Exploratory study into the effect of abdominal mass loading on airways resistance and ventilatory failure

Objective We hypothesised that the airway resistance during tidal breathing would correlate with a particular pattern of increasing obesity, particularly when supine, and would differ between participants with and without ventilatory failure. Methods In our cross-sectional cohort study, 72 morbidly obese patients (40 males, 32 females, mean body mass index (BMI) 47.2) had measurements of both airways resistance (by impulse oscillometry (IOS)) and adiposity (by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)). Results All measures of airways resistance increased in the supine position: total airways resistance (R5) +37% (p<0.0005); large airways resistance (R20) +29% (p<0.0005); and small airways resistance (R5–R20) +52% (p<0.0005). BMI was correlated with seated R5, seated R5–R20, supine R5 and supine R5–R20 (r=0.33 p<0.006, r=0.32 p<0.004, r=0.30 p<0.02 and r=0.36 p<0.04, respectively). Visceral adipose tissue mass was correlated with supine R5–20 (r=0.46 p<0.05). Supine measures of total airways resistance (R5) and large airways resistance (R20) differed between those with and without ventilatory failure, as did mean weight and BMI. Conclusions Our study identifies a potentially detrimental effect of the supine posture on tidal breathing airways resistance in obese patients. This change is correlated most with visceral adipose tissue mass and the small airways. We were able to demonstrate that supine increases in airways resistance during tidal breathing, within obese patients, are different between those with and without ventilatory failure

A P-type ATPase importer that discriminates between essential and toxic transition metals

Transition metals, although being essential cofactors in many physiological processes, are toxic at elevated concentrations. Among the membrane-embedded transport proteins that maintain appropriate intracellular levels of transition metals are ATP-driven pumps belonging to the P-type ATPase superfamily. These metal transporters may be differentiated according to their substrate specificities, where the majority of pumps can extrude either silver and copper or zinc, cadmium, and lead. In the present report, we have established the substrate specificities of nine previously uncharacterized prokaryotic transition-metal P-type ATPases. We find that all of the newly identified exporters indeed fall into one of the two above-mentioned categories. In addition to these exporters, one importer, Pseudomonas aeruginosa Q9I147, was also identified. This protein, designated HmtA (heavy metal transporter A), exhibited a different substrate recognition profile from the exporters. In vivo metal susceptibility assays, intracellular metal measurements, and transport experiments all suggest that HmtA mediates the uptake of copper and zinc but not of silver, mercury, or cadmium. The substrate selectivity of this importer ensures the high-affinity uptake of essential metals, while avoiding intracellular contamination by their toxic counterparts

Assessment for learning : a model for the development of a child’s self competence in the early years of education

In recent years policy documents, curricula and other educational initiatives have promoted a pedagogy founded on the concept of independent learning. This is broadly defined as ‘having the belief in yourself to think through learning activities, problems or challenges, make decisions about your learning and act upon those decisions (Blandford and Knowles, 2009:336). The central role of Assessment for Learning (AfL) in this process is often overlooked in practice. By considering the findings from a small scale research study this article addresses the central role of the teacher /practitioner in developing effective AfL in the early years classroom (3-5 years)

Efficient hydrogen storage in up-scale metal hydride tanks as possible metal hydride compression agents equipped with aluminium extended surfaces

In the current work, a three-dimensional computational study regarding coupled heat and mass transfer during both the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation process in upscale cylindrical metal hydride reactors is presented, analysed and optimized. Three different heat management scenarios were examined at the degree to which they provide improved system performance. The three scenarios were: 1) plain embedded cooling/heating tubes, 2) transverse finned tubes and 3) longitudinal finned tubes. A detailed optimization study was presented leading to the selection of the optimized geometries. In addition, two different types of hydrides, LaNi5 and an AB2-type intermetallic were studied as possible candidate materials for using as the first stage alloys in a two-stage metal hydride hydrogen compression system. As extracted from the above results, it is clear that the case of using a vessel equipped with 16 longitudinal finned tubes is the most efficient way to enhance the hydrogenation kinetics when using both LaNi5 and the AB2-alloy as the hydride agents. When using LaNi5 as the operating hydride the case of the vessel equipped with 60 embedded cooling tubes presents the same kinetic behaviour with the case of the vessel equipped with 12 longitudinal finned tubes, so in that way, by using extended surfaces to enhance the heat exchange can reduce the total number of tubes from 60 to 12. For the case of using the AB2-type material as the operating hydride the performance of the extended surfaces is more dominant and effective compared to the case of using the embedded tubes, especially for the case of the longitudinal extended surfaces

