Locality-preserving allocations Problems and coloured Bin Packing

We study the following problem, introduced by Chung et al. in 2006. We are given, online or offline, a set of coloured items of different sizes, and wish to pack them into bins of equal size so that we use few bins in total (at most $\alpha$ times optimal), and that the items of each colour span few bins (at most $\beta$ times optimal). We call such allocations $(\alpha, \beta)$-approximate. As usual in bin packing problems, we allow additive constants and consider $(\alpha,\beta)$ as the asymptotic performance ratios. We prove that for \eps>0, if we desire small $\alpha$, no scheme can beat (1+\eps, \Omega(1/\eps))-approximate allocations and similarly as we desire small $\beta$, no scheme can beat (1.69103, 1+\eps)-approximate allocations. We give offline schemes that come very close to achieving these lower bounds. For the online case, we prove that no scheme can even achieve $(O(1),O(1))$-approximate allocations. However, a small restriction on item sizes permits a simple online scheme that computes (2+\eps, 1.7)-approximate allocations

Fucus distichus L. and related species in the British Isles in relation to sea temperature change

Seawater temperature rise may have adverse effects on Fucus species in the British Isles with changes in distribution, abundance or loss of northern species. The use of the F. distichus complex as an indicator of sea temperature rise is investigated. Plants were cultured at 5, 10 and 15ºC to investigate the temperature tolerances in both juvenile and adult life stages of various Fucus species and taxa from different geographic locations. Head, rhizoid and total length of germlings were measured. Surface area, wet (fresh) weight, photosynthesis and respiration measurements were taken for apical tips of adult plants. Extra growth, regeneration and formation of receptacles was noted. Phenotypic variations between populations of the subspecies anceps from Scotland and Ireland were examined. Germlings of Orkney species F. distichus subsp. anceps, F. serratus, F. spiralis and F. vesiculosus grew best at 15ºC; F. vesiculosus var. linearis initially best at 15ºC, changing thereafter to 10ºC; F. spiralis f. nanus grew best at 5ºC. F. distichus subsp. anceps from Ireland grew best at 10ºC. In Orkney adult plants optimum temperature for growth was 15ºC for anceps and serratus, 10ºC and 15ºC for spiralis, vesiculosus, nanus and linearis. In Ireland populations, adult plants of anceps and linearis showed a similar response to temperature with no optimum temperature preference for growth. F. distichus subsp. edentatus from Moray Firth grew best at 5ºC. No temperature preference was noted for edentatus from Shetland. In serratus, spiralis and vesiculosus from South Queensferry, Firth of Forth, only spiralis showed a temperature preference, at 10ºC. Formation of receptacles, new growth and regeneration was present on apical tips of Orkney anceps cultivated at 5ºC. Reproductive tips were noted at temperatures of 5, 10, 15ºC in Ireland anceps. Key findings were: The effects of different temperatures on growth rates of head, rhizoid or both and total length varied between Fucus species and within species. Ecophysiological preferences may be different between the geographically different populations of anceps and linearis from Orkney and Ireland. Populations of anceps from Scotland and Ireland showed no evidence of two discrete phenotypic entities. However differences were seen with respect to size and form and aspects of reproduction with smaller oogonia in anceps from Ireland. The use of the subsp. anceps from Ireland as an indicator of climate change and sea temperature rise in the British Isles seems appropriate. In Britain, increased sea temperatures may not directly determine the distribution of the subsp. edentatus, distribution possibly determined by nutrient enrichment in seawater and/or daylength. There is little evidence to suggest that sea temperature rise and climate change will have any immediate effect on the distribution of the other Fucus species investigated

Three-dimensional structure of human serum albumin

The binding locations to human serum albumin (HSA) of several drug molecules were determined at low resolution using crystallographic methods. The principal binding sites are located within subdomains IIA and IIIA. Preliminary studies suggest that an approach to increasing the in vivo efficacy of drugs which are rendered less effective or ineffective by virtue of their interaction with HSA, would be the use of competitive displacement in drug therapies and/or the development of a general inhibitor to the site within subdomain IIIA. These findings also suggest that the facilitated transfer of various ligands across organ/circulatory interfaces such as liver, kidney, and brain may be associated with binding to the IIIA subdomain

The Effect of a Sustained High-Fat Diet on the Metabolism of White and Brown Adipose Tissue and Its Impact on Insulin Resistance: A Selected Time Point Cross-Sectional Study.

