Regulation of Fgf10 gene expression in the prostate

Fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10) is a mesenchymal paracrine-acting factor that stimulates epithelial growth and is involved in the development of several branched organs, including the lungs, lachrymal glands and prostate. During branching morphogenesis in the lung, FGF10 is expressed in discrete areas of mesenchyme juxtaposed to branching epithelial tips. It has been proposed that paracrine factors produced in the epithelium and by differentiated stroma, such as sonic hedgehog (SHH) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFbetal) regulate the discrete expression pattern of FGF10. In the prostate, FGF10 expression is also confined to the mesenchyme that surrounds growing epithelial buds. In the prostate it has been proposed that FGF10 is involved in prostatic induction and epithelial branching morphogenesis. However, little is known about how FgflO is regulated in the prostate, and the aim of this thesis was to investigate some of these regulatory mechanisms. This was done by developing a primary mesenchymal cell system in which to study FgflO regulation; investigating how TGFbetal and testosterone affect FgflO transcript expression in prostate cells and organs, and analysing the FgflO promoter. In addition the effects of TGFbetal on prostate growth were assessed to determine if TGFbetal might have opposing effects to that of FGF10.A primary stromal cell system, derived from the Ventral Mesenchymal Pad (VMP) was established and characterised. The VMP is a condensed area of mesenchyme found in both males and females that is required for prostatic induction in males, and is known to express FgflO. After the first passage in vitro, primary VMP cells (VMPC) became larger and their growth rate slowed, suggesting that primary VMPC senesced after being plated out. VMPC maintained expression of FgflO, Tgfbetal, 2, and 3 transcripts at levels similar to those in the VMP in vivo. VMPC also expressed androgen receptor but did not show androgen responsive growth in vitro. It was concluded that primary VMPC were a good cellular system in which to study the regulation of FgflO gene expression, and were used on their first passage

Dependability analysis of parallel systems using a simulation-based approach

The analysis of dependability in large, complex, parallel systems executing real applications or workloads is examined in this thesis. To effectively demonstrate the wide range of dependability problems that can be analyzed through simulation, the analysis of three case studies is presented. For each case, the organization of the simulation model used is outlined, and the results from simulated fault injection experiments are explained, showing the usefulness of this method in dependability modeling of large parallel systems. The simulation models are constructed using DEPEND and C++. Where possible, methods to increase dependability are derived from the experimental results. Another interesting facet of all three cases is the presence of some kind of workload of application executing in the simulation while faults are injected. This provides a completely new dimension to this type of study, not possible to model accurately with analytical approaches

ATLS-stowage and deployment testing of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals

The objective is to evaluate stowage and deployment methods for the Health Maintenance Facility (HMF) during microgravity. The specific objectives of this experiment are: (1) to evaluate the stowage and deployment mechanisms for the medical supplies; and (2) to evaluate the procedures for performing medical scenarios. To accomplish these objectives, the HMF test mini-racks will contain medical equipment mounted in the racks; and self-contained drawers with various mechanisms for stowing and deploying items. The medical supplies and pharmaceuticals will be destowed, handled, and restowed. The in-flight test procedures and other aspects of the KC-135 parabolic flight test to simulate weightlessness are presented

Attributing responsibility for energy justice: a case study of the Hinkley Point Nuclear Complex

Since 2006, as part of the transition to low-carbon technologies, UK energy policy has moved towards incentivising new nuclear power production. As a result, the UK has developed a (now delayed) strategy to deliver around 16 GW of new nuclear power by 2030. This policy context provides an opportunity to reflect not only on the material infrastructure needed to meet transition targets, but also on who is responsible for the energy justice implications of these decisions. Using data collected from 26 semi-structured interviews with NGO and policy representatives, this paper presents a case study of energy justice concerns surrounding the Hinkley Point Nuclear Complex in Somerset, focusing particularly on the highly controversial Hinkley Point C developments. The results emphasise the importance of considering not only instances of energy justice or injustice, but of attributing responsibility for them, a concept that has been largely overlooked in the energy justice literature. NGOs, government and business allocate responsibility differently in nuclear energy decision-making. We find that perceptions of responsibility are highly dependent upon the level of transparency in decision-making. This article is part of a Virtual Special Issue entitled 'Exploring the Energy Justice Nexus'