Expression, purification and structural analysis of the Pyrococcus abyssi RNA binding protein PAB1135

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The gene coding for the uncharacterized protein PAB1135 in the archaeon <it>Pyrococcus abyssi </it>is in the same operon as the ribonuclease P (RNase P) subunit Rpp30.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Here we report the expression, purification and structural analysis of PAB1135. We analyzed the interaction of PAB1135 with RNA and show that it binds efficiently double-stranded RNAs in a non-sequence specific manner. We also performed molecular modeling of the PAB1135 structure using the crystal structure of the protein Af2318 from <it>Archaeoglobus fulgidus </it>(<ext-link ext-link-id="2OGK" ext-link-type="pdb">2OGK</ext-link>) as the template.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Comparison of this model has lead to the identification of a region in PAB1135 that could be involved in recognizing double-stranded RNA.</p

Estado social y democrático de derecho, representación política y reelección inmediata en Colombia: sus efectos en el comportamiento electoral

En este trabajo investigativo reflexioné sobre la relevancia de la representación&nbsp;política en el Estado Social y Democrático de Derecho, el ejercicio&nbsp;voluntario del voto y el derecho fundamental que constituye, la participación&nbsp;política, democrática, de los diferentes partidos y movimientos políticos, las&nbsp;condiciones en las cuales esta se efectúa y la seguridad implícita que simboliza,&nbsp;si se da en términos de igualdad y respeto para todo el pueblo colombiano,&nbsp;fomentando la tolerancia por la diferencia, la libertad de elección y decisión,&nbsp;en la cual prevalezcan los intereses colectivos sobre los individuales; y se reduzca&nbsp;la posibilidad de la concentración del poder. Y finalmente, resalto laincidencia del comportamiento electoral de la ciudadanía en Colombia, como&nbsp;resultado de la implantación de la reelección presidencial inmediata. &nbsp; AbstractIn this investigation writing think about the main politic representation in&nbsp;the social and democratic law state’s, the exercise voluntary vote’ and the fundamental&nbsp;right. Also, the politic and democratic participation different movements,&nbsp;the security and conditions, the equality and respect for all the Colombians&nbsp;citizens, developing tolerance for the difference, the choice and decision&nbsp;liberty’s where the desires people is above individual and reduce the authority.&nbsp;Finally, the incident o impact the electoral behavior citizen’s in Colombia over&nbsp;the apply reelection presidential

Cosmological constraints on the magnification bias on sub-millimetre galaxies after large-scale bias corrections

Context. The study of the magnification bias produced on high-redshift sub-millimetre galaxies by foreground galaxies through the analysis of the cross-correlation function was recently demonstrated as an interesting independent alternative to the weak-lensing shear as a cosmological probe. Aims. In the case of the proposed observable, most of the cosmological constraints mainly depend on the largest angular separation measurements. Therefore, we aim to study and correct the main large-scale biases that aect foreground and background galaxy samples to produce a robust estimation of the cross-correlation function. Then we analyse the corrected signal to derive updated cosmological constraints. Methods. We measured the large-scale, bias-corrected cross-correlation functions using a background sample of H-ATLAS galaxies with photometric redshifts &gt;1.2 and two dierent foreground samples (GAMA galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts or SDSS galaxies with photometric ones, both in the range 0.2 &lt; z &lt; 0.8). These measurements are modelled using the traditional halo model description that depends on both halo occupation distribution and cosmological parameters. We then estimated these parameters by performing a Markov chain Monte Carlo under multiple scenarios to study the performance of this observable and how to improve its results. Results. After the large-scale bias corrections, we obtain only minor improvements with respect to the previous magnification bias results, mainly confirming their conclusions: a lower bound on m &gt; 0:22 at 95% CL and an upper bound 8 &lt; 0:97 at 95% CL (results from the zspec sample). Neither the much higher surface density of the foreground photometric sample nor the assumption of Gaussian priors for the remaining unconstrained parameters significantly improve the derived constraints. However, by combining both foreground samples into a simplified tomographic analysis, we were able to obtain interesting constraints on the m8 plane as follows: m = 0:50+0:14 0:20 and 8 = 0:75+0:07 0:10 at 68% C

