Bat habitat use of restored jarrah eucalypt forests in south-western Australia

Restoration is an important tool in conserving biodiversity, yet passive faunal recolonisation may take decades, or longer, to occur. This is of particular conservation importance in biodiversity hotspots, such as south@western Australia, which are experiencing increasing fragmentation and rapidly drying climates. Within this hotspot, I investigated the response of nine insectivorous tree@dwelling bat species to restored mine@pits in jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forests. I assessed bat activity in restored, relative to unmined, forests and the suitability of restoration as foraging and roosting habitat. Bat echolocation call surveys measured bat activity in varying ages of restoration and unmined forest across two years (2010@2012) during both maternity and mating seasons. Although all bat species were detected in both forest types, restored mine@pits of all ages had significantly different bat communities and lower overall activity compared to unmined forest. Habitat filters to bat use of restoration were evident for the more manoeuvrable bat species and were predominantly related to midstorey forest structure. Tree density was the most important predictor of bat use of restoration for less manoeuvrable bat species. To determine the suitability of restored forest as foraging habitat I investigated the diet of three species (Chalinolobus gouldii, Nyctophilus gouldi and Vespadelus regulus) over maternity and mating seasons (2010/2011) by examining prey remains in faecal samples. I used high@throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analyses to phylogenetically group prey DNA and found that niche partitioning occurred, with dietary divergence positively related to bat ecomorphological divergence. In addition, I assessed the foraging potential of restored forest and found that prey occurrence did not necessarily equate to prey accessibility for all bat species. There was a synergistic effect of vegetation structure and insect biomass for edge foraging bat species. To determine the suitability of restoration as roosting habitat I used telemetry to radio@track 36 bats from two species (N. gouldi and V. regulus) to 59 distinct roosts. Not one bat was found roosting in restored forest and individuals preferred roosting in mature, tall trees in intermediate to late stages of decay. My research clearly shows that restored forest does not yet provide suitable foraging or roosting habitat for all jarrah forest bats. Improving habitat suitability through management manipulations, such as thinning and burning, may accelerate bat recolonisation of restored forest. In the interim, retention of mature forest patches is necessary for conserving and maintaining bat populations across restored landscapes

Osebnostna izraznost ravnatelja v funkciji managementa človeških virov na področju vzgoje in izobraževanja

The article presents results of a research carried out among primary school teachers with a purpose of finding out the principal’s personality characteristics and types of personalities, which are expected and accepted by teachers. In this research average values of separate characteristics and personality types, through which the need for abandoning the traditional views is proved, were graded. These traditional views are obstructing the changes and achievement of the correct balance among the goals, needs and the personality expression of the principal, which is interfering into mutual relations with teachers, who are the key educational programme performers. It should point out the possible changes of carrying out manager tasks in an educational institution. It was established that teachers want a personality of highly emotional intelligence, having the key characteristics as: audio and oral communication skills, the ability of accommodation and creative response, self control, confidence, endurance and attitude towards a meaningful, goal centred function, effective cooperation and team work with proactive communication. This is the management which could release professional and personality potential of each individual and offer direct movement towards goal centred function and responsibility, which will be constructive according to the content and time, coordinated with expected results of all process participantsV članku predstavljam rezultate raziskave, ki je bila narejena med osnovnošolskimi učitelji z namenom, da bi ugotovil, katere osebnostne lastnosti in preko njih tipi osebnosti so tisti, ki jih sprejemajo oz. pričakujejo učitelji od oz. za ravnatelja. Z raziskavo sem ocenil povprečne vrednosti posameznih lastnosti in tipe osebnosti, preko katerih bi dokazal potrebo po opuščanju tradicionalnih pogledov, ki utesnjujejo spremembe in uveljavljanje ustreznega ravnotežja med cilji, potrebami in osebnostnim izrazom ravnatelja, ki vstopa v soodvisni odnos z učitelji kot ključnimi izvajalci vzgojno-izobraževalnega programa. Želim pokazati na možne spremembe izvajanja managerskih funkcij v vzgojno-izobraževalnem zavodu. Ugotavljam, da si učitelji želijo ravnatelje kot osebnost z visoko čustveno inteligentnostjo, katere ključne lastnosti so: lastnosti poslušanja in besednega sporazumevanja, lastnosti sposobnosti prilagajanja in ustvarjalnega odzivanja, lastnosti obvladovanja sebe, lastnosti zaupljivosti, vztrajnosti in usmerjenosti proti smiselno ciljnemu delovanju, lastnosti učinkovitega sodelovanja in timskega dela s proaktivno komunikacijo. To je management, ki bi sprostil strokovni in osebnosti potencial posameznika in nudil direkten premik k ciljnemu delovanju in samoodgovornosti, ki bo kvaliteten po vsebini in času ter usklajen s pričakovanimi rezultati vseh udeležencev procesa

Intravascular ultrasound aids in the performance of endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm

AbstractPurpose: The purpose of this retrospective review was to assess the accuracy of aortic measurements with intravascular ultrasound scan (IVUS) compared with computed tomographic (CT) scan and to assess the role of IVUS in the performance of endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Methods: Seventy-eight patients undergoing repair of AAA with the AneuRx stent graft (Medtronic AVE, Inc, Santa Rosa, Calif) underwent measurement with CT scan and IVUS. The initial selection of stent graft size was made on the basis of the CT scan measurements, but the final decision for size was made on the basis of the IVUS measurements. Standard measurements of a phantom tube obtained with IVUS, CT scan, and digital caliper were also compared. Results: IVUS measurements of the phantom standard agreed closely with CT scan measurements. However, stent graft size initially selected with CT measurement was altered in 28% of cases on the basis of intraoperative IVUS measurements. No type I endoleaks were encountered in our series, and no aortic cuffs were necessary for endoleak repair. Conclusion: IVUS accurately measures the aorta for selection of stent grafts for endovascular repair of AAA and may prevent type I endoleaks and remedial procedures for their repair. (J Vasc Surg 2003;37:615-8

