University Of Manchester Research Articles

The Mammal Thing

Celebrated as a leader of London’s ‘Underground’ in the 1960–70s, and a leading British poet and performance artist of his time, Jeff Nuttall found fame through his critique of post-nuclear culture, Bomb Culture, which provided an influential rationale for artistic practice through absurdism but lost that recognition a decade or so later. Less well recognised, and with greater influence, is the distinctively visceral sensibility underlying much of his creative work, notably his poetry that draws on Dylan Thomas and the Beat Movement, his graphic drawing and luscious painting styles, and his pioneering performance art. This article argues that it is through these artistic expressions of visceral intelligence that Jeff Nuttall’s art and its long-term influence can now best be understood. It is intended to complement the Jeff Nuttall Papers in the Special Collections of The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, University of Manchester, deposited by the gallerist and poetry publisher Robert Bank (1941–2015), to whose memory this article is dedicated. Further papers have been added by Nuttall’s friends and relatives.

The P21-Activated Kinase 1 and 2 As Potential Therapeutic Targets for the Management of Cardiovascular Disease

Review The P21-Activated Kinase 1 and 2 As Potential Therapeutic Targets for the Management of Cardiovascular Disease Honglin Xu, Dingwei Wang, Chiara Ramponi, Xin Wang, and Hongyuan Zhang * Michael Smith building, Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. * Correspondence: hongyuan.zhang-3@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk Received: 20 October 2022 Accepted: 16 November 2022 Published: 21 December 2022 Abstract: Group I p21-activated kinases (Paks) are members of the serine/threonine protein kinase family. Paks are encoded by three genes (Pak 1‒3) and are involved in the regulation of various biological processes. Pak1 and Pak2 are key members, sharing 91% sequence identity in their kinase domains. Recent studies have shown that Pak1/2 protect the heart from various types of stresses. Activated Pak1/2 participate in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and metabolism, thus enhancing the adaptation and resilience of cardiomyocytes to stress. The structure, activation and function of Pak1/2 as well as their protective roles against the occurrence of cardiovascular disease are described in this review. The values of Pak1/2 as therapeutic targets are also discussed.

Injectable Multifunctional Natural Polymer-Based Hydrogels for the Local Delivery of Therapeutic Agents

Mini Review Injectable Multifunctional Natural Polymer-Based Hydrogels for the Local Delivery of Therapeutic Agents Xue Bai 1，Annalisa Tirella1,2,* 1 Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Science, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK. 2 BIOtech-Center for Biomedical Technologies, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, Via delle Regole 101, Trento 38123, Italy. * Correspondence: annalisa.tirella@unitn.it , annalisa.tirella@manchester.ac.uk (Annalisa Tirella). Received: 13 November 2022 Accepted: 15 November 2022 Published: 21 December 2022 Abstract: Hydrogels are water-based polymeric three-dimensional network with advantageous properties for the delivery of bioactive components, ranging from small therapeutic agents to therapeutic cells. Natural-based hydrogels have great potential as delivery vehicles for the local controlled release of therapeutic agents at the target site. Injectable hydrogels are designed to load therapeutic agents by simple mixing within the polymer solutions, as well as use nanoparticles able to respond to specific external conditions, such as temperature and pH. Herein, we present an overview of the properties of natural injectable hydrogels and recent developments for their use to control the local release of therapeutic agents; as well as strategies to crosslink in-situ multifunctional injectable hydrogels that act as therapeutical depot system. The mini review focuses on alginate-based injectable hydrogels as controlled drug delivery systems, presenting advantages and challenges of their application in cancer therapy

Current Progress in Drug Target Identification and Drug Delivery

Editorial Current Progress in Drug Target Identification and Drug Delivery Xin Wang Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PT Manchester, UK. * Correspondence: xin.wang@manchester.ac.uk

Progress of 3D Organoid Technology for Preclinical Investigations: Towards Human In Vitro Models

