Options and Recommendations for a Funding Strategy in Vietnam

Vietnam over the last 10-15 years has made enormous gains in poverty reduction. Most people have benefited from high economic growth rates. However, overall it is still a relatively poor country in terms of per capita income and the gap between the poorest and the majority of the population is widening. This report provides an overview on poverty and development in Vietnam. Identified are areas where the Trust can maximise impact within Vietnam. Additionally, recommendations are provided on the next steps for Programme Implementation

Interactions between toothbrush and toothpaste particles during simulated abrasive cleaning

Most people clean their teeth using toothpaste, consisting of abrasive particles in a carrier fluid, and a filament based toothbrush to remove plaque and stain. In order to optimise cleaning efficiency it is important to understand how toothbrush filaments, abrasive particles and fluid interact in a tooth cleaning contact. Work has been carried out to visualise, simulate, and model the processes in teeth cleaning. Laboratory cleaning contacts were created between a toothbrush and a transparent surface. Video and short duration flash photography were used to study the processes by which a toothbrush traps abrasive particles, loads them against the counterface, and removes material. Small abrasive particles tend to be trapped at the contact between the filament tip and the counterface, whilst larger particles are trapped by clumps of filaments or at the contact with the side of a bent filament. Measurements of brush friction force were recorded during cleaning for a range of operating conditions. The presence of abrasive particles in the cleaning mixture increased the coefficient of friction, but the absolute particle concentration showed a lesser effect. It is surmised that only a few particles carry any load and cause any abrasion; increasing the particle concentration does not directly increase the number of load bearing particles. Abrasive scratch tests were also carried out, using PMMA as a wearing substrate. The scratches produced during these tests were studied. The microscopy images were used to deduce how the filaments deflect and drag, and how particles are trapped by filaments and scratch the surface. Again, it was observed that few of the brush filaments loaded particles to produce scratches, and that when a filament changes direction of travel the trapped particle is lost. Results of these studies were used to develop both qualitative and quantitative models of the process by which material is removed in teeth cleaning. The quantitative model contains, by necessity, several empirical factors, but nonetheless predictions compare well with in vitro wear results from the literature. The results were also used to draw some broad conclusions on appropriate brushing techniques for optimum tooth cleaning

Electroantennogram Responses of the Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Cereal Leaf Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) to Volatile Chemicals of Seedling Oats

Armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta, eIectroantennogram (EAG) responses to 10 volatile chemicals of seedling oats and three of injured green plants were significantly different from each other while cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melallopus, EAG responses were not significantly different. The EAG responses of both species did not vary significantly with respect to sex, age, or between the antennae of the same specimen. (E)-2-hexenol, a compound extracted from injured green plants, yielded the highest peak response for the armyworm while more cereal leaf beetle antennae responded to this chemical than any other chemical. Armyworm antennallife averaged 38 + 20 min while those of the cereal leaf beetle averaged 6 + 14 min

The Legacy of Clytemnestra in Homer’s Odyssey

In Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, the author places Clytemnestra in stark opposition to Penelope, the wife of the epic’s hero, Odysseus. Clytemnestra, the wife of King Agamemnon, cheated on her husband and killed him upon his return from the Trojan war; an action that placed her in the category of a ‘bad wife.’ In contrast, Penelope uses her autonomy to stay within the traditional social roles of a good Greek wife. Penelope is compared with Clytemnestra and found equal to her, yet above her in morality – for she never betrays Odysseus. Even though Penelope does not act like Clytemnestra, the consequences of Clytemnestra’s action damage the reputation of not only Penelope but of all women. Despite his trust in Penelope, Odysseus treats her with suspicion until the end of the epic – as if she too may betray him. This paper will explain how the legacy of Clytemnestra’s actions impacted Penelope throughout the rest of the epic. In order to fully contextualize the power of Clytemnestra’s actions, this paper will analyze how the literary representation of women in classical works expressed the belief that women by nature behaved like Clytemnestra. Regardless of the faithfulness of Penelope, she remains under the cloud of a bad wife because all women – even good ones – cannot be trusted. Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled) Faculty Mentor: Benjamin Garstad Department: History &nbsp

Evaluation of a commercially available rapid urinary porphobilinogen test

Background: Demonstration of substantially increased urinary excretion of porphobilinogen is the cornerstone of diagnosing acute porphyria crisis. Because porphobilinogen testing is not implemented on clinical chemistry analysers, respective analyses are available in rather few clinical laboratories. The aim of this study was to critically describe and to evaluate a semi-quantitative rapid test for urinary porphobilinogen determination which is commercially available and recommended by the American Porphyria Foundation. Methods: Urinary samples from patients with acute intermittent porphyria and control samples were analysed and the semi-quantitative results were compared with the results obtained by a manual quantitative spectrophotometric method. Results: In all 32 samples studied, acceptable agreement between the results of the rapid test and the quantitative test was observed. Handling of the test was found to be convenient. Conclusions: The assay was found to be reliable and has the potential to increase the availability of porphobilinogen testing in the field

