Sudden unexpected postnatal collapse : Der Kollaps zu Beginn des Lebens

Hintergrund: Diese Bachelorarbeit befasst sich mit dem Ereignis sudden unexpected postnatal collapse (SUPC) von zunächst gesunden Neugeborenen in der ersten Woche postpartal. Das Ereignis ist selten, die Folgen können jedoch schwerwiegend sein. Ziel: Geprüft wird, welche Risikofaktoren von SUPC in der evidenzbasierten Literatur beschrieben werden. Ziel ist es, aus diesen Risikofaktoren Massnahmen abzuleiten, welche zur Risikoverminderung von SUPC in der Postpartumbetreuung beitragen und in der Hebammenarbeit umsetzbar sind. Methodik: Es wurde eine Datenbankrecherche auf Midirs, Pubmed, CINAHL, Cochrane und Web of Science durchgeführt. Nach der Prüfung der passenden Publikationen gemäss vordefinierten Ein- und Ausschlusskriterien konnten 5 Publikationen ausgewählt werden. Die Populationen stammen aus industrialisierten Ländern (Österreich, Schweden, USA, Kanada). Ergebnisse: Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der Stillvorgang, der Hautkontakt und/oder das Kind in Bauchlage, die Primiparität der Mutter und die Mutter mit Kind ohne Aufsicht von Fachpersonal in den ersten Stunden postpartal in der Literatur als häufigste Risikofaktoren von SUPC hervorgehen. Die Forschenden sind sich einig, dass die Kinder postpartal häufiger und genauer überwacht werden sollten. Schlussfolgerung: Um weitere Risikofaktoren evidenzbasiert eruieren zu können, ist zusätzliche Forschung notwendig. Massnahmen zur Risikoverminderung sind in der Literatur oberflächlich zu finden, weshalb hier weiterführender Forschungsbedarf besteht

Congenital toxoplasmosis: Serology, PCR, parasite isolation and molecular characterization of toxoplasma gondii

Introducción El diagnóstico de toxoplasmosis congénita (TC) en el recién nacido es muy importante porque debe recibir tratamiento siempre, sintomático o no, para evitar o aminorar las secuelas de la enfermedad. Objetivo Evaluación comparativa de los métodos disponibles en la institución para el diagnóstico de TC. Materiales y Métodos Se evaluaron métodos diagnósticos en 67 niños cuyas madres cursaron toxoplasmosis aguda durante el embarazo. Se utilizó la técnica de Sabin Feldman para IgG al nacimiento y durante el seguimiento serológico hasta el año de vida. Para determinar IgM, IgA e IgE se utilizó la técnica immunosorbent agglutination assay (ISAGA). El diagnóstico directo se realizó por reacción de polimerasa en cadena (RPC), aislamiento y caracterización molecular del parásito. Resultados La sensibilidad (S) de ISAGA IgM fue 87%, ISAGA IgA 91% y la especificidad (E) fue 100% para ambas; cuando se realizaron en conjunto, la S aumentó a 98%. La detección de IgE contribuyó al diagnóstico cuando se la detectó sólo en la sangre del neonato y no en sangre materna. Se aisló el parásito en cuatro casos de TC, uno fue genotipo II y los otros tres, genotipos “atípicos”. La S del aislamiento fue 80% y la E 100%. Conclusión Los métodos serológicos utilizados mostraron una buena eficacia diagnóstica. Un caso fue detectado sólo por el aislamiento y la caracterización molecular tiene gran valor epidemiológico.Background. Congenital toxoplasmosis diagnosis in the newborn is a very important issue due to the need for early treatment to prevent future sequels. Aim To compare available methods at the institution for the diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis. Material and Methods In this study we have evaluated the different diagnostic tests used in 67 congenital exposed newborns, including serological tests, PCR, parasite isolation and molecular characterization. Results The ISAGA IgM and IgA tests showed sensitivity (Se) of 87 and 91%, respectively, and specificity (Sp) of 100%. When ISAGA IgM and IgA were performed simultaneously, the Se increased to 98% and the Sp was 100%. The presence of IgE contributed to the diagnosis when it was detected in the child's serum but not in maternal blood. In four congenital infected children the parasite was isolated and genotyped: one was genotype II and the other three were “atypical” genotypes. No parasite was isolated in children without congenital toxoplasmosis. Discussion Overall, serological tests showed a good diagnostic performance although in one case they were all negative and isolation was the only tool to identify the infection. We conclude that it is essential to use all diagnostic tests in every single exposed child, including if possible, molecular characterization due to its epidemiological implication.Fil: Carral, Liliana. Hospital Aleman; ArgentinaFil: Kaufer, Federico. Hospital Aleman; ArgentinaFil: Pardini, Lais Luján. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Epizootiología y Salud Pública. Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Durlach, Ricardo. Hospital Aleman; ArgentinaFil: Moré, Gastón Andrés. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Epizootiología y Salud Pública. Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Venturini, María C.. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Epizootiología y Salud Pública. Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología; ArgentinaFil: Freuler, Cristina. Hospital Aleman; Argentin

