The Spacetime Structure of Open Quantum Relativity

In the framework of the Open Quantum Relativity, we discuss the geodesic and chronological structures related to the embedding procedure and dimensional reduction from 5D to 4D spacetime. The emergence of an extra-force term, the deduction of the masses of particles, two-time arrows and closed time-like solutions are considered leading to a straightforward generalization of causality principle

Employee needs and expectations in the Irish voluntary sector

Little research exists on the work needs and expectations of employees in the Irish Voluntary Sector. The paper presents the preliminary findings of the first nation-wide survey of voluntary organisations, focusing on the psycho-social variables underpinning work. The survey employed the Meaning Of Working (MOW)questionnaire, widely used in European work-values research. Results from the 259 respondent voluntary organisations are compared with a private sector population, and indicate significant differences in employee work values, reward expectations and job involvement. The results are discussed and implications for the management and development of the Irish Voluntary Sector are advanced

Fathers: a Contemporary Perspective on their Role in Child-driven Materialism

This paper explores the contemporary role of fathers in child-driven materialistic consumption, a little explored territory. Commencing with an exploration of the child consumer and their influence in personal and family spending, both of which have grown considerably over that last number of decades, followed by an analysis of changes in families and the role fathers now play in the aforementioned. It is also acknowledged that fathers have previously been ignored to a large extent in the majority of research studies concerning parent-child consumption and purchases. As such, valuable insights emerged through an interpretative framework utilised to explore this area. Furthermore, the use of semi-structured interviews allowed fathers’ ‘lived’ experiences of the purchase and consumption process to emerge. Findings result in fathers, on the one hand, portraying themselves as the traditional authoritarian figure, claiming their spouses relent to materialistic consumption, while concurrently initiating a portion of materialistic purchases themselves. These emergent findings result in an obvious tension within fathers’ awareness of the more traditional models of fathering: the strong, authoritative, sensible and responsible parent, versus their recognition of a contemporary dilution of same: the sensitive, involved, engaged, explanatory father

Constraints on WIMP Dark Matter from the High Energy PAMELA pˉ/p\bar{p}/p data

A new calculation of the $\bar{p}/p$ ratio in cosmic rays is compared to the recent PAMELA data. The good match up to 100 GeV allows to set constraints on exotic contributions from thermal WIMP dark matter candidates. We derive stringent limits on possible enhancements of the WIMP \pbar flux: a $m_{\rm WIMP}$=100 GeV (1 TeV) signal cannot be increased by more than a factor 6 (40) without overrunning PAMELA data. Annihilation through the $W^+W^-$ channel is also inspected and cross-checked with $e^+/(e^-+e^+)$ data. This scenario is strongly disfavored as it fails to simultaneously reproduce positron and antiproton measurements.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, the bibliography has been updated, minor modifications have been made in the tex

ANTI HYPERGLYCAEMIC AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF CATUNAREGAM SPINOSA (THUNB) AGAINST DEXAMETHASONE INDUCED DIABETES IN RATS

Objective: The study was aimed at evaluating the folkloric use of the Catunaregam spinosa (Thunb) bark for its hypoglycaemic and antioxidant activity against dexamethasone-induced diabetes in wistar rats. Methods: Diabetes was induced in wistar rats by dexamethasone administration 10 mg/kg, b. wt., s. c for 11 consecutive days to all group animals (except Group I). After confirmation of diabetes, the animals were divided into 5 groups (n=6). Group I: Vehicle control treated with normal saline only, Group II: Diabetic control treated with dexamethasone only, Group III: Standard control treated with dexamethasone plus glibenclamide (5 mg/kg, b. wt., p. o), Group IV and V: Test control received dexamethasone plus ethanolic extract of Catunaregam spinosa (EECS) at graded doses of 200 mg/kg, b. wt. and 400 mg/kg, b. wt., p. o for 21days respectively. On the last day of the experiment, the effect of Catunaregam spinosa bark was measured by estimating the biochemical and antioxidant parameters. Results: There was a significant alteration in the serum glucose, HbA1c, total proteins, serum lipid profile and tissue antioxidant parameters in dexamethasone-treated animals when compared to the normal control rats. In test groups treated with glibenclamide and EECS, it was significantly ameliorated the altered parameters such as serum glucose, HbA1c, total proteins, serum lipid profile and the antioxidant parameters like SOD, CAT, GSH and MDA when compared to dexamethasone-treated animals with evidence of histopathological studies of the pancreas. Conclusion: The results indicated that the ethanolic extract of Catunaregam Spinosa (Thunb) bark has shown the hypoglycemic and antioxidant property

AN OVERVIEW OF COLORECTAL CANCER: IMPLICATION OF TWO MEDICINAL PLANTS IN THEIR TREATMENT

Nowadays, cancer is one of the most common diseases in humans. Among all types, colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most serious types diagnosed in men after lung and prostate cancer while in women it occupies the second position after breast cancer worldwide. The risk factors such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, bad nutritional habits (high in fats and proteins), smoking, and progressive aging are the cause of CRC. The acquisition of abnormal mutations leads to a consisting of many different arrangements of events during the tumor development process. Over the years, different approaches have been employed, in the treatment of cancer. These include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and immunotherapy. Chemotherapy is routinely used for cancer treatment, but the toxicity of chemotherapeutics on healthy cells of the human body is obvious. This is the reason for discovering the new, natural origin, substances with potential cytostatic effects and less toxic side effects on the healthy cells. Medicinal plants have a special place in the management of cancer. Numerous cancer research studies have been conducted using traditional medicinal plants to discover new therapeutic agents with fewer side effects. In this review, we are describing two medicinal plants such as Actiniopteris radiata (Sw.) Link (Mayurashikha) and Terminalia pallida Brandis (Tella karaka) (endemic plant) which are available immensely in Chittoor District are used till today by the traditional herbal practitioners, tribal people is near to Talakona forest and Ayurvedic people for various diseases and also for CRC

