, Tetsuo Ashizawa, Sylvia Boesch, Lisa M. Bunn, Martin B. Delatycki, Paola Giunti, Stéphane Lehéricy, Caterina Mariotti, Jörg Melegh, Massimo Pandolfo, Chantal M.E. Tallaksen, Dagmar Timmann, Shoji Tsuji, Jörg Bela Schulz, De Warrenburg Bp Van, Thomas Klockgether

School of Health Professions

AbstractBackgroundHereditary ataxias are a heterogeneous group of degenerative diseases of the cerebellum, brainstem, and spinal cord. They may present with isolated ataxia or with additional symptoms going beyond cerebellar deficits. There are an increasing number of clinical studies with the goal to define the natural history of these disorders, develop biomarkers, and investigate therapeutic interventions. Especially, early and preclinical disease stages are currently of particular interest.Methods and ResultsEvidence‐based, we review standards for sampling and storage of biomaterials, clinical and neuropsychological assessment, as well as neurophysiology and neuroimaging and recommendations for standardized assessment of ataxia patients in multicenter studies.ConclusionsDNA, RNA, serum, …


The Hippo Signalling Pathway Maintains Quiescence In Drosophila Neural Stem Cells, Rouven Ding, Kevin Weynans, Torsten Bossing, Claudia S. Barros, Christian Berger Jan 2016

The Hippo Signalling Pathway Maintains Quiescence In Drosophila Neural Stem Cells, Rouven Ding, Kevin Weynans, Torsten Bossing, Claudia S. Barros, Christian Berger

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.


Determining The Haemodynamic Significance Of Arterial Stenosis: The Relationship Between Ct Angiography, Computational Fluid Dynamics, And Non-Invasive Fractional Flow Reserve, C. L. Pang, R. Alcock, N. Pilkington, T. Reis, C. Roobottom Jan 2016

Determining The Haemodynamic Significance Of Arterial Stenosis: The Relationship Between Ct Angiography, Computational Fluid Dynamics, And Non-Invasive Fractional Flow Reserve, C. L. Pang, R. Alcock, N. Pilkington, T. Reis, C. Roobottom

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.


Changes In The Eeg Amplitude As A Biomarker For Early Detection Of Alzheimer's Disease., Ali H. Al-Nuaimi, Emmanuel Jammeh, Lingfen Sun, Emmanuel Ifeachor Jan 2016

Changes In The Eeg Amplitude As A Biomarker For Early Detection Of Alzheimer's Disease., Ali H. Al-Nuaimi, Emmanuel Jammeh, Lingfen Sun, Emmanuel Ifeachor

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

The rapid increase in the number of older people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other forms of dementia represents one of the major challenges to the health and social care systems. Early detection of AD makes it possible for patients to access appropriate services and to benefit from new treatments and therapies, as and when they become available. The onset of AD starts many years before the clinical symptoms become clear. A biomarker that can measure the brain changes in this period would be useful for early diagnosis of AD. Potentially, the electroencephalogram (EEG) can play a valuable role in …


Identification Of Blood Biomarkers For Use In Point Of Care Diagnosis Tool For Alzheimer's Disease, E. Jammeh, P. Zhao, C. Carroll, S. Pearson, E. Ifeachor Jan 2016

Identification Of Blood Biomarkers For Use In Point Of Care Diagnosis Tool For Alzheimer's Disease, E. Jammeh, P. Zhao, C. Carroll, S. Pearson, E. Ifeachor

Peninsula Medical School

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is widely regarded as necessary to allow treatment to be started before irreversible damage to the brain occur and for patients to benefit from new therapies as they become available. Low-cost point-of-care (PoC) diagnostic tools that can be used to routinely diagnose AD in its early stage would facilitate this, but such tools require reliable and accurate biomarkers. However, traditional biomarkers for AD use invasive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis and/or expensive neuroimaging techniques together with neuropsychological assessments. Blood-based PoC diagnostics tools may provide a more cost and time efficient way to assess AD to …