Good education policy making: data-informed but values-driven

In this article, based on their book Educational Goods: Values, Evidence and Decision Making, Harry Brighouse, Helen Ladd, Susanna Loeb, and Adam Swift encourage education decision makers to give careful thought to the values that underlie the data they collect and use to inform policy. Rather than basing decisions entirely on what improves academic achievement, the authors call for attention to a wider array of values, which they call educational goods. These include the capacities to function in the labor market, to participate effectively in the democratic process, to make autonomous judgments about key life decisions such as occupation or religion, to develop healthy interpersonal relationships, to seek personal fulfilment, and to treat others with respect and dignity. Thinking in terms of these values can broaden the conversation about education priorities and bring clarity to decisions involving trade-offs and conflicting aims

Anthropogenic impacts on the water chemistry of a transboundary river system in Southeast Asia

The Red River originating from Yunnan province, China is the second largest river in Vietnam in terms of length and discharge. Combination of water chemistry monitoring data of 4 years (2018–2022) from different sub-basins of the Red River (the Da, Lo, Thao, Tra Ly, and Day) with historical datasets indicates a decline in pH from 8.1 in 2000 to 7.7 in 2021, greater CO2 concentrations and a shift from waters naturally dominated by carbonate weathering to waters dominated by evaporite weathering. Such changes were most apparent in the delta area where heavy human activities have increased influxes of most dissolved chemicals, except SiO2. Evaporite weathering is particularly enhanced by mining and deforestation occurring in upstream regions of both China and Vietnam. Pyrite oxidation, alongside silicate weathering, is enhanced along the Red River Fault Zone but reduced in tributaries with a higher proportion of hydropower reservoirs. Longer water residence times in these large reservoirs (total volume &gt; 2.7x1010 m3) located in the Da and Lo sub-basins have also increased primary productivity, leading to higher evasion/uptake of CO2 and SiO2, lower total dissolved solids (TDS), and higher pH. The total physical and chemical denudation rates of upstream mountain tributaries ranged between 0.107 \ub1 0.108 and 0.139 \ub1 0.137 mm yr−1, mainly due to reservoir implementation and instream aquatic biogeochemistry changes. Our findings demonstrate that anthropogenic activities are profound factors impacting the water chemistry of the Red River system

WDR60-mediated dynein-2 loading into cilia powers retrograde IFT and transition zone crossing

The dynein-2 motor complex drives retrograde intraflagellar transport (IFT), playing a pivotal role in the assembly and functions of cilia. However, the mechanisms that regulate dynein-2 motility remain poorly understood. Here, we identify the Caenorhabditis elegans WDR60 homologue, WDR-60, and dissect the roles of this intermediate chain using genome editing and live imaging of endogenous dynein-2/IFT components. We find that loss of WDR-60 impairs dynein-2 recruitment to cilia and its incorporation onto anterograde IFT trains, reducing retrograde motor availability at the ciliary tip. Consistent with this, we show that fewer dynein-2 motors power WDR-60-deficient retrograde IFT trains, which move at reduced velocities and fail to exit cilia, accumulating on the distal side of the transition zone. Remarkably, disrupting the transition zone's NPHP module almost fully restores ciliary exit of underpowered retrograde trains in wdr-60 mutants. This work establishes WDR-60 as a major contributor to IFT, and the NPHP module as a roadblock to dynein-2 passage through the transition zone.This work was financed by Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) through the COMPETE 2020 Operacional Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020, and Portuguese funds through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)/Minist´erio da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior in the framework of the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029471 (PTDC/BIA-BID/29471/2017) to T.J. Dantas. A.X. Carvalho, R. Gassmann, C.M.C. Abreu, and T.J. Dantas were supported by the FCT: CEECIND/01967/2017, CEECIND/00333/2017, CEECIND/01985/2018, and CEECIND/00771/2017, respectively. N. Vieira is a Junior Researcher under the scope of the FCT Transitional Rule DL57/2016, and her work was supported by a 2016 NARSAD Young Investigator Grant (#24929) from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. D.R.M. Rodrigues received a PhD fellowship from FCT (SFRH/BD/143985/2019) and support fromthe Biomedical Sciences PhD program at Instituto de Ciências Biom´edicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS). Some strains were provided by the National Bioresource Project for C. elegans and by the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center (CGC), which is funded by the National Institutes of Health Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (P40 OD010440)