Blue-light filtering spectacle lenses for visual performance, sleep, and macular health in adults

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess whether blue-light filtering spectacle lenses impart effects on visual function, provide protection to the macula, or both. We will also examine potential effects on the sleep-wake cycle

Light Sheet Tomography (LST) for <i>in situ</i> imaging of plant roots

The production of crops capable of efficient nutrient use is essential for addressing the problem of global food security. The ability of a plant's root system to interact with the soil micro-environment determines how effectively it can extract water and nutrients. In order to assess this ability and develop the fast and cost effective phenotyping techniques which are needed to establish efficient root systems, in situ imaging in soil is required. To date this has not been possible due to the high density of scatterers and absorbers in soil or because other growth substrates do not sufficiently model the heterogeneity of a soil's microenvironment. We present here a new form of light sheet imaging with novel transparent soil containing refractive index matched particles. This imaging method does not rely on fluorescence, but relies solely on scattering from root material. We term this form of imaging Light Sheet Tomography (LST). We have tested LST on a range of materials and plant roots in transparent soil and gel. Due to the low density of root structures, i.e. relatively large spaces between adjacent roots, long-term monitoring of lettuce root development in situ with subsequent quantitative analysis was achieved

The effect of providing resuscitation training to front-line staff on rates of maternal and trauma mortality in two health districts in Malawi

No Abstract

Structuring An MBA Consulting Course: Aligning Pedagogical Strategies To Meet The Needs Of A Business Schools Critical Stakeholders

At a time when business schools of second-tieruniversities face budget constraints, the MBA consulting program has become avehicle to build a schools reputation and to engage the business community inorder to raise financial resources. Business schools also face competition fromon-line programs, and consulting assignments help to define a schools competitive advantage. Finally, an increasing number of students with little or no prior business experience are seeking the MBA edge to help them find their first positions. As a result, the consulting program is rapidly becoming aninstrument of choice to facilitate the transition from campus to professional environment. This article presents the pedagogical strategies implemented by auniversity with limited resources and for which the consulting program has been designed to address the needs of both external and internal stakeholders

Optimal immune specificity at the intersection of host life history and parasite epidemiology

Hosts diverge widely in how, and how well, they defend themselves against infection and immunopathology. Why are hosts so heterogeneous? Both epidemiology and life history are commonly hypothesized to influence host immune strategy, but the relationship between immune strategy and each factor has commonly been investigated in isolation. Here, we show that interactions between life history and epidemiology are crucial for determining optimal immune specificity and sensitivity. We propose a demographically-structured population dynamics model, in which we explore sensitivity and specificity of immune responses when epidemiological risks vary with age. We find that variation in life history traits associated with both reproduction and longevity alters optimal immune strategies-but the magnitude and sometimes even direction of these effects depends on how epidemiological risks vary across life. An especially compelling example that explains previously-puzzling empirical observations is that depending on whether infection risk declines or rises at reproductive maturity, later reproductive maturity can select for either greater or lower immune specificity, potentially illustrating why studies of lifespan and immune variation across taxa have been inconclusive. Thus, the sign of selection on the life history-immune specificity relationship can be reversed in different epidemiological contexts. Drawing on published life history data from a variety of chordate taxa, we generate testable predictions for this facet of the optimal immune strategy. Our results shed light on the causes of the heterogeneity found in immune defenses both within and among species and the ultimate variability of the relationship between life history and immune specificity

Chromogenic guest-responsive host compounds which allow rapid guest screening

Azo host compounds undergo rapid and clearly visible colour changes from yellow to bright orange/red on complexation with guest molecules, while no colour change is noted in the absence of complexation. This provides a rapid screening method for potential guest compounds as the first step towards the development of guest specific host compounds for use in sensors relying only on a simple, visible colour change readout mechanism

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation for improving peripheral nerve health: Protocol for a systematic review

Introduction Damage to peripheral nerves occurs in a variety of health conditions. Preserving nerve integrity, to prevent progressive nerve damage, remains a clinical challenge. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are implicated in the development and maintenance of healthy nerves and may be beneficial for promoting peripheral nerve health. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the effects of oral omega-3 PUFA supplementation on peripheral nerve integrity, including both subjective and objective measures of peripheral nerve structure and/or function. Methods and analysis A systematic review of randomised controlled trials that have evaluated the effects of omega-3 PUFA supplementation on peripheral nerve assessments will be conducted. Comprehensive electronic database searches will be performed in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), US National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials Registry and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. The title, abstract and keywords of identified articles will be assessed for eligibility by two reviewers. Full-text articles will be obtained for all studies judged as eligible or potentially eligible; these studies will be independently assessed by two reviewers to determine eligibility. Disagreements will be resolved by consensus. Risk of bias assessment will be performed using the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool to appraise the quality of included studies. If clinically meaningful, and there are a sufficient number of eligible studies, a meta-analysis will be conducted and a summary of findings table will be provided. Ethics and dissemination This is a systematic review that will involve the analysis of previously published data, and therefore ethics approval is not required. A manuscript reporting the results of this systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and may also be presented at relevant scientific conferences

Membranous nephropathy in the UK Biobank

Background Despite MN being one of the most common causes of nephrotic syndrome worldwide, its biological and environmental determinants are poorly understood in large-part due to it being a rare disease. Making use of the UK Biobank, a unique resource holding a clinical dataset and stored DNA, serum and urine for ~500,000 participants, this study aims to address this gap in understanding. Methods The primary outcome was putative MN as defined by ICD-10 codes occurring in the UK Biobank. Univariate relative risk regression modelling was used to assess the associations between the incidence of MN and related phenotypes with sociodemographic, environmental exposures, and previously described increased-risk SNPs. Results 502,507 patients were included in the study of whom 100 were found to have a putative diagnosis of MN; 36 at baseline and 64 during the follow-up. Prevalence at baseline and last follow-up were 72 and 199 cases/million respectively. At baseline, as expected, the majority of those previously diagnosed with MN had proteinuria, and there was already evidence of proteinuria in patients diagnosed within the first 5 years of follow-up. The highest incidence rate for MN in patients was seen in those homozygous for the high-risk alleles (9.9/100,000 person-years). Conclusion It is feasible to putatively identify patients with MN in the UK Biobank and cases are still accumulating. This study shows the chronicity of disease with proteinuria present years before diagnosis. Genetics plays an important role in disease pathogenesis, with the at-risk group providing a potential population for recall