Genetic Networks Modulating Retinal Injury

Many advances have and are being made with the advent of modern sciences. One area that remains resistant to significant advances is the recovery of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) after injury. Considerable efforts were placed on understanding the cellular and biochemical changes occurring after injury and during wound healing. Aside from cataloging the changes that occur, little progress is being made in understanding the molecular cascades associated with the control of the healing process. The present series of studies define the global changes that occur after injury. They also define CNS repair mechanisms by identifying genetic networks that underlie the temporal changes of retinal wound healing. Gene expression changes in the injured rat retina were analyzed with microarray technology, genetic linkage analysis of gene expression, and higher-level bioinformatic analyses. This work yielded three complementary insights. First, groups of functionally related genes underlie the early, delayed, and sustained responses of wound healing. For example, transcriptional factors such as Fos and Egr1 define the early response, whereas, glial reactive markers such as Gfap and Cd81 define the sustained response. Second, three specific genomic loci modulate coordinated changes in gene expression in mouse brains: regulatory loci on chromosomes 6, 12, and 14. Of the three only the regulatory locus on chromosome 12 specifically modulates the expression of a group of genes involved in early wound-healing events (mainly, the regulation of transcription, differentiation, apoptosis, and proliferation). Third, candidate genes Id2 and Lpin1 are current modulators for the network controlled by the chromosome 12 locus. Higher levels of Id2 and Lpin1 correlated with higher levels of the survival gene Crygd, and with lower levels of acute phase genes Fos and Stat3, reactive gliosis genes Gfap and Cd81, and apoptotic gene Casp3. In this body of work I have moved beyond cataloging changes in the transcriptome to identifying candidate genes modulating the retinal response to injury. During this process I developed an integrated approach of gene expression profiling and higher-level bioinformatic analyses to define genetic networks. This work not only advances our understanding of the molecular networks controlling the CNS response to injury, but may also form the basis for interventions that can rescue injured neurons and re-establish lost CNS connections

Indigenizing Student-Centred Learning: A Western Approach In An Indigenous Educational Institution

This study investigated the alignment of the teaching and learning practices with a student-centred learning approach in an indigenous educational institution. The findings indicated that when a western concept is applied in the classroom, it is vital for it to be culturally relevant and appropriate to the cultural beliefs and values of the students and the institution. In an indigenous learning environment, learning and teaching that acknowledges the learner’s cultural identity is seen as fundamental to their educational success and empowerment. The existent cultural elements of beliefs, values, language, heritage, heredity, perspectives and practices are clearly reinforced. The pedagogical approaches based on an indigenous framework must contextualise the learning experience, building upon students’ background and aspirations. As an indigenous M?ori organisation, Te W?nanga o Aotearoa (TWoA) offers a holistic learning environment and teaching methods where its philosophy, culture and values of M?oritanga (M?ori culture and practices) and M?tauranga M?ori (M?ori knowledge) are strongly espoused

Standardizing the Bedside Shift Report: Improving Communications and Promoting Patient Safety

PROBLEM: Nursing shift reports are integral to nursing as they allow for the transfer of critical information and responsibility of patient care from one nurse to another. Ineffective communication during shift-to-shift reports can contribute to gaps in patient care and breaches in patient safety, including medication errors, falls, and sentinel events. The greatest risk of communication breakdown is during transitions in care. CONTEXT: St. Louise Regional Hospital, a small community hospital, consisting of an eight-bed medical-surgical intensive care unit lacked structure in how handoff should occur and had variances in shift handoffs. Observation of the shift handoff at the nurses’ station revealed many communication gaps that have shown negative impacts on patient safety and outcomes. The improvement project described in this paper focused on evidence-based practices that support the benefits of bedside shift and implementations of standardized handoff tools. INTERVENTION: Intervention included an education in-service for unit managers, educational coordinators, and staff nurses to emphasize the important benefits of bedside shift report. MEASURES: The three components for evaluating improvement include outcome, process, and balancing measures to determine whether the improvement project has had the desired impact. The outcome measure expected to yield the following: direct observation of nurses during bedside report to calculate how often is being done, monitor for decrease in overtime due to more efficient shift-to-shift bedside reports, and a review of risk management reports observing for effect on the number and severity of medication errors. RESULTS: The outcome measure is to increase the nurses’ compliance with bedside shift report in the intensive care unit to at least 80% within six months of implementation. CONCLUSION: With the proposed change, bedside shift report will addresses all the safety hazards by reducing adverse events, such as medical errors, patient falls at shift change, and sentinel events. Bedside shift report improves patient safety, enhances the quality of care, improves patient and nurse satisfaction, decrease unnecessary healthcare expenditure, and saves time

Lineamientos para el plan de gestión integral de residuos sólidos en la explotación de carbón de la mina el volcán en el municipio de Sutatausa

El objetivo de este proyecto es caracterizar mediante los lineamientos de gestión de residuos sólidos, todos aquellos residuos que son generados por las actividades de explotación minera de carbón. Se realiza mediante tres fases, En la primera fase se realizó la evaluación documental existente, la segunda fase se realiza el diagnóstico que nos da el marco de referencia del estado actual de la mina el volcán, Sutatausa y se identifican los residuos sólidos generados por la actividad minera y finalmente se caracterizó y propuso una buena disposición y manejo integral de los residuos sólidos como una herramienta importante para eliminar el impacto ambiental generado por las actividades de la mina.The objective of this project is to characterize by the guidelines of solid waste management, waste those that are generated by the activities of coal mining. It is done through three phases The first phase was conducted existing documentary assessment, the second phase is the diagnosis that gives us the framework of the current state of the mine the volcano, Sutatausa and identify the solid waste generated by the mining activity and finally characterized and proposed a willingness and integrated management of solid waste as an important tool to eliminate the environmental impact caused by the activities of the mine