Review Progress of 3D Organoid Technology for Preclinical Investigations: Towards Human In Vitro Models Yingjuan Liu *, Honglin Xu, Sabu Abraham, Xin Wang, and Bernard D. Keavney* Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, M13 9PT, UK. * Correspondence: yingjuan.liu@manchester.ac.uk (Yingjuan Liu); bernard.keavney@manchester.ac.uk (Bernard D. Keavney) Received: 1 November 2022 Accepted: 24 November 2022 Published: 21 December 2022 Abstract: Currently, with an increased requirement for new therapeutic strategies, preclinical drug testing or screening platforms have rapidly evolved in recent years. In comparison to traditional 2D cell cultures, 3D organoids or spheroids with or without scaffolds improve the microenvironment of in vitro cultures, advancing the in vitro biological observation and enabling mechanistic studies of drug reactions in the human tissue-like environment. 3D organoids and spheroids are straightforward to produce, and relatively uniform in size and shape. This helps to facilitate high throughput screening requirements. Spheroids and organoids have been applied in anti-cancer drug testing, toxicity evaluations, as well as mechanism studies for variable organ systems, including the intestine, liver, pancreas, brain, and heart. Among 3D cultures of spheroids and organoids, ‘tumour spheroids’ formed by dissociated tumour tissues or cancer cell lines are relatively simple in composition and commonly applied to anticancer drug screening. The ‘healthy organoids’ differentiated from hiPSCs/hESCs are more complex in cell composition, distribution, structure and function with higher similarity to in vivo organs, and have found applications in toxicity tests, personalised medicine, and therapeutic and mechanistic studies. In most cases, the multicellular 3D organoids are more resistant and stable in reaction to stimulations or chemicals in vitro , suggesting more accurate modelling of in vivo responses. Here, we review recent progress in human-origin organoid/spheroid systems and their applications in preclinical studies.

Audio Description as a Pedagogical Tool in the Foreign Language Classroom

Audio description (AD) is an intersemiotic mode of audiovisual translation where images are translated into words to facilitate access to visual content for visually-impaired audiences. Over the last decade, it has gained prominence in foreign language research, as its formal particularities and condition as a communication-oriented and process-based activity present a fertile ground for designing innovative classroom tasks. This research was conducted with students of Spanish at the University of Manchester, and it investigates participants’ perceptions about a classroom AD project. The exploratory analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from participants’ responses to end-of-project questionnaires leads to the formulation of a ‘triple-connection hypothesis’: a direct relationship between perceptions of difficulty of the main challenges of AD, perceptions of usefulness of AD for developing the skills required to overcome those challenges, and perceptions of own learning progress thanks to AD. The findings show that AD is perceived by students as especially useful for developing integrated skills, communicative skills and lexical skills, to a greater or lesser extent depending on the difficulty perceived. Lay Summary Audio description (AD) is an additional voice that describes what happens in a TV show, a movie or a theatre play when characters are not speaking. This helps people with visual problems to follow the plot. AD describes characters’ expressions or movements, places or objects, or reads text that appears on screen. It is a special type of translation: instead of translating from words to words, it translates from images to words. Recently, AD has become more available and popular, catching the attention of foreign language teachers. They have started using it in class, creating activities where students write audio descriptions to improve language skills, such as vocabulary, or record them to practice speaking. Creating an AD requires students to use clear and direct language, use summarising skills, and make a lot of careful choices. It also helps them learn about the needs of people with visual difficulties. So far, teachers have reported positive results. To continue exploring how useful AD activities are for language learning, we did an AD classroom project with students of Spanish, and we collected their opinions about it. This information can help teachers design truly beneficial AD activities. Our students completed a survey at the end of the project to tell us how difficult AD had been for them, how useful they found it for language learning, and how much it helped them improve. We discovered that when students found AD difficult, they also found it more useful, and they learned more. We also discovered the opposite: when they found it less difficult, they also found it less useful, and they learned less. Finally, we discovered that AD especially helped them to improve communication and speaking abilities, to build vocabulary and sound natural, and to practice several skills at once.

Columbo: Paying Attention 24/7, by David Martin-Jones

The dedication of a single authored monograph to one television show is becoming increasingly rare. The BFI unceremoniously dropped their TV Classics series ten years ago; Manchester University Press’s indefatigable Television Series now produces books on entire genres alongside their volumes that focus on particular auteurs. Given that commercial imperative to cover as many television programmes as possible within one study, the production of David Martin-Jones’ book is an achievement in and of itself.

Capitalism and the Enchanted Screen: Myths and Allegories in the Digital Age, by Aleks Wansbrough

The dedication of a single authored monograph to one television show is becoming increasingly rare. The BFI unceremoniously dropped their TV Classics series ten years ago; Manchester University Press’s indefatigable Television Series now produces books on entire genres alongside their volumes that focus on particular auteurs. Given that commercial imperative to cover as many television programmes as possible within one study, the production of David Martin-Jones’ book is an achievement in and of itself.