The Emergence of Tuition-Free Higher Education in the United States: The Perspective of Students in Tennessee

In recent years, “free college” in the United States has become both a popular and controversial topic of debate. Discussion concerning free post-secondary education erupted shortly after President Barack Obama proposed America's College Promise Act in 2015, which would allow high school seniors to attend two years of community college or a college of applied technology tuition-free after graduation. Part of Obama's initiative is to provide students with the opportunity to earn the first half of their bachelor's degree and save each student about $3,800 per year on college tuition. In addition to saving on tuition funds, America's College Promise is geared toward helping students to become employed by obtaining degrees or earning technical training certificates. While the intentions of this program could potentially result in a beneficial impact on students, employers, and communities, not everyone agrees that free college will create positive change. A survey taken by the Pew Research Center in 2015 showed that public opinion on free college is about a 50/50 split in the United States; nevertheless, 75 percent of Americans agree that college is unaffordable for most people. Outside of the United States, select countries like Germany not only offer two-year college educations for free, but four-year educations as well (Strasser). The American public is generally unaware that Chicago, New Jersey, and Oregon already have implemented free post-secondary education programs, with Tennessee being the state leading this movement (America’s College Promise). In fact, America's College Promise has been modeled on Gov. Bill Haslam's Tennessee Promise scholarship program, which has slowly been expanding since 2008 (City of Knoxville). As the debate over America's College Promise continues, the Tennessee Promise program has successfully given students across Tennessee the opportunity to attend community college tuition-free for years and continues to do so

Mechanized harvesting of Napier grass and other Hawaiian forage crops

Literature cited: p. 42-43.Mode of access: Internet

Systems Analysis of the MTAS library

A term project prepared for a library science course, this report describes the structure of the MTAS library and the services it offered at the time (1968)

Facing Challenges on Two Fronts: Exploring the Process of Resilience for Military Families Raising a Child with Autism

Managing daily life in the presence of their child's pervasive symptoms and coping with stressors unique to military culture characterize the battle on two fronts that face military families raising children with autism spectrum disorder (autism). Resilience models describe the process of adaptation to stressful circumstances and have been used to describe family stress and coping. However, little is known about the mechanisms that facilitate resilience for military families raising a child with autism or the impact that this process has on well being for this particular population. Further, the concept of occupation is overlooked in the literature as a potential mechanism in the resilience process despite the identified link between participation in everyday routines and well being. Family occupations consist of shared daily activities that provide structure and meaning within families. A qualitative methodology was used consisting of a sequence of three in-depth semi-structured interviews and an iterative process of thematic analysis. The interviews included open-ended questions exploring resilience, parent experiences of raising a child with autism, and military lifestyle. Participants included 18 active duty military spouses who have a child with autism, ages 4 to 12 years old whose spouse was serving in an active duty capacity in the United States military. Families represented four branches of the Uniformed Services, including: Army (n=13), Marine (n=2), Navy (n=2), and Air Force (n=1). Families included both Officer (n=13) and Enlisted (n=5) personnel, and were stationed at instillations across the country, representing bases in nine different states and in the District of Columbia. Six broad categories of themes emerged from the data, which I will refer to as `theme categories'. Six theme categories emerged, including Barriers and Stressors, Supports and Resources, Strategies, Time and Place, Family Culture, and Moments of Resilience. These theme categories describe both the components and the mechanisms that comprise the resilience process for these families. A model of resilience specific to military families with a child with autism is proposed to explain the transactional and complex nature of this process.Master of Scienc

Two Antagonistic MALT1 Auto-Cleavage Mechanisms Reveal a Role for TRAF6 to Unleash MALT1 Activation.