A study of the production of thorium nitrate

The purpose of this investigation was to study the various methods of producing Thorium Nitrate from monozite sand. This investigation includes a study of the Chemistry of Thorium and estimation of the Thorium Oxide content of monozite sand obtained from North Carolina --Introduction, page 1

Dynamics of 3rd Industrial Revolution and Capacity Upgradation in Hospitality & Service Industry

The World business scenario is ever changing & any formula which was known to be ultimate  this may & may not be of any use. But the hospitality industry need to update it's presentation with the change of the individual customer expectations. The use of the age old principals of the Consumer Behavior is vital to understand the customer expectations. Also the indicators of the Consumer Behavior understanding help the marketers to plan their marketing in line of the customer expectations

Controlling Your Own Story Using a Digital Identity Solution: Creation Of Economic Identity for Financial Inclusion and Protection

An economic identity that we take for granted in many developed countries is often elusive for large segments of the population who are at risks or under political oppression. These segments are often physically located in geographical jurisdiction that are politically unstable and are not connected to conventional banking infrastructure and have little means to access or afford financial services that some of us take for granted. Therefore, in this research proposal, we posit that the starting point of activating one’s digital identity and the subsequent creation of an economy identity is the proper management of the elements of their life stories associated with their identity. We are thus interested in exploring the design principles underlying a digital identity solution (DIS) built on a decentralized blockchain that would bestow upon the individual the affordances to curate, manage, and formulate their life stories through the mechanisms of the narrative persuasion theory for an optimal economic identity

Účinky psilocybinu na konsolidaci paměti u potkana

Psychedelika jsou v současné době intenzivně zkoumána pro svůj dlouho trvající antidepresivní účinek, pozitivní vliv na úzkosti, náladu a neuroplasticitu. Mechanismus, kterým však tyto účinky způsobují je i nadále málo vysvětlen. V této práci jsme se zaměřili na aspekt jejich působení, který byl doposud téměř neprozkoumán. Je jím potenciální provázanost působení psilocybinu a vlivu spánku na konsolidaci paměti. Tvorba paměti je u zvířat i lidí velmi zásadně ovlivněna kvalitou spánku, což nás vedlo k tomu zhodnotit tyto účinky pomocí prostorových paměťových úloh. Naší hypotézou bylo, že dávka psilocybinu aplikovaná po učení by mohla mít pozitivní vliv na konsolidaci takto vzniklé paměti u potkana. Abychom určili, zda-li existuje nějaká interakce se spánkem, podrobili jsme potkany různým kombinacím aplikace psilocybinu a kontrolního vehiklu se spánkem a spánkovou deprivací. Výsledky behaviourálních úloh nepotvrdily, že by k takové interakci docházelo. Dále jsem se zabývali také vlivem psilocybinu a manipulace se spánkem na neuroplasticitu. Sledovali jsme expresi časného raného genu, Arc proteinu, a markeru nevyspělých neuronů doublecortinu v hippokampu. Exprese doublecortinu nebyla ovlivněna žádným z faktorů, nicméně exprese Arc proteinu měla v případě zvířat, která obdržela psilocybin a mohla v...Psychedelics are currently being researched due to their long-lasting antidepressant, anxiolytic and neuroplasticity inducing actions. The mechanism by which they induce these effects remains poorly understood. Here, we decided to investigate a relatively unexplored possibility. A potential interaction of psilocybin administration and sleep and their combined effects on memory consolidation. Memory formation in animals and humans is greatly influenced by sleep manipulation which led us to assess the possibility with spatial memory tasks. We hypothesized that acute psilocybin administration after learning may have a beneficial influence on memory consolidation in rats. To determine whether an interaction with sleep exists we also subjected the rats to combinations of psilocybin and control vehicle with normal sleep and sleep deprivation. Our data did not suggest such an interaction exists. Secondly, we tried to find out if psilocybin and sleep manipulation leads to changes in neuroplasticity-related events. A process that could very likely be the basis of such a proposed beneficial effect. For this purpose, we analysed the expression of the immediate-early gene Arc and the immature neuron marker doublecortin in the rat hippocampus. Doublecortin's expression was not influenced by any of the factors....Department of PhysiologyKatedra fyziologieFaculty of SciencePřírodovědecká fakult

The shortage-surplus paradox : a literature review of primary health care accessibility

The National Primary Health Care Strategy in Australia recommends primary health care services need to be clinically and culturally appropriate and delivered in a timely and affordable manner. However simultaneously recognised, access is still inequitable in among various population groups and many areas of Australia. Geographical Information System (GIS) have been used to explore geographical health disparities, planning health care service delivery and provide data in a meaningful way to inform public health strategies. Moreover, GIS has also been used to spatially analyse, measure and provide insight into a population’s accessibility to health care services. A literature search was conducted to identify studies which examined primary health care accessibility using GIS techniques among various urban and rural populations. A limited number of studies demonstrated in addition to distance; time; and location, low socioeconomic status, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) background among other factors influences health care access. In addition, other factors were identified to impact health care access, which is an individualised process, influenced by individual characteristics, beliefs, attitudes, and an individual’s activity space. As health care accessibility becomes more prominent within policy, among practitioners and increasingly researched, it has the potential to move beyond recognising areas of poor accessibility among individuals and communities. With a greater integration of both spatial and aspatial data, the process has the likelihood, to provide greater insight into patient behaviour, public perception, amelioration service quality and improve population health and wellbeing