An Evaluation Of The Toxicity And Bioaccumulation Of Bismuth In The Coastal Environment Using Three Species Of Macroalga, James Kearns, Andrew Turner Jan 2016

An Evaluation Of The Toxicity And Bioaccumulation Of Bismuth In The Coastal Environment Using Three Species Of Macroalga, James Kearns, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Bismuth is a heavy metal whose biogeochemical behaviour in the marine environment is poorly defined. In this study, we exposed three different species of macroalgae (the chlorophyte, Ulva lactuca, the phaeophyte, Fucus vesiculosus, and the rhodophyte, Chondrus crispus) to different concentrations of Bi (up to 50 g L-1) under controlled, laboratory conditions. After a period of 48-h, the phytotoxicity of Bi was measured in terms of chlorophyll fluorescence quenching, and extracellular and intracellular accumulation of Bi determined after EDTA extraction and acid digestion, respectively. For all algae, both the internalisation and total accumulation of Bi were proportional to the concentration …


Molecular Phylogeny Of The Highly Disjunct Cliff Water Beetles From South Africa And China (Coleoptera: Aspidytidae), Emmanuel F.A. Toussaint, Rolf G. Beutel, J Moriniere, Fenglong Jia, Shengquan Xu, Mariano C. Michat, Xin Zhou, David T. Bilton, Ignacio Ribera, J Hajek, Michael Balke Jan 2016

Molecular Phylogeny Of The Highly Disjunct Cliff Water Beetles From South Africa And China (Coleoptera: Aspidytidae), Emmanuel F.A. Toussaint, Rolf G. Beutel, J Moriniere, Fenglong Jia, Shengquan Xu, Mariano C. Michat, Xin Zhou, David T. Bilton, Ignacio Ribera, J Hajek, Michael Balke

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.


Sediment Transport Partitioning In The Swash Zone Of A Large-Scale Laboratory Beach, Jack A. Puleo, Thijs Lanckriet, Daniel Conley, Diane Foster Jan 2016

Sediment Transport Partitioning In The Swash Zone Of A Large-Scale Laboratory Beach, Jack A. Puleo, Thijs Lanckriet, Daniel Conley, Diane Foster

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.


Environmental Impact Assessment: Gathering Experiences From Wave Energy Test Centres In Europe, Deborah Greaves, Daniel Conley, Davide Magagna, Eduardo Aires, Leitão J Chambel, Matthew Witt, Clare B. Embling, Brendan J. Godley, Anthony W.J. Bicknell, Jean Baptiste Saulnier, Teresa Simas, Am O’Hagan, J O’Callaghan, Brian Holmes, Jan Sundberg, Yago Torre-Enciso, Dorleta Marina Jan 2016

Environmental Impact Assessment: Gathering Experiences From Wave Energy Test Centres In Europe, Deborah Greaves, Daniel Conley, Davide Magagna, Eduardo Aires, Leitão J Chambel, Matthew Witt, Clare B. Embling, Brendan J. Godley, Anthony W.J. Bicknell, Jean Baptiste Saulnier, Teresa Simas, Am O’Hagan, J O’Callaghan, Brian Holmes, Jan Sundberg, Yago Torre-Enciso, Dorleta Marina

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.


Egrins (Environmental Gene Regulatory Influence Networks) In Rice That Function In The Response To Water Deficit, High Temperature, And Agricultural Environments, Olivia Wilkins, Christoph Hafemeister, Anne Plessis, Meisha Marika Holloway-Phillips, Gina M. Pham, Adrienne B. Nicotra, Glenn B. Gregorio, Svk Jagadish, Endang M. Septiningsih, Richard Bonneau, Michael Purugganan Jan 2016

Egrins (Environmental Gene Regulatory Influence Networks) In Rice That Function In The Response To Water Deficit, High Temperature, And Agricultural Environments, Olivia Wilkins, Christoph Hafemeister, Anne Plessis, Meisha Marika Holloway-Phillips, Gina M. Pham, Adrienne B. Nicotra, Glenn B. Gregorio, Svk Jagadish, Endang M. Septiningsih, Richard Bonneau, Michael Purugganan

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.