The paracaspase MALT1 has arginine-directed proteolytic activity triggered by engagement of immune receptors. Recruitment of MALT1 into activation complexes is required for MALT1 proteolytic function. Here, co-expression of MALT1 in HEK293 cells, either with activated CARD11 and BCL10 or with TRAF6, was used to explore the mechanism of MALT1 activation at the molecular level. This work identified a prominent self-cleavage site of MALT1 isoform A (MALT1A) at R781 (R770 in MALT1B) and revealed that TRAF6 can activate MALT1 independently of the CBM. Intramolecular cleavage at R781/R770 removes a C-terminal TRAF6-binding site in both MALT1 isoforms, leaving MALT1B devoid of the two key interaction sites with TRAF6. A previously identified auto-proteolysis site of MALT1 at R149 leads to deletion of the death-domain, thereby abolishing interaction with BCL10. By using MALT1 isoforms and cleaved fragments thereof, as well as TRAF6 WT and mutant forms, this work shows that TRAF6 induces N-terminal auto-proteolytic cleavage of MALT1 at R149 and accelerates MALT1 protein turnover. The MALT1 fragment generated by N-terminal self-cleavage at R149 was labile and displayed enhanced signaling properties that required an intact K644 residue, previously shown to be a site for mono-ubiquitination of MALT1. Conversely, C-terminal self-cleavage at R781/R770 hampered the ability for self-cleavage at R149 and stabilized MALT1 by hindering interaction with TRAF6. C-terminal self-cleavage had limited impact on MALT1A but severely reduced MALT1B proteolytic and signaling functions. It also abrogated NF-κB activation by N-terminally cleaved MALT1A. Altogether, this study provides further insights into mechanisms that regulate the scaffolding and activation cycle of MALT1. It also emphasizes the reduced functional capacity of MALT1B as compared to MALT1A

Boundary layer ingesting inlet design for a silent aircraft

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-86).(cont.) common nacelle, L/D ratios between 2.5 and 3.0, fan face to throat area ratios above 1.06, and offsets lower than 11%. Curvature ahead of the inlet should be avoided as well as bifurcations inside the duct. Inlet performance with an evolved version of the airframe decreased, mainly due to a thicker boundary layer. Although further tailoring of the geometry is needed, the above guidelines should provide both direction and rationale for these alterations.Engine cycle trade studies were conducted to determine how a propulsion system should be integrated with an airframe of a "Silent Aircraft", i.e. an aircraft designed with noise as the first consideration. Embedded, boundary layer ingesting, ultra-high bypass ratio engines were found to be the most appropriate configuration. Based on the results of the study, inlets for twelve, eight and four engine configurations were designed and assessed. The inlets ranged from standard S-ducts to unconventional mail-slotted inlets. Circumferential pressure distortion and pressure recovery were used as figures of merit and were determined from 3D Navier-Stokes simulations. Four and eight engine inlet configurations were found that met the target criteria. The former had the lowest distortion level, a result of lower boundary layer thickness to inlet height ratios ([delta]/H [approximately equal to] 0.3). The eight-engine inlets ingested more of the boundary layer, implying a lower wake momentum deficit from the airframe and thus a potential for fuel burn savings of up to 3% compared to a non-boundary layer ingesting engine. The results of the computations have led to the development of some general guidelines for these types of inlets. The most important parameters are L/D, centerline offset (which has a large impact on boundary layer growth), and inlet throat to fan area ratio. The last variable determines the external compression and the diffusion inside the duct. There is a trade between the reduction of loss and distortion level in that higher fan face Mach numbers increase the former but reduce the latter. The control of peaks in the duct Mach number is essential in reducing friction losses. For the airframe examined, the parameter regime of best performance has inlets integratedby Patrick N. Freuler.S.M

The Structure of Ca2+ Sensor Case16 Reveals the Mechanism of Reaction to Low Ca2+ Concentrations

Here we report the first crystal structure of a high-contrast genetically encoded circularly permuted green fluorescent protein (cpGFP)-based Ca2+ sensor, Case16, in the presence of a low Ca2+ concentration. The structure reveals the positioning of the chromophore within Case16 at the first stage of the Ca2+-dependent response when only two out of four Ca2+-binding pockets of calmodulin (CaM) are occupied with Ca2+ ions. In such a “half Ca2+-bound state”, Case16 is characterized by an incomplete interaction between its CaM-/M13-domains. We also report the crystal structure of the related Ca2+ sensor Case12 at saturating Ca2+ concentration. Based on this structure, we postulate that cpGFP-based Ca2+ sensors can form non-functional homodimers where the CaM-domain of one sensor molecule binds symmetrically to the M13-peptide of the partner sensor molecule. Case12 and Case16 behavior upon addition of high concentrations of free CaM or M13-peptide reveals that the latter effectively blocks the fluorescent response of the sensor. We speculate that the demonstrated intermolecular interaction with endogenous substrates and homodimerization can impede proper functioning of this type of Ca2+ sensors in living cells

Eine Nachhaltige Risikogesellschaft? Ein Beitrag zur Debatte um Atomenergie und Abfall in der Schweiz

Auch nach dem beschlossenen Atomausstieg ist die Debatte um Atomenergie und Abfall dringend nötig, wobei dieses Broschüre mit studentischen Essays aufzeigt, dass der Einsatz für eine nachhaltige Zukunft nicht nur einen Blick nach vorne, sondern auch einen zurück erfordert