Binding Energy Partition of Promising IRAK‐4 Inhibitor (Zimlovisertib) for the Treatment of COVID‐19 Pneumonia

The front cover artwork is provided by César A. Zapata-Acevedo and co-workers at the Institute of Chemistry of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the IMDEA Materials Institute, the University of Manchester and Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Santa Fe. The image shows the fragment-based drug design process for candidate Zimlovisertib. The Interacting Quantum Atoms method reveals the adequacy (or lack of) of the chemical changes throughout the design of this IRAK4 inhibitor. Read the full text of the Research Article at 10.1002/cphc.202200455.

Guest Editorial: Learning, optimisation and control of cyber‐physical systems

Guest Editorial: Learning, optimisation and control of cyber‐physical systems

Relationship Between COPD and GERD: A Bibliometrics Analysis.

A growing body of evidence links chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In spite of the lack of understanding of the specific cause-effect relationship between COPD and GERD, GERD has been shown to be a significant predictor of acute exacerbations of COPD. In this study, we examined the evolution of the relationship between COPD and GERD over the past decades and provided valuable insights into this topic. The Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) was searched since its inception until 19 August 2022 to obtain publications related to COPD and GERD. The data was analyzed in Microsoft Excel (version 2021), HisCite (version 2.1), Scimago Graphica (version 1.0.23), VOSviewer (1.6.17), and CiteSpace (version 5.8.R3). We extracted 545 documents from the WoSCC database. Since 2002, there have been rapid increases in publications. Among countries and institutions, the United States and the University of Manchester were most prolific. The most cited journal was Chest, while Respiratory Medicine had the most publications. Among 2870 related authors, Hasenfuss, Gerd, Lange, Peter, and Martinez, Gerd were the top 3 contributing authors in this field. Aside from "gastroesophageal reflux disease" and "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease", the terms "quality of life", "cough", and "inflammation" were frequently occurred in the title and abstract of articles. Keywords co-occurrence overlay visualization indicated that "refractory chronic cough" was hot topics in recent years. Research on COPD and GERD has flourished, and its content topics have become more in-depth over time. In the future, this hot topic deserves more attention.

10. Audit Reviewing the Accuracy of Coding for Temporal Artery Biopsies at a Large Teaching Hospital

North Manchester General Hospital (NMGH) has recently undergone a change in parent trust from the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (PAT) to Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT). Temporal Artery Biopsy (TABx), a procedure not infrequently performed at the OMFS unit, follows urgent referral from Rheumatology colleagues for suspected Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA). A review of coding applied to these procedures is performed, aiming to establish whether payments been appropriate. The gold standard is met if the the correct code/correct payment are applied.

Missionaries and Modernity: Education in the British Empire 1830-1910Missionaries and Modernity: Education in the British Empire 1830 -1910 (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2022).

Missionaries and Modernity: Education in the British Empire 1830-1910Missionaries and Modernity: Education in the British Empire 1830 -1910 (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2022).

Gulf Affairs: The Gulf States and the Horn of Africa: Interests, Influences and Instability, edited by Robert Mason and Simon Mabon (book review)

The Gulf States and the Horn of Africa: Interests, Influences and Instability, edited by Robert Mason and Simon Mabon. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2022. 320 pages. $130.

Sleep and Its Spaces in Middle English Literature: Emotions, Ethics, Dreams by Megan Leitch

