Candida species exhibit differential in vitro hemolytic activities

A total of 80 Candida isolates representing 14 species were examined for their respective responses to an in vitro hemolytic test. A modification of a previously described plate assay system where the yeasts are incubated on glucose (3%)-enriched sheep blood agar in a carbon dioxide (5%)-rich environment for 48 h was used to evaluate the hemolytic activity. A group of eight Candida species which included Candida albicans (15 isolates), C. dubliniensis (2), C. kefyr (2), C. krusei (4), C. zeylanoides (1), C. glabrata (34), C. tropicalis (5), and C. lusitaniae (2) demonstrated both alpha and beta hemolysis at 48 h postinoculation. Only alpha hemolysis was detectable in four Candida species, viz., C. famata (3), C. guilliermondii (4), C. rugosa (1), and C. utilis (1), while C. parapsilosis (5) and C. pelliculosa (1) failed to demonstrate any hemolytic activity after incubation for 48 h or longer. This is the first study to demonstrate the variable expression profiles of hemolysins by different Candida species.published_or_final_versio

Experimental Demonstration of Squeezed State Quantum Averaging

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a universal quantum averaging process implementing the harmonic mean of quadrature variances. The harmonic mean protocol can be used to efficiently stabilize a set of fragile squeezed light sources with statistically fluctuating noise levels. The averaged variances are prepared probabilistically by means of linear optical interference and measurement induced conditioning. We verify that the implemented harmonic mean outperforms the standard arithmetic mean strategy. The effect of quantum averaging is experimentally tested both for uncorrelated and partially correlated noise sources with sub-Poissonian shot noise or super-Poissonian shot noise characteristics.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Cytisine versus varenicline for smoking cessation for Māori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) and their extended family:Protocol for a randomized non‐inferiority trial

Background and aims Cytisine, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist (like varenicline) found in some plants, is a low-cost, effective smoking cessation medication that may appeal to Māori [the indigenous people of New Zealand (NZ)]. The RAUORA trial aims to determine the effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of cytisine (Tabex®) versus varenicline (Champix®) for smoking cessation in Māori and the whānau (extended family) of Māori. Design Pragmatic, community-based, open-label randomized non-inferiority trial. Setting Lakes District Health Board region, NZ. Participants Daily smokers (n = 2140) who self-identify as Māori or whānau of Māori, and are: aged ≥ 18 years, motivated to quit smoking in the next 2 weeks, eligible for subsidized varenicline, able to provide verbal consent and have daily access to a mobile phone/internet. Recruitment uses multi-media advertising. Intervention and comparator Participants are randomized (1 : 1 ratio) to receive a prescription for 12 weeks of cytisine tablets [following the manufacturer’s dosing regimen for 25 days, then one 1.5-mg tablet every 6 hours (two per day) until 12 weeks] or varenicline tablets (following the manufacturer’s dosing regimen). Both groups receive brief stop-smoking advice from the prescribing doctor and withdrawal-orientated behavioural support via community-based stop-smoking counselling services (frequency, duration and mode of delivery tailored for participants) or a research assistant (six weekly 10–15- minute calls). Participants are advised to reduce their smoking over the first 4 days of treatment, with day 5 as their designated quit-date. Measurements The primary outcome is carbon monoxide-verified continuous abstinence at 6 months post-quit date. Secondary outcomes at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months post-quit date include: self-reported continuous abstinence, 7-day point prevalence abstinence, cigarettes per day, time to (re)lapse, adverse events, treatment adherence/compliance, treatment acceptability, nicotine withdrawal/urge to smoke and health-care utilization/health- related quality of life. Comments This trial compares cytisine and varenicline when used by the indigenous people of NZ and their extended family for smoking cessation

UK Large-scale Wind Power Programme from 1970 to 1990: the Carmarthen Bay experiments and the Musgrove Vertical-Axis Turbines