Integrin affinity modulation and lung cancer

Lung cancer accounts for the most deaths due to cancer in the United Kingdom and yet has historically been one of the most ignored of neoplastic diseases. The work presented in this thesis explores the fundamental processes that govern cell behaviour in the context of lung cancer and contributes to a deeper understanding of this behaviour at a molecular level. The work covers three main areas, centred upon the molecular regulation of integrins, proteins that are the key communicators between a cell and its local environment and which provide powerful signals governing cellular behaviour, including motility, cell survival and proliferation.Recent work has shown that the transmembrane protein CD98 is able to influence the affinity with which ß1 integrins bind to extracellular ligands. The first part of this thesis presents confocal microscopy and co-immunoprecipitation experiments that confirm the physical juxtaposition of the two proteins within the cell membrane, suggesting a direct link between the two, rather than an extensive signalling cascade. It also demonstrated that cross-linking CD98 stimulates both phosphoinositide 3- kinase intracellular signalling and increased ß1 integrin-dependent cellular adhesion. Because of the role of CD98 in integrin affinity modulation, the immunohistochemical expression of CD98 and its ligand, galectin-3, was studied in a variety of human lung diseases including lung cancers. The major finding of this work was a striking distinction between high expression of galectin-3 in non-small cell lung cancer and low expression in small cell lung cancer. This may have significant implications for the differing clinical behaviours of these two groups of cancers. The final section of this thesis returns to describe experiments aimed at defining the molecular regulators of integrin affinity more clearly. A genetic screen of a cDNA library was undertaken to identify candidate genes coding for proteins able to rescue integrins from the low affinity state induced by the small signalling protein H-Ras. This identified a candidate cDNA 480, recognised to be part of a novel gene Nessie, coding for a large protein with multiple transmembrane domains. Both 480 and Nessie appear to have the ability to rescue integrin affinity from H-Ras suppression.This thesis thus moves from the basic molecular science of integrin function to the cellular behaviour of lung cancer cells, both in vitro and in vivo, and back again. The understanding of cellular behaviour is central not just to lung cancer, but to all cancers and it is only through furthering this understanding that significant advances will be made in treating these diseases

Curriculum for the middle school

A book review of A Curriculum for the Middle School Years, by John H. Lounsbury and Gordon E. Vars

Promoting Moral Growth: From Piaget to Kohlberg

A review of Promoting Moral Growth: From Piaget to Kohlberg by Richard H. Hersh, Diana P. Paolitto and Joseph Reimer

An Evaluation of Liquid, Solid, and Grease Lubricants for Space Mechanisms Using a Spiral Orbit Tribometer

We present the findings of the test program performed by The European Space Tribology Laboratory (ESTL) to evaluate the performance (friction and lifetime) of a number of space lubricants under vacuum using a Spiral Orbit Tribometer (SOT). Focus was given to a comparison of various popular space oils, a comparison study between the old and new MAPLUB grease formulations, and the performance of commonly used solid lubricants under various conditions. Tests demonstrated that the lifetimes of hydrocarbon NYE oils 2001 & 2001A outperformed those of the perfluroropolyalkylether (PFPE) oils Fomblin Z25 & Z60, though these pairs displayed similar behavior. This relationship was also generally seen for greases; with the lifetimes of the multiple alkylated cyclopentane (MAC)-based greases being extended in comparison to the PFPE-based greases. Testing on greases also demonstrated similar performance between the old (-a) and new (-b) formulations when considering PFPE-based MAPLUB greases, and indeed for all tested PFPE-based non-MAPLUB greases, but significantly shorter lifetimes for the new formulations when considering MAC-based MAPLUB greases. MAPLUB MAC greases containing molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) thickener were also found to display reduced lifetimes. For solid lubricants, lead displayed significantly extended lifetimes over MoS2, speculated to be caused by redistribution of lead from the ball onto all contact surfaces during the test. Friction coefficients were seen to be some 2.5x higher for lead than for MoS2 under similar conditions, a result that corresponds well with conventional bearing tests. The work described was performed under contract for the European Space Agency as part of the Tribology Applications Program, with all funding for testing and apparatus provided by European Space Agency (ESA)

Limited availability of cardiac rehabilitation for heart failure patients in the United Kingdom: findings from a national survey

Background: Participation of patients with heart failure in cardiac rehabilitation in the UK is low. This study investigated the availability of cardiac rehabilitation services for patients with heart failure in the UK and the views of service coordinators on ideal service models. Design: Our study was a cross-sectional national postal survey that was mailed to 342 service coordinators in the UK between April and June 2009. Methods: We developed a 38-item questionnaire to survey all cardiac rehabilitation service coordinators on theNational Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation register in the UK in 2009. Results: The survey response rate was 71% (244/342). Forty three per cent (105/244) of coordinators did not accept patients with heart failure to their cardiac rehabilitation services. Most coordinators who did accept patients with heart failure offered their services to patients with a variety of cardiac conditions, though referral criteria and models of care varied widely. Services inconsistently used New York Heart Association classes and left ventricular ejection fraction measures to select patients. Few offered separate dedicated heart failure programmes (14%; 33/244) but where these existed they ran for longer than programmes which included patients with heart failure alongside other cardiac patients (10.9 vs 8.5 weeks; F=4.04; p=0.019). Few offered home-based options for patients with heart failure (11%; 27/244). Coordinators accepting patients with heart failure to their cardiac rehabilitation services tended to agree that patients with heart failure should be included in services alongside other cardiac patients (X2=6.2; p=0.013). Conclusions: There is limited access for patients with heart failure to cardiac rehabilitation in the UK. Local policies on referral and selection criteria differ and reflect coordinators views rather than clinical guidance. © The European Society of Cardiology 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav