A marker suitable for sex-typing birds from degraded samples

A new primer set was developed for sex-typing birds, Z37B. This primer set was designed to amplify alleles of small size to render it suitable for sex-typing degraded samples, including shed feathers. This marker successfully sex-typed 50 % of the species tested, including passerines, shorebirds, rails, seabirds, eagles and the brown kiwi Apteryx australis (allele size range =81–103 bp), and is therefore expected to be suitable for sex-typing a wide range of species. Z37B sex-typed nondegraded samples (blood), degraded tissue (dead unhatched embryos, dead nestlings and museum specimens) and samples of low quantity DNA (plucked feathers and buccal swabs). The small amplicon sizes in birds suggest that this marker will be of utility for sex-typing feathers, swabs and degraded samples from a wide range of avian species

Time-motion characteristics and physiological responses of small-sided games in elite youth players: The influence of player number and rule changes

The aim of this study was to examine acute physiological responses and time-motion characteristics associated with 4 soccer-specific small-sided game (SSG) formats (3 vs. 4 players, 3 vs. 3 players + floater, 5 vs. 6 players, and 5 vs. 5 players + floater) and 4 rule changes in elite youth soccer players. Sixteen male youth soccer players (mean ± SD: age = 15.6 ± 0.8 years, stature = 170.8 ± 6.6 cm, body mass = 67.5 ± 6.2 kg, and 20-m shuttle run estimated V̇2 max = 57.4 ± 3.7 ml·kg-1-min-1) participated in the study, in which heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), blood lactate (La -), and time-motion characteristics were recorded. The rule change requiring extra sprint running had a greater effect on the time-motion characteristics than all other rule modifications but no effect on acute %HRmax, La-, and RPE. Rule changes had no effect on RPE. Fixed underload teams (i.e., lower number of players compared with the opponent team) recorded a significantly higher RPE compared with the fixed overload teams, although there were no differences in %HRmax and La-. The major practical findings are that subtle changes in SSGs playing rules can influence the physiological, perceptual, and time-motion responses in young elite soccer players. Rules that are related to a team's chances of scoring may improve player motivation and thereby increase training intensity during SSGs. There were no differences between fixed and variable formats in terms of physiological and perceptual responses, although both may provide useful technical-tactical training. Coaches should take care in designing different soccer SSGs as each rule or game format change may influence exercise intensity independently. © 2010 National Strength and Conditioning Association

The role of primary healthcare professionals in oral cancer prevention and detection

AIM: To investigate current knowledge, examination habits and preventive practices of primary healthcare professionals in Scotland, with respect to oral cancer, and to determine any relevant training needs. SETTING: Primary care. METHOD: Questionnaires were sent to a random sample of 357 general medical practitioners (GMPs) and 331 dental practitioners throughout Scotland. Additionally, focus group research and interviews were conducted amongst primary healthcare team members. RESULTS: Whilst 58% of dental respondents reported examining regularly for signs of oral cancer, GMPs examined patients' mouths usually in response to a complaint of soreness. The majority of GMPs (85%) and dentists (63%) indicated that they felt less than confident in detecting oral cancer, with over 70% of GMPs identifying lack of training as an important barrier. Many practitioners were unclear concerning the relative importance of the presence of potentially malignant lesions in the oral cavity. A high proportion of the GMPs indicated that they should have a major role to play in oral cancer detection (66%) but many felt strongly that this should be primarily the remit of the dental team. CONCLUSION: The study revealed a need for continuing education programmes for primary care practitioners in oral cancer-related activities. This should aim to improve diagnostic skills and seek to increase practitioners' participation in preventive activities

Clinicians were oblivious to incorrect logging of test dates and the associated risks in an online pathology application: a case study

Background UK primary care physicians receive their laboratory test results electronically. This study reports a computerised physician order entry (CPOE) system error in the pathology test request date that went unnoticed in family practices.Method We conducted a case study using a causation of risk theoretical framework; comprising interviews with clinicians and the manufacturer to explore the identification of and reaction to the error. The primary outcome was the evolution and  recognition of and response to the problem. The secondary outcome was to identify other issues with this system noted by users.Results The problem was defined as the incorrect logging of test dates ordered through a CPOE system. The system assigned the test request date to the results, hence a blood test taken after a therapeutic intervention (e.g. an increase in cholesterol-lowering therapy) would appear in the computerised medical record as though it had been tested prior to the increase in treatment. This case demonstrates that: the manufacturers failed to understand family physician workflow; regulation of medical software did not prevent the error; and inherent user trust in technology exacerbated this problem. It took three months before users in two practices independently noted the date errors.Conclusion This case illustrates how users take software on trust and suppliers fail to make provision for risks associated with new software. Resulting errors led to inappropriate prescribing, follow-up, costs and risk. The evaluation of such devices should include utilising risk management processes (RMP) to minimise and manage potential risk

Microstructure and oxide particle stability in a novel ODS γ-TiAl alloy processed by spark plasma sintering and laser additive manufacturing

In this work, a novel oxide dispersion strengthened titanium aluminide alloy (Ti-45Al-3Nb-<0.2Y2O3 at.%) was developed for powder-based processing technologies with a focus on spark plasma sintering and additive manufacturing. Titanium aluminides are promising structural intermetallics for weight reduction and an increased performance of high temperature components. The alloy design and selection process was supported by computational thermodynamics based on the CALPHAD approach, taking into account requirements for processing as well as long term alloy behavior under service conditions. Processing trials using spark plasma sintering, direct metal deposition and selective laser melting were conducted to study the alloy behavior, microstructure formation and introduction as well as stability of the ODS particles. Additionally, thermal annealing on the sintered and laser consolidated material was performed. Conventional dual phase α2-Ti3Al and γ-TiAl duplex and near-lamellar microstructures were obtained from the processed material. The ODS particles were homogeneously distributed in the alloy matrix after processing in the liquid state. For the direct metal deposition process, the novel alloy was compared to the established GE48-2-2 alloy (Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb) in terms of phases, microstructure and texture after processing. A significantly reduced texture formation was observed with the novel alloy. The hardness of the consolidated material shows superior properties for ODS-containing TiAl compared to ODS-free material. This work provides a first step towards tailored alloys for AM and the production of ODS TiAl alloys

