The use of methyl methacrylate for the preparation of casts of the cerebral ventricles

Dissection is the best way to study the anatomical relations of the cerebral ventricles; a resin cast, however, illustrates more accurately their actual size, shape and intricate anatomy. A study of the resins available in Malta showed that methyl methacrylate, much used in dental mechanics, could be availed of to produce a detailed, beautifully coloured, rigid cast of the comparatively large cerebral cavities. The greatest advantage of methyl methacrylate is the ease with which it can be processed. Shrinkage after processing is negligible so resulting in a markedly true and well-marked impression of all the structures immediately related to the ventricles. A technique is described for the use of methyl methacrylate as a resin for the preparation of casts of the cerebral ventricles. Additionally, its advantages and disadvantages are discussed whereby it is hoped that in future this resin will be used more for this purpose.peer-reviewe

Concerns about Journalism Education : A Content Analysis of Selected Academic Journals and Trade Publications Published in 1955, 1965, and 1975

Journalism educators must consider an automated, technical news industry and burgeoning enrollments when tey review their educational programs. Traditionally, journalism educators are devoted to endowing their graduates with a good liberal arts education, besides training them for career work in the media. However, like all industries of our modern age, the news industry today is automated and more technically complex than ever. Training students for career work has also become more complex. Qualified instructors must teach students about the new machinery of mass communication and still devote enough time to liberal arts to make them conscientious journalists. Can journalism educators meet this dual responsibility is journalism technology continues to become even more complex? To make the job of educating students more difficult, enrollments in journalism schools since 1955 have increased substantially. Twenty years ago there were about 10,000 students enrolled in journalism schools. At last count in 1975, there were over 55,000. Are journalism educators prepared for continued enrollment growth or sudden declines? Today more than ever, journalism educators must consider the future of journalism education and ascertain the best methods of educating tomorrow’s journalists. Before anyone can speculate on the future of journalism education, however a good assessment of past trends and issues of journalism education must be completed. With these things in mind. The author has undertaken this study. By examining the content of selected journalism publications in 1955, 1965, and 1975, the author hopes to decipher recognizable patterns in his data and then be able to determine past trends and issues of journalism education

Generating a homology model of the human M1 muscarinic receptor and the design of cognate modulators at this locus for the management of Alzheimer’s disease

The link between Alzheimer’s disease and the M1 muscarinic receptor subtypes makes the latter a viable target for modulating the pathogenesis involved in the development of the disease. The aim of this project was to create a novel drug to modulate an in silico-created homology model of the M1 receptor to manage Alzheimer’s disease. The preliminary part of this study involved creation of a homology model of the M1 receptor. This was followed by analysis of the ligandbinding pocket and in silico design of novel molecules capable of modulating this proposed structure. SYBYL-X®, X-SCORE®, LigBuilder®, Visual Molecular Dynamics (VMD), Accelrys® Draw, Accelrys® Discovery Studio 3.5 and the Protein Data Bank were used to generate the results. A homology model for the M1 receptor was created. Analysis of the ligand binding pocket resulted in 12 varying conformers; that with optimal binding affinity was chosen to create a seed. This generated 200 molecules, classified into 12 chemical families, 124 of which were retained due to conformity to Lipinski’s Rules. Highest & lowest-ranked molecules in each chemical family were structurally-analysed, which yielded chemical moieties responsible for optimal chemical binding to the proposed ligand binding pocket. The de novo molecules created and optimized present viable leads for high-throughput screening in subsequent drug-design studies, potentially leading to identification of novel M1 muscarinic receptor subtype modulators for the use in managing Alzheimer’s disease.peer-reviewe

Exploring the Half-life of Internet Footnotes

Vanishing online references are becoming a problem for scholars. This exploratory study examines use of online citations, focusing on 2003 AEJMC conference papers accepted by the Communication Technology and Policy division. Authors analyze papers using URL reference addresses in bibliographies and document some 40% of online citations being unavailable a year later. Results show that .edu is the most stable domain. Error messages for dead URL addresses also are explored. Finally authors offer much needed recommendations for researchers who use Internet citations

A case of metastatic Wilms’ tumour with reversible distortion of mediastinal anatomy : a diagnostic challenge for the echocardiographer

Delineation and documentation of anatomy in the presence of significant mass pathology presents a diagnostic challenge. This often necessitates the implementation of more than one imaging modality in order to perform an adequate assessment. We present a three-year old boy with extensive distortion of mediastinal anatomy secondary to pleural metastases from a Wilms tumour. This limited the ability to accurately assess mediastinal anatomy and cardiac function at baseline. Reassessment following initiation of chemotherapy showed a significant reduction in size of metastases with complete resolution of the mediastinal distortion.peer-reviewe

Strategies for the molecular genetic manipulation and visualization of the human fungal pathogen Penicillium marneffei

P. marneffei has been established as an experimentally amenable system to study morphogenesis and pathogenicity. This paper describes the development of a number of tools, including numerous selectable markers, to expand the ease with which it can be genetically manipulated. Combined with strains engineered for homologous recombination of exogenous DNA, these tools facilitate efficient molecular genetic studies

An investigation of polymorphisms in the 17q11.2-12 CC chemokine gene cluster for association with multiple sclerosis in Australians

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) characterised by inflammation and neuronal degeneration. It is believed to result from the complex interaction of a number of genes, each with modest effect. Chemokines are vital to the migration of cells to sites of inflammation, including the CNS, and many are implicated in MS pathogenesis. Most of the CC chemokine genes are encoded in a cluster on chromosome 17q11.2-12, which has been identified in a number of genome wide screens as being potentially associated with MS. METHODS: We conducted a two-stage analysis to investigate the chemokine gene cluster for association with MS. After sequencing the chemokine genes in several DNA pools to identify common polymorphisms, 12 candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped in a cohort of Australian MS trio families. RESULTS: Marginally significant (uncorrected) transmission distortion was identified for four of the SNPs after stratification for several factors. We also identified marginally significant (uncorrected) transmission distortion for haplotypes encompassing the CCL2 and CCL11 genes, using two independent cohorts, which was consistent with recent reports from another group. CONCLUSION: Our results implicate several chemokines as possibly being associated with MS susceptibility, and given that chemokines and their receptors are suitable targets for therapeutic agents, further investigation is warranted in this region

A vision for science education in Malta : the national curriculum framework 2011 : consultation document 2011

The current document was prepared by a working group of science and science education experts set up in November 2008 by Prof Grace Grima, Director General for Quality and Standards. The brief was to analyse the current situation of science education in Malta and to suggest a way forward that adequately addresses current as well as future national needs in the area.peer-reviewe