The Prediction of Training Proficiency in Firefighters: A Study of Predictive Validity in Spain

The present study provides results of criterion validity in the selection of firefighters in Spain. The predictors were cognitive skills, job knowledge, and physical aptitudes, and the criterion was training proficiency. The process involves 639 candidates, but only 44 complete successfully the selection process. Our results support previous evidence showing that general cognitive ability is the best predictor of training proficiency, with an operational validity of .57. With respect to the other predictors, job knowledge presented an operational validity of .55 and physical tests of .49. In addition, multiple regression analysis showed that cognitive aptitude explains 33% of the variance, but when physical aptitudes are included the explained variance increases to 50%. If we also add job knowledge, explained variance increases to 55%. Our study offers recent results of criterion validity in a barely investigated job, gathered in a country other than the one where prior research had been carried out. Este estudio ofrece resultados de la validez de criterio en la selección de bomberos en España. Los predictores fueron las aptitudes cognitivas, el conocimiento del puesto y las aptitudes físicas, siendo el criterio el aprovechamiento de la formación. El proceso comenzó con 639 candidatos, de los cuales solamente 44 superaron la selección. Nuestros resultados apoyan la evidencia previa, mostrando que la aptitud cognitiva general es el mejor predictor, con una validez operativa de .57, seguido del conocimiento del puesto con .55 y las pruebas físicas con .49. Además, el análisis de regresión múltiple mostró que la aptitud cognitiva explica un 33% de la varianza, que se incrementa hasta el 50% al incluir pruebas físicas y hasta el 55% si además se añade conocimiento del puesto. Estos resultados resultan especialmente interesantes al haber sido obtenidos en un país diferente al de las principales investigaciones de referencia (i.e., Estados Unidos de América)

A novel role for proline- and acid-rich basic region leucine zipper (PAR bZIP) proteins in the transcriptional regulation of a BH3-only proapoptotic gene.

Proline- and acid-rich (PAR) basic region leucine zipper (bZIP) proteins thyrotroph embryonic factor (TEF), D-site-binding protein (DBP), and hepatic leukemia factor have been involved in neurotransmitter homeostasis and amino acid metabolism. Here we demonstrate a novel role for these proteins in the transcriptional control of a BH3-only gene. PAR bZIP proteins are able to transactivate the promoter of bcl-gS. This promoter is particularly responsive to TEF activation and is silenced by NFIL3, a repressor that shares the consensus binding site with PAR bZIP proteins. Consistently, transfection of TEF induces the expression of endogenous bcl-gS in cancer cells, and this induction is independent of p53. A naturally occurring variant of DBP (tDBP), lacking the transactivation domain, has been identified and shown to impede the formation of active TEF dimers in a competitive manner and to reduce the TEF-dependent induction of bcl-gS. Of note, treatment of cancer cells with etoposide induces TEF activation and promotes the expression of bcl-gS. Furthermore, blockade of bcl-gS or TEF expression by a small interfering RNA strategy or transfection with tDBP significantly reduces the etoposide-mediated apoptotic cell death. These findings represent the first described role for PAR bZIP proteins in the regulation of a gene involved in the execution of apoptosis

Acoustic tag tracking: first experiments

Nowadays, the use of autonomous vehicles for ocean research has increased, since these vehicles have a better cost/performance ratio than crewed vessels or oceanographic ships. For example, autonomous surface vehicles can be used to localize underwater targets. Whereas different research works are focused in target tracking using acoustic modems (or USBL), in this paper a new method called Area-Only target tracking is presented, which uses the signal generated by acoustic TAGs. This document, the first tests are presented and their results discussed, which were conducted in the Monterey Bay.Peer Reviewe

A Year in the Life of the OpenECG Network

The OpenECG network formed in 2002, is a European initiative with global reach, which aims to lower the barriers for ECG interoperability and make digital ECGs available as part of the integrated electronic health record. Currently, SCP-ECG, the European standard for ECG record communication and storage, has been implemented by some manufacturers. However, these implementations are not consistent with each other, hindering ECG exchange, processing, and serial analysis. Furthermore, the presence of alternative ECG storage formats, proprietary or open, raises issues of harmonization and quality assurance. In the first year of its life, the OpenECG network numbers 105 committed members, while its portal and associated help desk have already provided valuable information and development support to several manufacturers and integrators. Recently, the OpenECG certification service has become available to members who may submit their ECG records for interoperability validation and SCP-ECG conformance testing. Still, only the first step for the OpenECG network has been taken. Future plans involve contributing to the definition of integration profiles for ECG-related examinations and addressing issues related to quality assurance of eHealth services in general

Modelling of InSAR (LOS) changes by means of 3D extended pressured bodies with free geometry. Application to Campi Flegrei.

InSAR measures can provide information about changes in distance between the ground and the satellite in radar line-of-sight (LOS) direction. Sometimes, as in the case of volcanic activity, the corresponding ground deformations can be modeled by means of pressure and/or mass sources. Usually, point sources and regular prolate or oblate bodies are used as source geometry for deformation. In this communication, we show a new method for non-linear inversion of position and gravity changes as produced by extended bodies with a free geometry. Their structures are described as aggregation of elemental sources with anomalous density and pressure, and they are modeled to fit the whole data and to keep some regularity conditions. A growth process permits to build general geometrical configurations. The method is tested by application to data of gravity and InSAR (LOS data for ascending and descending orbits) for the volcanic area of Campi Flegrei (Italy). Results are drawn with respect a structural gravimetric model and compared with previous models