Physiological Niche And Geographical Range In European Diving Beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae)., Rebekah Cioffi, A. John Moody, Andrés Millán, Richard A. Billington, David T. Bilton Jan 2016

Physiological Niche And Geographical Range In European Diving Beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae)., Rebekah Cioffi, A. John Moody, Andrés Millán, Richard A. Billington, David T. Bilton

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Geographical ranges vary greatly in size and position, even within recent clades, but the factors driving this remain poorly understood. In aquatic beetles, thermal niche has been shown to be related to both the relative range size and position of congeners but whether other physiological parameters play a role is unknown. Metabolic plasticity may be critical for species occupying more variable thermal environments and maintaining this plasticity may trade-off against other physiological processes such as immunocompetence. Here we combine data on thermal physiology with measures of metabolic plasticity and immunocompetence to explore these relationships in Deronectes (Dytiscidae). While variation in …


Boundary Layer Dynamics In The Swash Zone Under Large-Scale Laboratory Conditions, Andrea Ruju, Daniel Conley, Gerd Masselink, Martin Austin, Jack Puleo, Thijs Lanckriet, Diane Foster Jan 2016

Boundary Layer Dynamics In The Swash Zone Under Large-Scale Laboratory Conditions, Andrea Ruju, Daniel Conley, Gerd Masselink, Martin Austin, Jack Puleo, Thijs Lanckriet, Diane Foster

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.


Towards Sustainable Asean Port Development: Challenges And Opportunities For Vietnamese Ports, Saeyeon Roh, Vinh V. Thai, Yiik Diew Wong Jan 2016

Towards Sustainable Asean Port Development: Challenges And Opportunities For Vietnamese Ports, Saeyeon Roh, Vinh V. Thai, Yiik Diew Wong

Plymouth Business School

No abstract provided.


Dynamics Of Rip Currents Associated With Groynes — Field Measurements, Modelling And Implications For Beach Safety, Tim Scott, Martin Austin, Gerd Masselink, Paul Russell Jan 2016

Dynamics Of Rip Currents Associated With Groynes — Field Measurements, Modelling And Implications For Beach Safety, Tim Scott, Martin Austin, Gerd Masselink, Paul Russell

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.


Research Highlights From Regional Studies In Marine Science, J. M. Hall-Spencer, G. G. Lauenstein, K. M.Y. Leung Jan 2016

Research Highlights From Regional Studies In Marine Science, J. M. Hall-Spencer, G. G. Lauenstein, K. M.Y. Leung

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.


R-Gene Variation Across Arabidopsis Lyrata Subspecies: Effects Of Population Structure, Selection And Mating System, James Buckley, Elizabeth Kilbride, Volkan Cevik, Joana G. Vicente, Eric B. Holub, Barbara K. Mable Jan 2016

R-Gene Variation Across Arabidopsis Lyrata Subspecies: Effects Of Population Structure, Selection And Mating System, James Buckley, Elizabeth Kilbride, Volkan Cevik, Joana G. Vicente, Eric B. Holub, Barbara K. Mable

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.


