TDP-43 is a DNA/RNA binding protein, but whether its interactions with RNA are relevant to inclusion formation in ALS is unclear. Chen et al. report that mutated forms of TDP-43 that are unable to bind RNA have an increased tendency to aggregate, and can mediate toxicity by sequestering wild-type TDP-43.

We demonstrate control of ZnO nanorod density for self-organized growth on ZnO buffer layers on Si by varying Zn supersaturation during the initial growth phase, thereby altering the competition between 2D and 1D growth modes. Higher initial supersaturation favours nanorods of diameter <200 nm with micron-sized bases, resulting in low density nanorod arrays; nanorods grown with lower initial supersaturation have diameters <200 nm along their entire length, yielding higher density arrays. Field emission and imaging studies reveal field enhancement factors of >1000, attributed to sharp facet edges, and indicate that lower density arrays have more uniform emission due to a reduction in screening effects.

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We report results from the analysis of the shock wave formed following the creation of a laser-produced plasma in a gaseous atmosphere, using both interferometry and shadowgraphy. A Nomarski polarization interferometer and a focused-type shadowgraphy setup were utilized to track the evolution of the shock wave with high spatial and temporal resolution for a variety of incident laser energies and ambient gas pressures. It was found that the visibility of the shock wave was high for both techniques at high gas pressure (100 mbar) and incident laser energies (400 mJ). The velocity of the shock wave in these regimes was of the order of several km s −1. At lower pressures (≈ 1-10 mbar) and incident laser energies (≈ 100-200 mJ), the visibility of the shock wave decreased dramatically and, in some cases, disappeared completely from the shadowgrams. In contrast, the shock wave remained visible in the interferograms, manifesting itself as a blurring of the fringes. The shock wave visibility was improved further by simply differentiating the interferograms to enhance the fringe boundaries. Shock velocities, exceeding 100 km s −1 , were detected at low background gas pressures where the enhanced shock wave visibility was provided by the interferometer.

Exploiting solar energy using photo-thermal (PT) and/or hybridised photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) systems can represent a viable alternative to the growing demand for renewable energy. For large-scale implementation, such systems require thermal fluids able to enhance the combined conversion efficiency achievable by controlling the ‘thermal’ and ‘electrical’ components of the solar spectrum. Nanofluids are typically employed for these purposes and they should exhibit high heat-transfer capabilities and optical properties tuned towards the peak performance spectral window of the photovoltaic (PV) component. In this work, novel nanofluids, composed of highly luminescent organic molecules and Ag nanoparticles dispersed within a base fluid, were tested for PT and PVT applications. These nanofluids were designed to mimic the behaviour of luminescent down-shifting molecules while offering enhanced thermo-physical characteristics over the host base fluid. The nanofluids’ conversion efficiency was evaluated under a standard AM1.5G weighted solar spectrum. The results revealed that the Ag nanoparticles’ inclusion in the composite fluid has the potential to improve the total solar energy conversion. The nanoparticles’ presence minimizes the losses in the electrical power component of the PVT systems as the thermal conversion increases. The enhanced performances recorded suggest that these nanofluids could represent suitable candidates for solar energy conversion applications.

The rate of uptake of microwave technology within the pharmaceutical sector has been slow due to stringent regulatory procedures and unsuccessful microwave trials. However, microwave systems offer significant energy and time savings compared with conventional dryers. Common pharmaceutical excipients, lactose, stearic acid, and active ingredients, Aspirin, Paracetamol, were wetted with water and dried within an experimental atmospheric microwave drying system (2.45 GHz, 90 W). The drying curves obtained showed a constant drying rate, followed by two falling rate periods. Two-and three-component mixtures were dried under the same conditions. The drying characteristics were found to lie between those of the pure components. Drying kinetics of samples wetted with a range of solvents (methanol, ethanol, acetone), and two-component solvent mixtures, were examined. The relative evaporation rates of the solvents showed some dependence on their dielectric properties; latent heat of vaporisation and boiling point having greater influence on drying characteristics. Clearly this research provides information vital to achieve increased acceptance of this technology within the pharmaceutical industry.