Evidence-based anaesthesia

No abstrac

Movements and habitat use of female leopard sharks in Elkhorn Slough, California

From May 2003 to February 2005,20 female leopard sharks (78 -140 cm TL) were tagged with acoustic transmitters in Elkhorn Slough, California, and their movements and habitat use were examined using acoustic tracking techniques. Nine sharks were manually tracked for 20-71.5 h, and 11 sharks were monitored for 4-443 d using an array of acoustic receivers. Use of different regions in Elkhorn Slough by tagged sharks changed seasonally and was associated with changes in temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen. Sharks used Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (ESNERR) extensively throughout the year, but especially during the spring and summer. ESNERR appeared to be important as both a foraging and nursery area, likely due to the abundance of intertidal mudflats. Movements and habitat use were tidally influenced, and likely were related to the distribution of important prey items in Elkhorn Slough

SynGAP Regulates Steady-State and Activity-Dependent Phosphorylation of Cofilin

SynGAP, a prominent Ras/Rap GTPase-activating protein in the postsynaptic density, regulates the timing of spine formation and trafficking of glutamate receptors in cultured neurons. However, the molecular mechanisms by which it does this are unknown. Here, we show that synGAP is a key regulator of spine morphology in adult mice. Heterozygous deletion of synGAP was sufficient to cause an excess of mushroom spines in adult brains, indicating that synGAP is involved in steady-state regulation of actin in mature spines. Both Ras- and Rac-GTP levels were elevated in forebrains from adult synGAP+/- mice. Rac is a well known regulator of actin polymerization and spine morphology. The steady-state level of phosphorylation of cofilin was also elevated in synGAP+/- mice. Cofilin, an F-actin severing protein that is inactivated by phosphorylation, is a downstream target of a pathway regulated by Rac. We show that transient regulation of cofilin by treatment with NMDA is also disrupted in synGAP mutant neurons. Treatment of wild-type neurons with 25 µM NMDA triggered transient dephosphorylation and activation of cofilin within 15 s. In contrast, neurons cultured from mice with a homozygous or heterozygous deletion of synGAP lacked the transient regulation by the NMDA receptor. Depression of EPSPs induced by a similar treatment of hippocampal slices with NMDA was disrupted in slices from synGAP+/- mice. Our data show that synGAP mediates a rate-limiting step in steady-state regulation of spine morphology and in transient NMDA-receptor-dependent regulation of the spine cytoskeleton

An evaluation of the effect of lack of availability and poor distribution of information on successful job and organisation design in workers' co-operatives

This Thesis documents an exploratory investigation into the effect of poor information management on successful job and organisation design in workers' co-operatives. It was hypothesised that lack of availability and poor distribution of information militate against successful job and organisation design. Since sound information management is imperative for decision making and successful job and organisation design ensures workers satisfaction this study is fully justified. It is important that workers' co-operatives are economically successful and that people enjoy working in them. The topic is particularly important for the workers' co-operative movement because little research has been conducted on the links between information management and job and organisation design. The Thesis summarises the main issues and concepts relevant to the research topic and describes the implications of information management for job and organisation design in workers' co-operatives. The purchasing processes in four workers' co-operatives in Scotland were chosen as the information systems to be studied. Research field work, in the form of a Job Diagnosis Survey was also carried out to establish the links between information management and job and organisation design. Research results have been examined in relation to the participative arrangements one associates with workers' co-operatives. It was found that in addition to information management, other issues have an effect on successful job and organisation design. These include: objectives of each business; Argyris's Theory in Action; Lack of management skills; and poor systems design. This led to a comparison of the four co-operatives studied with the very successful Mondragon Group. Finally the implications of the research results have been discussed in relation to the workers' co-operative movement and to future research by those interested or involved in the movement

Comparison of oil recoveries using carbon dioxide and liquefied petroleum gas slugs

En este artículo se informa sobre los resultados de los ensayos de desplazamiento miscible en un crudo de gravedad media. En una serie de ensayos se inyectó dióxido de carbono desde el comienzo hasta el fin de la prueba. En una segunda serie de ensayos, se inyectó una masa de volumen de cinco por ciento de los poros de gas de petróleo licuado (LPG) (Propano).Esta masa fue impulsada por nitrógeno gaseoso. Los ensayos se llevaron a cabo a temperaturas variables entre 112°Fy 250°F. Se encontró que cuando se usó dióxido de carbono, la presión de miscibilidad aumentó aproximadamente de 1880a 3040psi, mientras que la temperatura del reservorio aumentaba de 112°Fa 250°F. Lo contrario sucedió en el caso de desplazamiento miscible usando masas de LPG (propano) impulsadas por nitrógeno

The Emergence of Behavioral Addiction in DSM-5

The release of the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) has sparked continuous debate about the structure, organization, and inclusion or exclusion of mental disorders. The term addiction made its first appearance in the manual with the category of Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders, after much anticipation from mental health professionals. With the emergence of behavioral (process) addictions in the diagnostic manual such as gambling disorder, it is likely that other mental disorders with similar features will follow suit. Speculation about other behaviors that could potentially be addictive includes Internet use, sex, shopping, exercise, and compulsive eating, among others. The goal of the current review is twofold: to explain the concept of behavioral addictions, including a focus on gambling and Internet gaming disorders, and to discuss how the emergence of process addictions may influence the work of human services practitioners. Clinical implications within the human services profession are also discussed

The Effectiveness of Measures to Increase Appellate Court Efficiency and Decision Output

This Article will examine the effectiveness of measures commonly employed to increase appellate court productivity. Part I of the Article sets forth some common design problems and explains how the research technique employed in the present study avoids these problems by using a multiple time-series research design. Part II applies this design to state court data. Part II also describes the dependent variable, the number of appeals decided per judge, used in the regression analysis. Part III discusses the results of that analysis-the impact of each change listed above on judicial productivity. The Article, although not advocating the adoption of the discussed efficiency measures, concludes that the failure to enact any type of efficiency measure will cause appellate courts to fall behind in the handling of their caseloads

Distance Supervision in Human Services

As the use of technology increases, there are more opportunities for students and human service professionals to participate in education and supervision remotely. Distance supervision has become increasingly popular in the field of human services, providing educators and practitioners with new methods of professional communication. However, the use of technology in supervision also poses unique challenges for human service professionals and requires additional ethical considerations. The following will address the above points as well as review both asynchronous and synchronous delivery methods for distance learning supervision and their utility for providing supervision in the field of human services