Testing supersymmetry at the LHC through gluon-fusion production of a slepton pair

Renormalizable quartic couplings among new particles are typical of supersymmetric models. Their detection could provide a test for supersymmetry, discriminating it from other extensions of the Standard Model. Quartic couplings among squarks and sleptons, together with the SU(3) gauge couplings for squarks, allow a new realization of the gluon-fusion mechanism for pair-production of sleptons at the one-loop level. The corresponding production cross section, however, is at most of ${\cal O}(1)$fb for slepton and squark masses of ${\cal O}(100)$GeV. We then extend our investigation to the gluon-fusion production of sleptons through the exchange of Higgs bosons. The cross section is even smaller, of ${\cal O}(0.1)$fb, if the exchanged Higgs boson is considerably below the slepton-pair threshold, but it is enhanced when it is resonant. It can reach ${\cal O}(10)$fb for the production of sleptons of same-chirality, exceeding these values for $\widetilde{\tau}$'s of opposite-chirality, even when chirality-mixing terms in the squark sector are vanishing. The cross section can be further enhanced if these mixing terms are nonnegligible, providing a potentially interesting probe of the Higgs sector, in particular of parameters such as $A$, $\mu$, and $\tan\beta$.Comment: 28 pages, 11 figure

Development of a multiplex microsatellite marker set for the study of the solitary red mason bee, Osmia bicornis (Megachilidae)

Background Solitary bees, such as the red mason bee (Osmia bicornis), provide important ecosystem services including pollination. In the face of global declines of pollinator abundance, such haplodiploid Hymenopterans have a compounded extinction risk due to the potential for limited genetic diversity. In order to assess the genetic diversity of Osmia bicornis populations, we developed microsatellite markers and characterised them in two populations. Methods and results Microsatellite sequences were mined from the recently published Osmia bicornis genome, which was assembled from DNA extracted from a single male bee originating from the United Kingdom. Sequences were identified that contained dinucleotide, trinucleotide, and tetranucleotide repeat regions. Seventeen polymorphic microsatellite markers were designed and tested, sixteen of which were developed into four multiplex PCR sets to facilitate cheap, fast and efficient genotyping and were characterised in unrelated females from Germany (n = 19) and England (n = 14). Conclusions The microsatellite markers are highly informative, with a combined exclusion probability of 0.997 (first parent), which will enable studies of genetic structure and diversity to inform conservation efforts in this bee

Identification of single-site gold catalysis in acetylene hydrochlorination

There remains considerable debate over the active form of gold under operating conditions of a recently validated gold catalyst for acetylene hydrochlorination. We have performed an in situ x-ray absorption fine structure study of gold/carbon (Au/C) catalysts under acetylene hydrochlorination reaction conditions and show that highly active catalysts comprise single-site cationic Au entities whose activity correlates with the ratio of Au(I):Au(III) present. We demonstrate that these Au/C catalysts are supported analogs of single-site homogeneous Au catalysts and propose a mechanism, supported by computational modeling, based on a redox couple of Au(I)-Au(III) species

Liver fibrosis indices and outcomes after primary intracerebral hemorrhage

Background and Purpose- Cirrhosis-clinically overt, advanced liver disease-is associated with an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke and poor stroke outcomes. We sought to investigate whether subclinical liver disease, specifically liver fibrosis, is associated with clinical and radiological outcomes in patients with primary intracerebral hemorrhage. Methods- We performed a retrospective cohort study using data from the Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive-Intracerebral Hemorrhage. We included adult patients with primary intracerebral hemorrhage presenting within 6 hours of symptom onset. We calculated 3 validated fibrosis indices-Aspartate Aminotransferase-Platelet Ratio Index, Fibrosis-4 score, and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Fibrosis Score-and modeled them as continuous exposure variables. Primary outcomes were admission hematoma volume and hematoma expansion. Secondary outcomes were mortality, and the composite of major disability or death, at 90 days. We used linear and logistic regression models adjusted for previously established risk factors. Results- Among 432 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, the mean Aspartate Aminotransferase-Platelet Ratio Index, Fibrosis-4, and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Fibrosis Score values on admission reflected intermediate probabilities of fibrosis, whereas standard hepatic assays and coagulation parameters were largely normal. After adjusting for potential confounders, Aspartate Aminotransferase-Platelet Ratio Index was associated with hematoma volume (β, 0.20 [95% CI, 0.04-0.36]), hematoma expansion (odds ratio, 1.6 [95% CI, 1.1-2.3]), and mortality (odds ratio, 1.8 [95% CI, 1.1-2.7]). Fibrosis-4 was also associated with hematoma volume (β, 0.27 [95% CI, 0.07-0.47]), hematoma expansion (odds ratio, 1.9 [95% CI, 1.2-3.0]), and mortality (odds ratio, 2.0 [95% CI, 1.1-3.6]). Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Fibrosis Score was not associated with any outcome. Indices were not associated with the composite of major disability or death. Conclusions- In patients with largely normal liver chemistries, 2 liver fibrosis indices were associated with admission hematoma volume, hematoma expansion, and mortality after intracerebral hemorrhage