(1) Background: studies on the long-term dynamic changes in fat depot metabolism in response to a high-fat diet (HFD) on hepatic lipid deposition and insulin resistance are sparse. This study investigated the dynamic changes produced by HFD and the production of dysfunctional fat depots on insulin resistance and liver lipid metabolism. (2) Methods: mice fed a chow or HFD (45% kcal fat) diet had three fat depots, liver, and blood collected at 6, 10, 20, and 30 weeks. Anthropometric changes and gene markers for adipogenesis, thermogenesis, ECM remodeling, inflammation, and tissue insulin resistance were measured. (3) Results: early responses to the HFD were increased body weight, minor deposition of lipid in liver, increased adipocyte size, and adipogenesis. Later changes were dysfunctional adipose depots, increased liver fat, insulin resistance (shown by changes in ITT) accompanied by increased inflammatory markers, increased fibrosis (fibrosis > 2-fold, p < 0.05 from week 6), and the presence of crown cells in white fat depots. Later, changes did not increase thermogenic markers in response to the increased calories and decreased UCP1 and PRDM16 proteins in WAT. (4) Conclusions: HFD feeding initially increased adipocyte diameter and number, but later changes caused adipose depots to become dysfunctional, restricting adipose tissue expansion, changing the brown/beige ratios in adipose depots, and causing ectopic lipid deposition and insulin resistance

A comparison of nursing tasks undertaken by regulated nurses and nursing support workers: a work sampling study

© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Aims: The aim of this study was to determine which tasks unregulated nursing support staff spend their work time undertaking and to determine differences between the work undertaken by licensed/regulated nurses on units which have nursing support workers and those on units which do not. Background: Acute hospital nursing teams often include nursing support staff; little is known about what kinds of tasks these unregulated support workers do and how it affects the work tasks of their licensed/regulated team members. Design: Cross-sectional analysis of nurse work sampling data. Methods: Data collection took place between March–October 2013. The proportion of time spent on 25 work activities by nursing support staff and licensed/regulated nursing staff was compared. Logistic regression models estimated whether nursing support staff or licensed/regulated nurses were more likely to conduct direct and indirect patient care tasks and whether licensed/regulated nurses on units with nursing support staff were more likely to conduct direct or indirect tasks compared with those on units without nursing support workers. Results: Nursing support staff spent the majority of their time engaged in direct care tasks, e.g. admission and assessment, hygiene and mobility. Although licensed/regulated nurses were less likely to undertake direct care tasks compared with support workers, those who worked on units with support workers undertook more direct care compared with those who worked on units without support workers. Conclusions: Nursing support workers were given tasks that required substantial amounts of patient interaction. These staff may be associated with an increase in direct care tasks for licensed/regulated nurses, who may duplicate the direct care done by nursing support workers

Uncovering the Disconnect Between Nursing Workforce Policy Intentions, Implementation, and Outcomes: Lessons Learned From the Addition of a Nursing Assistant Role

© The Author(s) 2019. The use of nursing assistants has increased across health systems in the past 20 years, to alleviate licensed nurses' workload and to meet rising health care demands at lower costs. Evidence suggests that, when used as a substitute for licensed nurses, assistants are associated with poorer patient and nurse outcomes. Our multimethods study evaluated the impact of a policy to add nursing assistants to existing nurse staffing in Western Australia's public hospitals, on a range of outcomes. In this article, we draw the metainferences from previously published quantitative data and unpublished qualitative interview data. A longitudinal analysis of patient records found significantly higher rates adverse patient outcomes on wards that introduced nursing assistants compared with wards that did not. These findings are explained with ward-level data that show nursing assistants were added to wards with preexisting workload and staffing problems and that those problems persisted despite the additional resources. There were also problems integrating assistants into the nursing team, due to ad hoc role assignments and variability in assistants' knowledge and skills. The disconnect between policy intention and outcomes reflects a top-down approach to role implementation where assistants were presented as a solution to nurses' workload problems, without an understanding of the causes of those problems. We conclude that policy makers and managers must better understand individual care environments to ensure any new roles are properly tailored to patient and staff needs. Further, standardized training and accreditation for nursing assistant roles would reduce the supervisory burden on licensed nurses