Aceite de silicona para el tratamiento de la maculopatía hipotónica

Case report: We report a case of a man who developed hypotonic maculopathy after vitreoretinal surgery for anterior proliferative vitreoretinopathy. After an injection of intravitreal triamcinolone, the ocular pressure did not increase, therefore silicone oil was injected. After this, the visual acuity increased and the choroidal and retinal folds regressed. Discussion: Hypotonic maculopathy is a frustrating problem, often resulting in poor visual acuity. There are not many effective treatments. The injection of silicone oil could be an alternative to increase the intraocular pressure and re-establish the normal anatomy of the eye, improving the visual acuity in some patient

Effects of Trecadrine, a beta3-adrenergic agonist, on leptin secretion, glucose and lipid metabolism in isolated rat adipocytes

Objective: Leptin, a hormone produced in adipocytes, is a key signal in the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure. beta-Adrenergic agonists have been shown to inhibit leptin gene expression and leptin secretion. The mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of beta-adrenergic agonists have not been established. In this study, we examined the effects of TrecadrineÒ, a novel beta3-adrenergic agonist, on basal and insulin-stimulated leptin secretion in isolated rat adipocytes. Because insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism is an important regulator of leptin expression and secretion by the adipocytes, the effects of Trecadrine on indices of adipocyte metabolism were also examined. Measurements: Isolated adipocytes were incubated with Trecadrine (10-8-10-4 M) in the absence or presence of insulin (1.6 nM). Leptin secretion, glucose utilization, lactate production, glucose incorporation into CO2 and triglyceride, as well as lipolysis (glycerol release) were determined. Results: Trecadrine induced a concentration-dependent inhibition of basal leptin secretion. Trecadrine also decreased insulin-stimulated leptin secretion; however, the effect was not as pronounced as in the absence of insulin. Treatment of adipocytes with Trecadrine increased basal glucose utilization and produced a further increase in insulin-stimulated glucose utilization. Basal lactate production was also increased by Trecadrine; however, the proportion (percentage) of glucose carbon released as lactate was unaffected. In the presence of insulin, absolute lactate production was unaffected by Trecadrine at 96 h. However, the percentage of glucose carbon released as lactate was significantly decreased by insulin treatment, and was further decreased by the co-treatment with Trecadrine. Trecadrine induced a dose-dependent increase of the absolute amount of glucose incorporated into triglyceride. However, the percentage of glucose utilized that was incorporated into triglyceride was unaffected by Trecadrine. Trecadrine did not modify the proportion of glucose utilized that was oxidized to CO2. Trecadrine increased glycerol release after 96 h of treatment. Glycerol release was negatively correlated with leptin secretion. Conclusions: These results suggest that alterations of glucose metabolism are not directly involved in the effects of beta3-adrenergic agonists to inhibit leptin expression and secretion. The inverse relationship between leptin secretion and the increase of glycerol levels, which is an index of the activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinases, suggests that activation of the cAMP signaling pathway mediates the inhibitory effects of Trecadrine on leptin gene expression and secretion

Magnetic force microscopy of single-domain cobalt dots patterned using interference lithography

We have fabricated arrays of Co dots of diameters 100 and 70 nm using interference lithography. Density of these arrays is 7.2x10{sup 9}/in{sup 2}. Magnetic force microscopy indicate that the Co dots are single domain with moments that can be controlled to point either in-plane or out-of-plane. Interference lithography is a process that is easily scaled to large areas and is potentially capable of high throughput. Large, uniform arrays of single-domain structures are potentially useful for high-density, low-noise data storage

Time resolved amplified FRET identifies protein kinase B activation state as a marker for poor prognosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Purpose Clear cell Renal Cell Carcinomas (ccRCC), the largest group of renal tumours, are resistant to classical therapies. The determination of the functional state of actionable biomarkers for the assessment of these adenocarcinomas is essential. The dysregulation of the oncoprotein, PKB/Akt has been linked with poor prognoses in human cancers. Material & methods We analysed the status of the PKB/Akt pathway in a representative tumour tissue microarray obtained from the primary tumours and their metastases in 60 ccRCC with long term follow up. We sought to define the evolution of this pathway from the primary tumour to the metastatic event and to know the impact of its functional state in tumour aggressiveness and patient survival. Two-site time resolved amplified FRET (A-FRET) was utilised for assessing the activation state of PKB/Akt and this was compared to conventional immunohistochemistry measurements. Results Activation state of PKB/Akt in primary tumours defined by A-FRET correlated with poorer overall survival (hazard ratio 0.228; p = 0.002). Whereas, increased protein expression of phosphoPKB/Akt, identified using classical immunohistochemistry, yielded no significant difference (hazard ratio 1.390; p = 0.548). Conclusions Quantitative determination of PKB/Akt activation in ccRCC primary tumours alongside other diagnostics tools could prove key in taking oncologists closer to an efficient personalised therapy in ccRCC patients. General significance The quantitative imaging technology based on Amplified-FRET can rapidly analyse protein activation states and molecular interactions. It could be used for prognosis and assess drug function during the early cycles of chemotherapy. It enables evaluation of clinical efficiency of personalised cancer treatment

Study of Percolative Transitions with First-Order Characteristics in the Context of CMR Manganites

The unusual magneto-transport properties of manganites are widely believed to be caused by mixed-phase tendencies and concomitant percolative processes. However, dramatic deviations from "standard" percolation have been unveiled experimentally. Here, a semi-phenomenological description of Mn oxides is proposed based on coexisting clusters with smooth surfaces, as suggested by Monte Carlo simulations of realistic models for manganites, also briefly discussed here. The present approach produces fairly abrupt percolative transitions and even first-order discontinuities, in agreement with experiments. These transitions may describe the percolation that occurs after magnetic fields align the randomly oriented ferromagnetic clusters believed to exist above the Curie temperature in Mn oxides. In this respect, part of the manganite phenomenology could belong to a new class of percolative processes triggered by phase competition and correlations.Comment: 4 pages, 4 eps figure