Benchmarking of Flexibility and Needs - 2000

ITRC interviewed irrigation district personnel from 60 agricultural districts representing approximately 91% of the irrigated acreage within the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation’s (USBR) Mid-Pacific Region. Data were analyzed to determine the degree of water delivery flexibility provided to farmers and the extent of existing and planned district modernization. The interview process defined needs for direct technical assistance and training. These needs varied by district and area in California. The Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC) concluded that training programs should incorporate some common classes using the Water Delivery Facility and other resources located on campus at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, in addition to small specialized training efforts customized for single or small groups of districts. The data also indicated that more Rapid Appraisal Process (RAP) visits are needed to determine possible physical and managerial improvements (modernization and efficiency) for districts to accommodate the ever-changing needs of the consumers. Direct technical assistance to individual districts has been and will continue to be a key element of continuing success in modernization. This report summarizes the results and provides brief comments on various aspects of those results

Pastoral Leaders’ Perception of Obesity and Their Role Within Faith-Based Organizations

The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of pastoral leaders regarding obesity and health within faith-based organizations (FBOs). In this study, the authors focused on gaining additional insight regarding how pastoral leaders conceptualize and make sense of their roles in terms of health promotion within FBOs. Utilizing a qualitative research methodological approach, specifically Qualitative Description, authors administered a qualitative survey to 12 participants which yielded three emerging themes: (1) perceived scope, (2) understanding and use of resources, and (3) defining obesity through pastoral leaders’ perspectives. In the study, investigators discuss clinical implications and provide recommendations

What makes local energy projects acceptable? Probing the connection between ownership structures and community acceptance

Funding: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (752-2019-0520), Rothermere Foundation, Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund, University of St Andrews.Community ownership of wind energy has been found to increase acceptance, but the reasons for this are poorly understood. Here, we compare different communities’ attitudes towards local onshore wind energy projects in order to gain a deeper understanding of the characteristics of ownership which are conducive to community acceptance. Using a postal survey in Scotland (n = 318), we compared three communities with varying degrees of ownership regarding their (1) support for the local wind project; (2) perceptions of energy justice; (3) perceived impacts; and (4) ownership and benefit preferences. One-way ANOVAs and the Potential for Conflict Index2 identified that residents in the two communities with a degree of ownership were more associated with greater acceptance, processes, and outcomes (i.e. more just and inclusive development processes and more fairly distributed benefits and impacts), than residents living near the privately-owned development. Additionally, we provide evidence that a co-operative can achieve similar acceptance and energy justice as a fully community-owned project. Overall, the results indicate that policymakers should take seriously the connection between the tenets of energy justice and ownership models in their policy and planning efforts.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

A causal layered analysis of movement, paralysis and liminality in the contested arena of indigenous mental health

This qualitative investigation examined the social constructions of the Indigenous mental health arena with a view to understanding the tensions and conflicts experienced by providers and recipients of service within that site. A nuanced picture of the various movements of these players towards and away from the arena emerged, highlighting the navigation of paradox in unsettled contexts. The implications for intercultural competence are considered within a proposed notion of Cultural Agility

Responsiveness of PROMIS® to change in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive chronic disease characterized by airflow obstruction that leads to shortness of breath and substantial negative impacts on health-related quality of life (HRQL). The course of COPD includes periodic acute exacerbations that require changes in treatment and/or hospitalizations. This study was designed to examine the responsiveness of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System® (PROMIS®) measures to changes associated with COPD exacerbation recovery.MethodsA longitudinal analysis using mixed-effects models was conducted of people who were enrolled while stable (n = 100) and those who experienced an acute exacerbation (n = 85). PROMIS (physical function, pain interference, pain behavior, fatigue, anxiety, depression, anger, social roles, discretionary social activities, Global Health, dyspnea severity and dyspnea functional limitations) and COPD-targeted HRQL measures were completed at baseline and at 12 weeks.ResultsWe administered PROMIS measures using computer adaptive testing (CAT), followed by administration of any remaining short form (SF) items that had not yet been administered by CAT. Examination of the difference between group differences from baseline to 12 weeks in the stable and exacerbation groups revealed that the exacerbation group changed (improved) significantly more than the stable group in anxiety (p < .001 to p < .01; f2 effect size [ES] = 0.023/0.021), fatigue (p < .0001; ES = 0.036/0.047) and social roles (p < .001 to p < .05; ES = 0.035/0.024). All effect sizes were small in magnitude and smaller than hypothesized. Depression was also statistically significant (p < .05, SF only) but the ES was trivial. For all other PROMIS domains, the differences were not significant and ES were trivial.ConclusionsThis longitudinal study provides some support for the validity of the PROMIS fatigue, anxiety, and social roles domains in COPD, but further evaluation of responsiveness is warranted