Gravitational Cherenkov Radiation from Extended Theories of Gravity

We linearize the field equations for higher order theories of gravity that contain scalar invariants other than the Ricci scalar. We find that besides a massless spin-2 field (the standard graviton), the theory contains also spin-0 and spin-2 massive modes with the latter being, in general, ghost modes. The rate at which such particles would emit gravitational Cherenkov radiation is calculated for some interesting physical cases.Comment: 6 pages, to appear in Mod. Phys. Lett. A. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:0911.3094, arXiv:1105.619

Advancing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis as a Novel Methodological Tool in Deepening Insights and Amplifying the Voices of Women Mentees in Leadership Development Programmes in Irish Higher Education Institutions

Positioned within the field of Educational Leadership, this paper asserts the value of adopting Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), as a qualitative methodological approach to explore and unravel the lived experience of women mentees (academics, professional, management and support services staff) in leadership mentoring relationships in an Irish Higher Education context. The research context focuses on the intersection of leadership mentoring and gender in Irish academia, prompted by the under-representation of women in senior positions, coupled with IPA as an under-utilised methodology in educational leadership research. Women’s’ voices are an important part of the process of consciousness-raising in discourses within Educational Leadership, of making what is invisible, visible; more especially in terms of enablers and barriers to women’s career advancement. Giving time and space to hear these voices, through the utility of IPA, allows their stories to unfold, by attending to their experiences, understanding, perceptions and views, of being in a leadership mentoring relationship. This paper showcases five distinctive features of IPA: (a) epistemological grounding, (b) amplifying individual voice, (c) inductive deepening of insights, (d) versatility and flexibility, and (e) co-creation between researcher and women mentees, to reveal what it is like for these women. In the process of this unveiling, IPA can make an iridescent contribution to the discourse on gender equality, leadership development, policy practice and action within an Irish higher education context

Certe absunt, sed nobiscum loqui possunt: De inscriptionum usu in scholis

In “The life of Domitian”, Suetonius records how that princeps used to organise “wonderful and sumptuous shows”, including a certamen dedicated to Jupiter Capitoline where contestants took part with Latin as well as Greek orations (IV 1-4). Nothing is said by Suetonius on the contestants themselves but we have some knowledge about Quintus Sulpicius Maximus, an eleven years old child who, having gained universal praise at the contest with his improvised composition, died by “illness and fatigue”, as we can read from his funeral monument, found and preservedin Rome. Said monument also preserves his verses composed in Greek on Phaethon’s tale as well as his laudatio funebris inscribed on behalf of his sad parents. This short article will present a way to use this inscriptions in Latin classes, using images and exercises as well. Phaethon’s tale is mainly known from Ovid’s work, whose verses could be used in illustrating it as shown in a comics book inspired by it.In Vītā Domitiānī, Suētōnius refert prīncipem illum “spectācula... magnifica et sūmptuōsa ēdidisse”, inter quae “certāmen Capitōlīnō Iovī” fuit, in quō “certābant...ōrātiōne Graecē Latīnēque” (cap. IV 1-4). Nihil ā Suētōniō dīcitur dē certantibus sed nōbīs nōtus est Quīntus Sulpicius Maximus ille, annōrum ūndecim puer, quī, maximō favōre in certāmine excitātō versibus suis extemporālibus, mortuus est “morbō dēfatīgātiōneque”, ut legimus in eius fūnebrī monumentō, Rōmae inventō et illīc servātō. Hoc monumentum nōbīs trādidit versūs haud parvī mōmentī, ab illō linguāGraecā compositōs dē Phaethontis fābulā, atque ēlogia eī ā parentibus maestissimīs incīsa, Latīnē Graecēque. In hāc brevī adlocūtiōne dē hārum īnscrīptiōnum ūsū in lūdīs agētur ut magistrī eās discipulīs ostendere possint, imāginibus et exercitiīs ad hōc aptīs ūtentēs. Fābula ipsa ad tempora nostra pervēnit Ovidiō iuvante, cuius versus ad rem explānandam lēgī poterunt, etiam ex libellō pictographīcō quōdam

Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Induces Redox Status Disruption in Swine Granulosa Cells

Perfluoroctanoid acid (PFOA) is employed in the production and processing of several plastic materials, mainly during the production of waterproof fabrics or non-stick cookware. PFOA is identified as a "Substance of Very High Concern", as it is classified as a "PBT" (Persistent, Bioac-cumulative and Toxic substance) because of its persistence in the environment and its potential accumulation in organisms. Thus, safe levels of exposure cannot be established and PFOA emis-sions should be minimized. PFOA has been recently linked to several health concerns in humans. In particular, a disruptive effect on redox status homeostasis has been documented, with a po-tential impairment of normal reproductive function which requires an adequate oxidative balance. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of PFOA (2, 20 and 200 ng/mL) on ovarian granulosa cells, a model of reproductive cells. The obtained results revealed that PFOA stimulated cell viability (P <0.05). Regarding the effects on free radical production, both O2-, NO and H2O2 were significantly inhibited (P <0.05) while the non-enzymatic antioxidant power was not significantly modified. Collectively, present results deserve attention since free radical mol-ecules play a crucial role in ovarian follicle development leading to a successful ovulatio