The institutional framework for the funding of higher education in the UK is discussed. In England, much of the financial support for teaching and learning, especially of ‘home and EU’ undergraduates, is channelled through the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). HEFCE operates a formula funding mechanism, though in the wake of recent policy reforms – which include the introduc...

In this paper, we show how ecological and economic models can be linked to determine the economic impact of climate change on global timber markets. We begin by discussing some of the important issues relevant to global impact analyses such as this. We then outline our general modeling framework and discuss the particular models that will be used. Finally, we discuss some of the important issue...

It has been suggested that extracellular vesicles (EVs) can mediate crosstalk between hormones and metabolites within pancreatic tissue. However, the possible effect of pancreatic EVs on stem cell differentiation into pancreatic lineages remains unknown. Herein, human islet-derived EVs (h-Islet-EVs) were isolated, characterized and subsequently added to human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC...

BACKGROUND Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensorimotor neurological disorder characterized by paraesthesia, dysaesthesia and the irresistible urge to move the legs especially at night. Its prevalence is much higher among dialysis patients at 12 to 62% compared to 3 to 9% in the general population. Here, we investigated the association between RLS and cardiovascular events risk and laboratory...

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological condition, frequently idiopathic, sometimes associated with specific disorders such as iron deficiency. We investigated RLS prevalence in celiac disease (CD), an autoimmune disease characterized by several features such as malabsorption-related iron deficiency anemia and peripheral neuropathy. We screened a population of 100 adult CD patient...

The global increase in greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles has brought about the manufacture and usage of large quantities electric vehicles (EVs). However, to ensure proper integration EVs into grid, there is a need forecast charging demand accurately. This paper presents short-term vehicle using feedforward artificial neural network optimized with modified local leader phase spider monk...

OBJECTIVES To assess the frequency, impact, and medical response to the restless legs syndrome (RLS) in a large multi-national primary care population. METHOD Questionnaire surveys of matched patients and primary care physicians (PCPs) in five modern industrialized western countries. RESULTS An RLS screening questionnaire was completed by 23,052 patients: 2223 (9.6%) reported weekly RLS sym...

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) or exosomes have been implicated in the pathophysiology of infections and cancer. The negative regulatory factor (Nef) encoded by simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) plays a critical role in the progression to AIDS and impairs endosomal trafficking. Whether HIV-1 Nef can be loaded into EVs has been the subject of controversy, a...

Cells secrete extracellular vesicles (EVs) by default and in response to diverse stimuli for the purpose of cell communication and tissue homeostasis. EVs are present in all body fluids including peripheral blood, and their appearance correlates with specific physiological and pathological conditions. Here, we show that physical activity is associated with the release of nano-sized EVs into the...

Purpose We discuss recent advances in extracellular vesicle (EV) technology as biomarkers, therapeutics, and drug delivery vehicles in the visual system with an emphasis on the retina. Recent Findings Retinal cell-type specific EVs can be detected in the blood and in the aqueous humor and EV miRNA cargoes can be used diagnostically to predict retinal disease progression. Studies have now show...