Lineage-Specific Methyltransferases Define The Methylome Of The Globally Disseminated Escherichia Coli St131 Clone, Brian M. Forde, Minh Duy Phan, Jayde A. Gawthorne, Melinda M. Ashcroft, Mitchell Stanton-Cook, Sohinee Sarkar, Kate M. Peters, Kok Gan Chan, Teik Min Chong, Wai Fong Yin, Mathew Upton, Mark A. Schembri, Scott A. Beatson Dec 2015

Lineage-Specific Methyltransferases Define The Methylome Of The Globally Disseminated Escherichia Coli St131 Clone, Brian M. Forde, Minh Duy Phan, Jayde A. Gawthorne, Melinda M. Ashcroft, Mitchell Stanton-Cook, Sohinee Sarkar, Kate M. Peters, Kok Gan Chan, Teik Min Chong, Wai Fong Yin, Mathew Upton, Mark A. Schembri, Scott A. Beatson

School of Biomedical Sciences

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) is a clone of uropathogenic E. coli that has emerged rapidly and disseminated globally in both clinical and community settings. Members of the ST131 lineage from across the globe have been comprehensively characterized in terms of antibiotic resistance, virulence potential, and pathogenicity, but to date nothing is known about the methylome of these important human pathogens. Here we used single-molecule real-time (SMRT) PacBio sequencing to determine the methylome of E. coli EC958, the most-well-characterized completely sequenced ST131 strain. Our analysis of 52,081 methylated adenines in the genome of EC958 discovered three m6 A …


Minimising Risks In Research-Informed Teaching, Ka Gresty, T Heffernan, W Pan, A Edwards-Jones Dec 2015

Minimising Risks In Research-Informed Teaching, Ka Gresty, T Heffernan, W Pan, A Edwards-Jones

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Reported benefits of research-informed teaching include enhanced student engagement and graduates that are better prepared for employment in an uncertain world. However, there are a number of academic risks that can have both positive and negative impacts on staff and students when implementing research-informed teaching. Mitigating such risks could smooth the way for, or even encourage, wider exploration of innovative teaching methods with associated benefits. This paper presents findings of an empirical study that identifies what risks were encountered or perceived from both student and staff perspectives when adopting a research-informed teaching approach. Risks were identified through semi-structured interviews with …


Mechanisms Of Hepatitis C Viral Resistance To Direct Acting Antivirals, Asma Ahmed, Daniel J. Felmlee Dec 2015

Mechanisms Of Hepatitis C Viral Resistance To Direct Acting Antivirals, Asma Ahmed, Daniel J. Felmlee

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.


The Effect Of Oil Sands Process-Affected Water And Model Naphthenic Acids On Photosynthesis And Growth In Emiliania Huxleyi And Chlorella Vulgaris., Jessica Beddow, Richard J. Johnson, Tracy Lawson, Mark N. Breckels, Richard J. Webster, Ben E. Smith, Steven J. Rowland, Corinne Whitby Dec 2015

The Effect Of Oil Sands Process-Affected Water And Model Naphthenic Acids On Photosynthesis And Growth In Emiliania Huxleyi And Chlorella Vulgaris., Jessica Beddow, Richard J. Johnson, Tracy Lawson, Mark N. Breckels, Richard J. Webster, Ben E. Smith, Steven J. Rowland, Corinne Whitby

More Faculty of Science and Engineering Research

Naphthenic acids (NAs) are among the most toxic organic pollutants present in oil sands process waters (OSPW) and enter marine and freshwater environments through natural and anthropogenic sources. We investigated the effects of the acid extractable organic (AEO) fraction of OSPW and individual surrogate NAs, on maximum photosynthetic efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) (FV/FM) and cell growth in Emiliania huxleyi and Chlorella vulgaris as representative marine and freshwater phytoplankton. Whilst FV/FM in E. huxleyi and C. vulgaris was not inhibited by AEO, exposure to two surrogate NAs: (4'-n-butylphenyl)-4-butanoic acid (n-BPBA) and (4'-tert-butylphenyl)-4-butanoic acid (tert-BPBA), caused complete inhibition of FV/FM in …


Estrogen Receptor-Α Directly Regulates The Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 Pathway Associated With Antiestrogen Response In Breast Cancer, J Yang, A Altahan, Dt Jones, Fm Buffa, Et Al Dec 2015

