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This paper focuses on the complex conservation of the multi-material sculpture Love Me (1998) made by the British artist Sarah Lucas. The fragility of the constituent materials, combined with frequent transportations and installation/de-installation in art shows worldwide, had produced a deformation on one leg of the artwork. The goal of this experimental study was to develop a treatment methodology to ease out the dent and find a consolidant able to secure the area from further damage. A novel traction system, borrowed from medical limb-lengthening surgery, was developed and several types of tie rods and protecting layers were tested. Moreover, innovative materials based on nanocellulose particles were evaluated as strengthening agents for the papier-mâche layers and compared to traditional strengthening products. Due to the lack of information obtained from the experimentation, the use of nanocellulose particles was not considered safe for the treatment, which was done using more traditional materials, namely wheat starch and Kozo Japanese paper. Nevertheless, the results of the preliminary trials laid the foundation for the use of these novel products for conservation purposes.

PARP1 is the founder and most abundant of a superfamily of 17 enzymes, it plays a key role in the repair of DNA single-strand breaks, the most common form of endogenous DNA damage. PARP inhibitors were first developed to inhibit DNA repair and resistance to DNA damaging anticancer therapy. In 2005 two landmark papers were published showing that PARP inhibitors as single agents selectively kill cells lacking homologous recombination DNA repair, including those with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. Four PARP inhibitors are now approved for the treatment of cancer: 3 for ovarian cancer, 2 for breast cancer 2 for metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer and 1 for pancreatic cancer with other tumour types under investigation. This chapter describes the journey from identification of the enzyme to the present day.

The diagnosis of acute brain injury in the acute care setting is based on neurological examination and neuroimaging tools such as computed tomography scanning and magnetic resonance imaging. Clinicians have not been afforded the opportunity to use blood-based biomarkers for these conditions acutely. There are numerous blood-based biomarkers being used in medicine today, but no blood-based biomarker has been approved by the FDA for clinical use, nor has one been validated as a surrogate measure for clinical trials. Although there is an abundance of papers being published, many lack the rigorous methods and reporting required to adequately evaluate these markers for clinical use or as surrogate endpoints. Given all of this research, there is now an important need to validate these biomarkers. This chapter will review some of the most widely studied protein biomarkers for acute brain injury in the clinical setting, with an emphasis on traumatic brain injury and stroke. Also highlighted will be the gaps in the current state of knowledge and the role for blood-based biomarkers in future clinical trials.

Rapid urbanization combined with increases in per capita income have led to the world's motorization. Car manufacturers have been increasing their outputs in response to demands for fuel-efficient cars. New-generation vehicles (NGVs) like hybrid and electronic vehicles have emerged with significantly reduced weights and robust computerized systems. Likewise, the use of efficient batteries like nickel–hydrogen or lithium-ion batteries has been integrated into NGVs. Expectedly, a large volume of these cars will be classified as end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) in the near future. The European Union, Japan and Korea have developed ELV recycling systems based on the extended producer responsibility principle, designed to recover used car parts, scrap metal, batteries, etc. However, countries like Mongolia and the Philippines are inundated with imported used cars, including used NGVs, which damage the environment due to their poor emissions and hazardous waste components. Air pollution and lead soil contamination are some of the environmental problems associated with the proliferation of ELVs. This paper tackles the opportunities and challenges of ELV recycling as espoused by the European Union, Japan and Korea and its potential application in developing countries. It also discusses emerging trends in the effective utilization of waste batteries from NGVs.