Medosebna vloga ravnatelja - managerja v procesu dela in funkciji humanistično-antropocentričnega managementa človeških virov

The paper represents principal's interacting role and definition of key factors in the process of work and function of humanistic – antrophocentrical management. The essence is humanization of management, where principal - manager assume more roles: cooperational, research and development, coordination – integrational, advisory, organizational and active strategic role. The model of principal's interacting in the process of work and function of humanistic – antrophocentrical management in education area is represented.Prispevek se osredotoča na medosebno vlogo ravnatelja in definiranje ključnih dejavnikov v procesu dela in funkciji humanistično – antropocentričnega managementa. Pri tem je ključnega pomena humanizacija managementa, kjer ravnatelj – manager prevzema več vlog: sodelovalna, razvojno – raziskovalna, koordinacijska – povezovalna, svetovalna, organizacijska ter vloga aktivnega stratega. Predstavljen je model medsebojne vloge ravnatelja v funkciji humanistično-antropocentričnega managementa človeških virov na področju vzgoje in izobraževanja

Identification and characterization of an inhibitory fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) molecule, up-regulated in an Apert Syndrome mouse model

AS (Apert syndrome) is a congenital disease composed of skeletal, visceral and neural abnormalities, caused by dominant-acting mutations in FGFR2 [FGF (fibroblast growth factor) receptor 2]. Multiple FGFR2 splice variants are generated through alternative splicing, including PTC (premature termination codon)-containing transcripts that are normally eliminated via the NMD (nonsense-mediated decay) pathway. We have discovered that a soluble truncated FGFR2 molecule encoded by a PTC-containing transcript is up-regulated and persists in tissues of an AS mouse model. We have termed this IIIa–TM as it arises from aberrant splicing of FGFR2 exon 7 (IIIa) into exon 10 [TM (transmembrane domain)]. IIIa–TM is glycosylated and can modulate the binding of FGF1 to FGFR2 molecules in BIAcore-binding assays. We also show that IIIa–TM can negatively regulate FGF signalling in vitro and in vivo. AS phenotypes are thought to result from gain-of-FGFR2 signalling, but our findings suggest that IIIa–TM can contribute to these through a loss-of-FGFR2 function mechanism. Moreover, our findings raise the interesting possibility that FGFR2 signalling may be a regulator of the NMD pathway

The RiceWrist: A distal upper extremity rehabilitation robot for stroke therapy

ABSTRACT This paper presents the design and kinematics of a four degree-of-freedom uppe

Bilateral Assessment of Functional Tasks for Robot-assisted Therapy Applications

This article presents a novel evaluation system along with methods to evaluate bilateral coordination of arm function on activities of daily living tasks before and after robot-assisted therapy. An affordable bilateral assessment system (BiAS) consisting of two mini-passive measuring units modeled as three degree of freedom robots is described. The process for evaluating functional tasks using the BiAS is presented and we demonstrate its ability to measure wrist kinematic trajectories. Three metrics, phase difference, movement overlap, and task completion time, are used to evaluate the BiAS system on a bilateral symmetric (bi-drink) and a bilateral asymmetric (bi-pour) functional task. Wrist position and velocity trajectories are evaluated using these metrics to provide insight into temporal and spatial bilateral deficits after stroke. The BiAS system quantified movements of the wrists during functional tasks and detected differences in impaired and unimpaired arm movements. Case studies showed that stroke patients compared to healthy subjects move slower and are less likely to use their arm simultaneously even when the functional task requires simultaneous movement. After robot-assisted therapy, interlimb coordination spatial deficits moved toward normal coordination on functional tasks

Leberjeva hereditarna optična nevropatija – pregled bolezni z analizo prisotnosti v Sloveniji

Leberjeva hereditarna optična nevropatija (LHON) je redka dedna mitohondrijska bolezen, ki povzroča slepoto najpogosteje pri mladih odraslih. Navadno se izrazi kot subakutna, neboleča izguba vida na eno oko, ki ji sledi poslabšanje vida drugega očesa v nekaj tednih do mesecih. Bolezen večinoma pušča trajne posledice, le pri nekaterih bolnikih lahko v redkih primerih pride do delnega spontanega izboljšanja vida. Razmerje med moškimi in ženskimi bolniki se ocenjuje na 3 : 1. V zadnjih letih je z razvojem zdravilne učinkovine idebenone možno podporno farmakološko zdravljenje, ki lahko prispeva k delnemu izboljšanju vidne funkcije. Bolezen zaradi svoje redkosti velikokrat ostane ne- ali napačno diagnosticirana. V članku predstavljamo štiri klinične primere bolnikov, pri katerih se je po obsežnem in dolgotrajnem diagnosticiranju izkazalo, da imajo LHON. Od leta 1996 se v Sloveniji vodi baza bolnikov z redkimi dednimi očesnimi boleznimi. Na tej podlagi je ocenjena prevalenca LHON 1/72.000. Ob sumu na bolezen so ključni družinska anamneza slabovidnosti po materini strani, genetsko testiranje in napotitev na obravnavo ter zdravljenje v terciarno ustanovo