This article describes the development of the Musgrove Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) concept, the UK ‘Carmarthen Bay’ wind turbine test programme, and UK government’s wind power programme to 1990. One of the most significant developments in the story of British wind power occurred during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, with the development of the Musgrove vertical axis wind turbine and its inclusion within the UK Government’s wind turbine test programme. Evolving from a supervisor’s idea for an undergraduate project at Reading University, the Musgrove VAWT was once seen as an able competitor to the horizontal axis wind systems that were also being encouraged at the time by both the UK government and the Central Electricity Generating Board, the then nationalised electricity utility for England and Wales. During the 1980s and 1990s the most developed Musgrove VAWT system, along with three other commercial turbine designs was tested at Carmarthen Bay, South Wales as part of a national wind power test programme. From these developmental tests, operational data was collected and lessons learnt, which were incorporated into subsequent wind power operations.http://dx.doi.org/10.1260/03095240677860621

On Kedlaya type inequalities for weighted means

In 2016 we proved that for every symmetric, repetition invariant and Jensen concave mean $\mathscr{M}$ the Kedlaya-type inequality $$\mathscr{A}\big(x_1,\mathscr{M}(x_1,x_2),\ldots,\mathscr{M}(x_1,\ldots,x_n)\big)\le \mathscr{M} \big(x_1, \mathscr{A}(x_1,x_2),\ldots,\mathscr{A}(x_1,\ldots,x_n)\big)$$ holds for an arbitrary $(x_n)$ ($\mathscr{A}$ stands for the arithmetic mean). We are going to prove the weighted counterpart of this inequality. More precisely, if $(x_n)$ is a vector with corresponding (non-normalized) weights $(\lambda_n)$ and $\mathscr{M}_{i=1}^n(x_i,\lambda_i)$ denotes the weighted mean then, under analogous conditions on $\mathscr{M}$, the inequality $$\mathscr{A}_{i=1}^n \big(\mathscr{M}_{j=1}^i (x_j,\lambda_j),\:\lambda_i\big) \le \mathscr{M}_{i=1}^n \big(\mathscr{A}_{j=1}^i (x_j,\lambda_j),\:\lambda_i\big)$$ holds for every $(x_n)$ and $(\lambda_n)$ such that the sequence $(\frac{\lambda_k}{\lambda_1+\cdots+\lambda_k})$ is decreasing.Comment: J. Inequal. Appl. (2018

Youth Gambling: The health and wellbeing of New Zealand secondary school students in 2012