Reviewed by: Sleep and Its Spaces in Middle English Literature: Emotions, Ethics, Dreams by Megan Leitch Carolyne Larrington megan leitch, Sleep and Its Spaces in Middle English Literature: Emotions, Ethics, Dreams. Manchester Medieval Literature and Culture 40. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2021. Pp. 284. isbn: 978-1-5261-5110-0. £80.00. This is a lively and thoughtful exploration of a topic that seems to have been unaccountably overlooked in Middle English literary criticism. Dreams, generically [End Page 153] diverse and proto-fictional products of sleep, have been amply investigated without much consideration of the vital human process that is a prerequisite for them. Sleep proves to be remarkably interesting; as signalled by the subtitle, Megan Leitch's book thinks about it in a range of different ways. The book begins with an account of sleep as understood from medical—Galenic—perspectives, as explored in fifteenth-century health regimens. Sleep is understood as a phenomenon that can 'press the reset button,' allowing processes of digestion, humoral rebalance, and consequently, emotional calming to take place. The second chapter investigates the ethical dimensions of sleep. Notable here are the recommendations for 'proper' sleeping. One should sleep on one's side, not propped upright, or heaven forbid, grovelling on the stomach; sleeping position is indicative of the sleeper's moral state. Daytime sleep can be risky: it lays women in romance open to supernatural assault, and even Sir Launcelot, overcome by a desire for sleep in the noonday heat, finds himself captured and imprisoned by a quartet of sorceresses, bent on persuading him to choose one of them as his lover. 'Sloggy slombrynge,' as Chaucer's Parson's Tale characterizes it, signifies serious ethical deficiency, as embodied by Langland's memorable portraits of Sloth and Gluttony. Sleep and its places are everywhere in the canonical texts in Middle English literature. The Pearl -poet's work explores their implications in each of his poems: the disturbing dreams of Belshazzar in Cleanness; Jonah's capacity to sleep as a storm rages around the ship on which he hopes to escape his mission; the extreme mourning that sends the dreamer to sleep in Pearl; and the events in the Hautdesert guest-chamber. Gawain pretends to sleep as the lady slips between his bed-curtains, and his sleep is deeply troubled on the night before he faces his nemesis. Leitch offers many astute and well-argued readings of the meaning of sleep in these texts. The third chapter focuses on sleeping spaces, calling attention to the generic differences between sleep in romance, dream-vision, and fabliau. Leitch develops a persuasive argument that the lack of explicit reference to sexual activity in many Middle English texts is filled by euphemistic reference to private bedchambers. Various versions of the King Horn story, in its Anglo-Norman and English versions, reveal the different treatments of Rymenhild's summons of Horn to her bower, where she declares her love for him, and its aftermath. Sexual desire is thus displaced into spaces of sleep; to contemporary audiences, however, the implications of intimate exchanges in chambers would have been highly visible. Sleeping spaces are not only sites of possible sexual activity, as the many conversations between Pandarus and Troilus in the prince's chamber testify; the bedroom is also a space in which characters can give vent to turbulent emotions, weep, and lament, or, as in Chaucer's Second Nun's Tale, persuade one's bridegroom to convert to Christianity and live chastely. Leitch is careful to note the exceptional nature of such privacy; for royalty and aristocrats, the private quarters contain attendants, who may be confidantes—or spies. In the final chapter Leitch focuses on Chaucer's dream-visions, unpacking The Book of the Duchess and The Legend of Good Women to show how conventions around sleeping and insomnia point to a Chaucerian narrator who needs both healthful sleep and books to compose new works. Though Chaucer discusses Macrobius' theorization [End Page 154] of dreams in The Parliament of Fowls, Leitch makes a compelling case for a parallel Aristotelian understanding of dreams as equally caused by experience in the real world, especially by humoral imbalance. Though Pertelote's common-sense view of...

Reflections on the healing power of collaborative filmmaking

Reflections on the healing power of collaborative filmmaking

Community pharmacist consultation service: survey insights into impact of learning on practice, and barriers and enablers to service implementation