Estrogen Receptor-Α Directly Regulates The Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 Pathway Associated With Antiestrogen Response In Breast Cancer, J Yang, A Altahan, Dt Jones, Fm Buffa, Et Al

Peninsula Medical School

A majority of breast cancers are driven by estrogen via estrogen receptor-α (ERα). Our previous studies indicate that hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) cooperates with ERα in breast cancer cells. However, whether ERα is implicated in the direct regulation of HIF-1α and the role of HIF-1α in endocrine therapy response are unknown. In this study we found that a subpopulation of HIF-1α targets, many of them bearing both hypoxia response elements and estrogen response elements, are regulated by ERα in normoxia and hypoxia. Interestingly, the HIF-1α gene itself also bears an estrogen response element, and its expression is directly regulated by …


Simplest Relationship Between Local Field Potential And Intracellular Signals In Layered Neural Tissue, Av Chizhov, A Sanchez-Aguilera, S Rodrigues, Lm De La Prida Dec 2015

Simplest Relationship Between Local Field Potential And Intracellular Signals In Layered Neural Tissue, Av Chizhov, A Sanchez-Aguilera, S Rodrigues, Lm De La Prida

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

The relationship between the extracellularly measured electric field potential resulting from synaptic activity in an ensemble of neurons and intracellular signals in these neurons is an important but still open question. Based on a model neuron with a cylindrical dendrite and lumped soma, we derive a formula that substantiates a proportionality between the local field potential and the total somatic transmembrane current that emerges from the difference between the somatic and dendritic membrane potentials. The formula is tested by intra- and extracellular recordings of evoked synaptic responses in hippocampal slices. Additionally, the contribution of different membrane currents to the field …


Standardised Testing In Compulsory Schooling In England And Denmark: A Comparative Study And Analysis, K Andreasen, P Kelly, K Kousholt, E Mcness, C Ydesen Dec 2015

Standardised Testing In Compulsory Schooling In England And Denmark: A Comparative Study And Analysis, K Andreasen, P Kelly, K Kousholt, E Mcness, C Ydesen

Plymouth Institute of Education

Within education, national testing is flourishing and, considering the important role which assessment plays in the production and reproduction of culture, it is important to examine further the possible impact of such practice. While England has a long tradition of national educational testing, Denmark, in contrast, has only recently introduced such tests. Thus the two countries present excellent cases for comparison and analysis in order to gain knowledge about the possible consequences of such testing schemes on pedagogy and the content of the school curriculum, as well as the impact they may have on pupils' perceptions of their potential academic …


Characterising Cytotoxicity And Genotoxicity Of Chemotherapeutic Agents (Etoposide And Vincristine) On Tk6, A Human Lymphoblastoid Cell Line, Leanne Edermaniger Dec 2015

Characterising Cytotoxicity And Genotoxicity Of Chemotherapeutic Agents (Etoposide And Vincristine) On Tk6, A Human Lymphoblastoid Cell Line, Leanne Edermaniger

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The ability of the chemotherapeutic agents namely etoposide and vincristine to cause cytotoxic and genotoxic damage to the human lymphoblastoid cell line, TK6, was at the centre of this study. Four different cytotoxic assays were tested for their ability to assess the cytotoxicity of the agents as well as two genotoxic assays to examine their ability to induce DNA damage. The TK6 cell line was exposed to increasing doses of the chemotherapeutic agents and cytoxicity assessed by in vitro trypan blue, neutral red uptake, LDH leakage and the glucose oxidase assays. The trypan blue assay was deemed to be the …


Effects Of Storm-Induced Sand Scour On Patella Vulgata Off South-West Britain, Jake Jefford Dec 2015

Effects Of Storm-Induced Sand Scour On Patella Vulgata Off South-West Britain, Jake Jefford

