Guidelines for the use of flow cytometry and cell sorting in immunological studies (third edition)

The third edition of Flow Cytometry Guidelines provides the key aspects to consider when performing flow cytometry experiments and includes comprehensive sections describing phenotypes and functional assays of all major human and murine immune cell subsets. Notably, the Guidelines contain helpful tables highlighting phenotypes and key differences between human and murine cells. Another useful feature of this edition is the flow cytometry analysis of clinical samples with examples of flow cytometry applications in the context of autoimmune diseases, cancers as well as acute and chronic infectious diseases. Furthermore, there are sections detailing tips, tricks and pitfalls to avoid. All sections are written and peer-reviewed by leading flow cytometry experts and immunologists, making this edition an essential and state-of-the-art handbook for basic and clinical researchers

Lubricating the innovation supply chain

This paper will use a case study to show how a University has engaged in a national networking programme to support innovations in Resource Efficiency. It examines what benefits have accrued from the programme business, the academic community and the UK economy. It demonstrates that by utilising a synthesis of industrial and academic experience a University can act as strong networking agent and through a combination of skill sets make a significant contribution to the innovation supply chain. The Technology Strategy Board is an executive non-departmental public body that was established by the UK Government in 2006. Its vision is for the UK to be a leader in innovation and a magnet for innovative businesses, where technology is applied rapidly, effectively and sustainably to create wealth and enhance quality of life. The Knowledge Transfer Networks were established to catalyse the innovation supply chain. This paper describes how the University of Birmingham engaged in the delivery of the Resource Efficiency KTN and reviews the outcomes from the first three years of the programme. It will demonstrate that this has been a win-win relationship with the University benefiting from improved connections and networking with research and development funding programmes and the RE-KTN benefiting from the University?s knowledge and academic links. It will illustrate how the combined skills of the programme partners supported the delivery of a wide range of target metrics were delivered through the activities of the KTN and how innovations have been facilitated through networking and collaboration

Shear wave velocity monitoring of collapsible loessic brickearth soil

Metastable loessic brickearth comprises a stiff fabric structure with inter-particle interactions different to those normally associated with clay-sized or silt-sized particle fabrics. Laboratory samples loaded near in situ moisture contents exhibited little consolidation and relatively high shear wave velocities, which changed in response to sample flooding. In situ hydro-collapse caused non-monotonic changes in the velocity of shear waves through loessic brickearth that was subjected to simple flooding and to flooding while under additional surface loading. Hydro-collapse in situ resulted in an overall reduction of up to 50% in the shear wave velocity. A conceptual model of brickearth structure based on SEM images is presented to explain the process of collapse and its effect on shear wave velocity. These indicate a transition from a relatively low-density, high-stiffness fabric to the higher-density, lower-stiffness fabric during structural collapse of the loessic brickearth. The collapse process disrupts clay bridge-bonds that hold individual and aggregated clay-coated silt sized particles in an open packed structure, and which are absent in a more closely packed collapsed structure. These studies provide information for geohazard research and the development of shear wave velocity and other geophysical tools to assess soil collapse potential in situ