Gambling has become a widely available activity in today’s society (Hardoon & Derevensky, 2002; Turchi & Derevensky, 2006). In fact, many researchers “have noted that an entire generation has now grown up in an era when lottery and casino gambling is widely available and heavily advertised” (Volberg, Gupta, Griffiths, Ólason, & Delfabbro, 2010, p. 3). Evidence suggests that it has become a popular past-time not only for adults, but also for children and young people (Derevensky & Gupta, 2000; Gupta & Derevensky, 1998a; Hardoon & Derevensky, 2002; Jacobs, 2000; Splevins, Mireskandari, Clayton, & Blaszczynski, 2010; Turchi & Derevensky, 2006). Moreover, research indicates that gambling is one of the first risky activities that adolescents become involved with (i.e. they begin gambling prior to experimentation with alcohol, drugs, sexual behaviour) (Volberg, et al., 2010). Whilst for many youth involvement in gambling does not result in problematic behaviour, others go on to experience serious problems (Dickson, Derevensky, & Gupta, 2003). A vast range of adolescent gambling prevalence studies that have been undertaken over the past 25 years, across different countries, and incorporating general populations as well as youth specifically. Rates of youth problem gambling have often been found to be higher than the rates identified for adults (Huang & Boyer, 2007; Shaffer & Hall, 1996; Welte, Barnes, Tidwell, & Hoffman, 2008; Williams, Page, Parke, & Rigbye, 2008), with some estimating them to be more than double those of adults (Gupta & Derevensky, 1998a; Jackson, Dowling, Thomas, Bond, & Patton, 2008; Lesieur, et al., 1991), or up to three times as high (Rigbye, 2010). However, it has also been recognised that there is far less research in this field compared to that which has explored other youth risk behaviours such as substance use (Blinn-Pike, Worthy, & Jonkman, 2010). The gap in New Zealand-based information regarding prevalence of youth gambling has been identified previously (Bellringer, et al., 2003; Rossen, Tse, & Vaidya, 2009) and in 2003 it was recommended that research be undertaken to measure the involvement of New Zealand youth in gambling as well as associated factors and gambling-related problems (Bellringer, et al., 2003). A limited body of research has since employed various sources of data to consider youth gambling in New Zealand (e.g. Gray, 2010; Ministry of Health, 2008, 2009; Rossen, 2008; Rossen, Butler, & Denny, 2011). An extremely valuable source of information on New Zealand youth is the University of Auckland’s (UoA) National youth health and wellbeing surveys. To date, the UoA’s Adolescent Health Research Group (AHRG) has completed three National youth health and wellbeing surveys. The Youth2000 Survey Series aim to provide nationally representative information on the health and wellbeing of young people attending New Zealand secondary schools. The Survey Series includes a wide range of questions about issues that contribute to the health and wellbeing of young people (such as substance use, injuries and violence, home and family) and allow researchers to take an ecological approach to identifying overall risk and protective factors in young people’s lives. Youth’12, a survey of 8,500 secondary school students throughout New Zealand, is the most recent survey to be undertaken by the AHRG. The inclusion of gambling items in the Youth’12 survey provides a unique opportunity to examine the impacts of gambling and problem gambling on secondary school students throughout New Zealand within an ecological framework. This report was commissioned by the Ministry of Health and begins with a comprehensive review of the local and international youth gambling literature, followed by an overview of the Youth2000 Survey Series and methodology for Youth’12. A thorough analysis of Youth’12 gambling items was undertaken with results being reported under the following eight categories (detailed results for each set of analyses are also provided in the appendices): - Students and their own gambling (Section Five); - Unhealthy gambling amongst students (Section Six); - Attitudes and motivating factors towards gambling (Section Seven); - The impacts of others’ gambling on students (Section Eight); and, - Risk and protective factors for student gambling (Section Nine); - Gambling and Māori taitamariki in Aotearoa (Section 10); - Gambling and Pacific young people in New Zealand (Section 11); and, - Gambling and Asian young people in New Zealand (Section 12). Finally, a discussion chapter provides an overview of the findings and implications

Cytisine versus varenicline for smoking cessation in Māori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) and their extended family: Study protocol for a randomised, non-inferiority trial

Background and aims: Cytisine, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist (like varenicline) found in some plants, is a low-cost, effective smoking cessation medication that may appeal to Māori (the indigenous people of New Zealand [NZ]). The RAUORA trial aims to determine the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of cytisine (Tabex®) versus varenicline (Champix®) for smoking cessation in Māori and whānau [extended family] of Māori. Design: Pragmatic, community-based, open-label randomised non-inferiority trial. Setting: Lakes District Health Board region, NZ. Participants: Daily smokers (n=2,140) who self-identify as Māori or whānau of Māori, and are: aged ≥18 years, motivated to quit smoking in the next two weeks, eligible for subsidised varenicline, able to provide verbal consent, and have daily access to a mobile phone/internet. Recruitment uses multi-media advertising. Intervention and comparator: Participants are randomised (1:1 ratio) to receive a prescription for 12-weeks of cytisine tablets (following the manufacturer's dosing regimen for 25 days, then one 1.5mg tablet every six hours [two per day] until 12 weeks) or varenicline tablets (following the manufacturer's dosing regimen). Both groups receive brief stop-smoking advice from the prescribing doctor and withdrawal-oriented behavioural support via community-based stop-smoking counselling services (frequency, duration and mode of delivery tailored for participants) or a research assistant (six weekly 10-15 minute calls). Participants are advised to reduce their smoking over the first four days of treatment, with day five their designated quit-date. Measurements: The primary outcome is carbon-monoxide verified, continuous abstinence at six months post-quit date. Secondary outcomes at one, three, six and 12 months post-quit date include: self-reported continuous abstinence, 7-day point prevalence abstinence, cigarettes per day, time to (re)lapse, adverse events, treatment adherence/compliance, treatment acceptability, nicotine withdrawal/urge to smoke, and healthcare utilisation/health-related quality of life. Comments: This trial compares cytisine and varenicline when used by the indigenous people of NZ and their extended family for smoking cessation