Abstract Introduction Some patients attend NHS services with ‘clinically divertible’ urgent low acuity conditions. The NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) enables the referral of such patients and subsequent consultation with a community pharmacist. The Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) offered a learning programme to prepare pharmacists for a more clinical and person-centred approach when delivering the CPCS. Aim To investigate the impact of the CPPE CPCS learning programme on learnt skills and their application in practice, and barriers and enablers to CPCS delivery. Methods A survey was designed to explored participants’ knowledge, confidence and application of taught skills/tools, including clinical history-taking, clinical assessment, record-keeping, Calgary-Cambridge, L(ICE)F (lifestyle, ideas, concerns, expectations, feelings) and SBARD (situation, background, assessment, recommendation, decision) communication tools. Statements on barriers and enablers to CPCS delivery were included. In November/December 2021, CPPE emailed an online survey (one reminder) to CPCS learners who had agreed to be contacted (n=2836). The University of Manchester’s Research Ethics Committee decision tool confirmed that ethics committee approval was not required for this study. Results One-hundred and fifty-nine pharmacists responded (5.6%). Sixty percent were female, all ages were represented, the most populous groups being 55-64 (33.3%) and 45-54 years (27.7%). Ethnicity was broadly representative of community pharmacists: 49.0% white, 38.9% Asian, 8.2% black, and 1.9% Arab. Sixty-eight (43%) of respondents were working in a large multiple community pharmacy, 33.3% (n=53) in an independent pharmacy, and 17.0% (n=27) in a small to medium pharmacy multiple. Knowledge of, and confidence in, taught skills were high and respondents reported applying skills in CPCS consultations and wider practice. There was strong positive correlation between the perceived levels of competence and confidence when delivering CPCS (r=0.966, p=<0.001). The level of competence (r=0.259, p=0.003) and confidence increased (r=0.264, p=0.002) with an increasing number of NHS111 referrals. With regards to specific skills learnt, the highest levels of knowledge were recorded for ‘taking a clinical history’ (86% agreement), ‘clinically assessing a patient’ (84%), ‘using L(ICE)F’ (84%), and ‘completing an accurate and concise clinical record’ (81%). Seventy-three percent of respondents agreed they knew how to use the Calgary Cambridge, whilst only 49% knew how to use SBARD. Barriers to CPCS included lack of GP referrals, staffing levels, workload, and GP attitudes. Enablers included a clear understanding of what was expected, minimal concerns over indemnity cover and privacy, and positive patient attitudes towards pharmacy. Those working in independent pharmacies were more likely than those in multiple pharmacies to report that they were receiving GP referrals (68.5% vs. 49.0%, X2=5.249, p=0.022), that they had enough staff to provide the CPCS (45.3% vs. 26.3%, X2=5.526, p=0.019), and that the local GP considers community pharmacy to be an integral part of the primary healthcare team (54.7% vs. 37.2%, X2=4.214, p=0.040). Employed pharmacists were more likely than locums to report that they had a good relationship with their local general practice (57.5% vs. 37.5%, X2=5.436, p=0.020). Discussion/Conclusion This study demonstrates that CPPE learning contributed to community pharmacists’ extended knowledge and skills in CPCS delivery, which contributes to enhanced provision of urgent care in England. This study identified barriers, both interpersonal and infrastructural, that may hinder service implementation.

New Frontiers in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Where Are We Heading?

This symposium took place during the 2022 meeting of the European Respiratory Society (ERS). Focusing on new frontiers in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the speakers discussed the current understanding of the heterogeneity of COPD, the spectrum of inflammatory pathways in COPD pathophysiology, and the evolving clinical landscape in COPD. Alvar Agustí, Professor of Medicine at the University of Barcelona, Spain, introduced the concept of a gene, environment, and time (GETomic) perspective of COPD, ending with the trajectome, or range of lung function trajectories, through the lifespan. Stephanie Christenson, Assistant Professor of Pulmonology at the University of California, San Francisco, USA, followed by exploring the role of inflammation in COPD, highlighting that it is a heterogeneous disease with broad inflammatory pathways. This includes types 1, 17, and 2 inflammation; a wide range of immune effector cells beyond eosinophils; and key cytokines such as IL-33, IL-4, IL-13, and IL-5, which mediate the pathophysiology of COPD in response to cigarette smoke and other environmental insults. The need for continued investigation of molecular phenotypes was expanded on further by MeiLan Han, Professor of Medicine at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA, who explored the knowns and unknowns in the standard-of-care management of patients with COPD, highlighting the evolving understanding and identification of disease endotypes and phenotypes; poor understanding of COPD disease progression; the importance of smoking status in response to currently available treatments; and significant unmet need for additional treatment, even among patients on triple therapy. Dave Singh, Professor of Respiratory Pharmacology at the University of Manchester, UK, then discussed active areas of investigation in the development of additional treatments for patients with COPD.

:Anglo-Saxon(ist) Pasts, PostSaxon Futures

:<i>Anglo-Saxon(ist) Pasts, PostSaxon Futures</i>

Review of Alex Schafran, Matthew Noah Smith, Stephen Hall 2020: The Spatial Contract: A New Politics of Provision for an Urbanized Planet. Manchester:Manchester University Press.

Review of Alex Schafran, Matthew Noah Smith, Stephen Hall 2020: The Spatial Contract: A New Politics of Provision for an Urbanized Planet. Manchester:Manchester University Press.