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This study investigates the impacts of storm-induced sand-scour on common limpets (Patella vulgata) off south-west Britain, focussing particularly on the physical impacts of this process, as well as shore recovery. Unusually polished limpets were found living on a rocky shore (Westcombe Beach, South Devon) following a series of large storms that occurred from December 2013 to mid-February 2014. The extent of the storms was completely unprecedented, and it was one of the most exceptional periods of winter rainfall in Englandin at least 248 years when records began. It was clear that the limpets and surrounding epilithic communities at Westcombe Beach …


Exposure To Predator Kairomones Influences Egg Number And Size In Littorina Littorea, Jessica Raynor, Simon Rundle Dec 2015

Exposure To Predator Kairomones Influences Egg Number And Size In Littorina Littorea, Jessica Raynor, Simon Rundle

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Predator kairomones play an important role in intertidal ecosystems, but knowledge on their potential role in influencing maternal effects is lacking. The aim of this study was to test whether egg production by female Littorina littorea was influenced by short-term exposure to predator kairomones before egg laying. Laboratory populations were exposed to predator cues from the intertidal crab Carcinus maenas for nine days, and egg number, egg size, and survivorship of the offspring were measured and compared with those from reference populations. Snails exposed to predator cues produced significantly more eggs, which were also significantly smaller than those produced from …


Plymouth Undergraduate Research In Mathematics, Tom Heinzl, Tom Mccourt Dec 2015

Plymouth Undergraduate Research In Mathematics, Tom Heinzl, Tom Mccourt

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Guest editorial from lectures in Physics and Pure Mathematics.


Energy Harvesting In A Diver's Rebreather System, Joseph Ely Dec 2015

Energy Harvesting In A Diver's Rebreather System, Joseph Ely

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This report investigates the feasibility of energy harvesting using thermoelectric generators in a diver’s rebreather system. The report details research into documented experiments and theory, design and manufacture of an energy harvesting prototype and testing of the prototype to determine its feasibility. The prototype produced a maximum power of 2.5 (mW) which is more than the minimum 50 microwatts of power specified by Avon. It was therefore concluded that energy harvesting within a divers rebreather system is feasibility.


The Efficacy Of Levodopa+Ddc Inhibitor+Entacapone Versus Levodopa+Ddc Inhibitor+Placebo In Parkinson's Disease: An Intervention Review, Jennifer Harrison Dec 2015

The Efficacy Of Levodopa+Ddc Inhibitor+Entacapone Versus Levodopa+Ddc Inhibitor+Placebo In Parkinson's Disease: An Intervention Review, Jennifer Harrison

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Parkinson's disease (PD) has many possible treatment options. The main therapy uses a drug called levodopa. However after prolonged use, this drug begins to wear off and becomes less effective. Therefore additional drugs are needed to help ensure the patient is comfortable and to aid the relief of symptoms that can often occur. The addition of the COMT inhibitor, entacapone, aims to reduce motor symptoms and smooth out fluctuations that can sometimes be experienced with levodopa therapy. These can include bradykinesia, which is slowness of movement and help to control the resting tremor that is often associated with PD. The …


You Can't Tickle Yourself...Or Can You? The Effect Of A Hypnotic Suggestion On Sensory Attenuation Phenomenon, Shamsideen Yusuf Dec 2015

You Can't Tickle Yourself...Or Can You? The Effect Of A Hypnotic Suggestion On Sensory Attenuation Phenomenon, Shamsideen Yusuf

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The internal motor simulation mechanism is widely believed to generate anticipatory sensory outcomes on the basis of the efferent copy of the motor commands. What is currently unknown is whether the motor prediction mechanism can integrate non-motor inputs such as a hypnotic suggestion in generating sensory predictions. Seventy-two undergraduate students (M=12, F=60) were recruited via Plymouth University participation pool, to undergo a randomised hypnotic suggestion (IV) of either an alien- hand or an alien-foot. The participants were asked to apply tactile stimulation to their left palm (DV) before and after the suggestion and report the tickling sensations. The results revealed …