Tattoo ink nanoparticles in skin tissue and fibroblasts

YesTattooing has long been practised in various societies all around the world and is becoming increasingly common and widespread in the West. Tattoo ink suspensions unquestionably contain pigments composed of nanoparticles, i.e., particles of sub-100 nm dimensions. It is widely acknowledged that nanoparticles have higher levels of chemical activity than their larger particle equivalents. However, assessment of the toxicity of tattoo inks has been the subject of little research and ink manufacturers are not obliged to disclose the exact composition of their products. This study examines tattoo ink particles in two fundamental skin components at the nanometre level. We use atomic force microscopy and light microscopy to examine cryosections of tattooed skin, exploring the collagen fibril networks in the dermis that contain ink nanoparticles. Further, we culture fibroblasts in diluted tattoo ink to explore both the immediate impact of ink pigment on cell viability and also to observe the interaction between particles and the cells

Operation of EMEP ‘supersites’ in the United Kingdom. Annual report for 2008.

As part of its commitment to the UN-ECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution the United Kingdom operates two ‘supersites’ reporting data to the Co-operative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-range Transmission of Air Pollutants in Europe (EMEP). This report provides the annual summary for 2008, the second full calendar year of operation of the first EMEP ‘supersite’ to be established in the United Kingdom. Detailed operational reports have been submitted to Defra every 3 months, with unratified data. This annual report contains a summary of the ratified data for 2008. The EMEP ‘supersite’ is located in central southern Scotland at Auchencorth (3.2oW, 55.8oN), a remote rural moorland site ~20 km south-west of Edinburgh. Monitoring operations started formally on 1 June 2006. In addition to measurements made specifically under this contract, the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology also acts as local site operator for measurements made under other UK monitoring networks: the Automated Urban and Rural Network (AURN), the UK Eutrophication and Acidification Network (UKEAP), the UK Hydrocarbons Network, and the UK Heavy Metals Rural Network. Some measurements were also made under the auspices of the ‘Air Pollution Deposition Processes’ contract. All these associated networks are funded by Defra. This report summarises the measurements made between January and December 2008, and presents summary statistics on average concentrations. The site is dominated by winds from the south-west, but wind direction data highlight potential sources of airborne pollutants (power stations, conurbations). The average diurnal patterns of gases and particles are consistent with those expected for a remote rural site. The frequency distributions are presented for data where there was good data capture throughout the whole period. Some components (e.g. black carbon) show log-normal frequency distributions, while other components (e.g. ozone) have more nearly normal frequency distributions. A case study is presented for a period in June 2008, showing the influence of regional air pollutants at this remote rural site. All the data reported under the contract are shown graphically in the Appendix

Changes to nurses’ practice environment over time

© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Aims: To examine changes in the nursing practice environment, retention-related factors, unit stability and patient care tasks delayed or left undone, over two periods between 2004 and 2013. Background: Positive nurse practice environments have been linked to nurse retention and care quality outcomes. Methods: The collection of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, job satisfaction, intent to leave, unit instability and tasks delayed or not done at six acute-care hospitals across three Australian states, in two waves between 2004 and 2013; results from the two waves are compared. Results: On average, practice environment scores declined slightly; nurses reported a greater difficulty in finding another nursing position, lower intent to leave their current job and greater instability in their current position. Rates of delayed tasks increased over the period, whereas rates of tasks left undone have decreased over the period. Conclusions: The decline in nurses’ perceptions of the quality of the practice environment is disappointing, particularly given the protracted workforce shortages that have persisted. Significant organisational restructuring and turnover of nurse executives may have contributed to this decline. Implication for Nursing Management: Managers need to apply existing evidence to improve nurse practice environments and manage instability