Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and productivity of schizophrenia trials: an ecological study

The 5000 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's database affords an opportunity to research for variables related to the differences between nations of their output of schizophrenia trials. Ecological study – investigating the relationship between four economic/demographic variables and number of schizophrenia RCTs per country. The variable with closest correlation was used to predict the expected number of studies. GDP closely correlated with schizophrenia trial output, with 76% of the total variation about the Y explained by the regression line (r = 0.87, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.92, r2 = 0.76). Many countries have a strong tradition of schizophrenia trials, exceeding their predicted output. All nations with no identified trial output had GDPs that predicted zero trial activity. Several nations with relatively small GDPs are, nevertheless, highly productive of trials. Some wealthy countries seem either not to have produced the expected number of randomised trials or not to have disseminated them to the English-speaking world. This hypothesis-generating study could not investigate causal relationships, but suggests, that for those seeking all relevant studies, expending effort searching the scientific literature of Germany, Italy, France, Brazil and Japan may be a good investment

An Assessment of the Hydration Status of Recreational Endurance Athletes during Mountain Marathon Events.

Changes in hydration status have been shown to have deleterious effects on physiological functioning, physical performance, mental decision making, and subjective sensation of effort. This exploratory study assessed the hydration status of athletes taking part in mountain marathon events and the implications on performance, cognition and well-being markers. Twenty-nine male recreational athletes from the Original Mountain Marathon (OMM) and nineteen from the Longmynd Hike (LH) provided urine samples before, at mid-point (in the OMM) and after the events. Body mass; reaction time tests; and subjective ratings of well-being and effort were also collected/performed at these time points. Post-urine specific gravity (Usg) values [(OMM: 1.023 (range: 1.008 – 1.038) g/ml; LH: 1.024 (range: 1.014 – 1.035) g/ml] were significantly higher than pre-values [(OMM: 1.013 (range: 1.002 – 1.026) g/ml; LH: 1.013 (range: 1.002 – 1.026) g/ml] in both events (p 0.05). There was no association between hydration status and overall performance in the LH, whilst change in Usg from pre- to mid-event was positively associated with performance in the OMM (r = .561, p = 0.004). Whilst no associations were observed between hydration status and reaction time, rate of perceived exertion and subjective ratings of nausea showed positive associations with Usg. These findings suggest that although changes in hydration status of this level may not significantly affect performance, they can impact on participant sensations of effort and well-being

Nasal Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern among Children in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus has been demonstrated to be a major risk factor for invasive S. aureus infections in various population including children. The extent of S. aureus carriage in Sierra Leonean children is largely unknown. To determine the prevalence and pattern of antibiotic susceptibility of nasal S. aureus among children in Freetown, Sierra Leone, samples were collected from anterior nares of children less than two years at the Ola During Children’s Hospital between October 2008 and April 2009. Of the 116 children screened during the study period, S. aureus isolates were found in the nasal specimens of 40 (34.5%) of the children. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing to norfloxacin, gentamycin, erythromycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethazole, doxycycline, tetracycline and amoxycillin-clavulanic acid were observed to be 95, 35, 30, 20, 15, 7.5 and 2.5% respectively. All the isolates were susceptible to oxacillin and resistant to chloramphenicol, penicillin G, amoxycillin and ampiclox. Regular monitoring of antimicrobial susceptibility pattern may be useful. Keywords: Antibiotic Susceptibility, Children, Nasal carriage, Staphylococcus aureu

Nutritional Status of Children in Displacement Camps in Sierra Leone

Civil wars have resulted in the displacement of millions of people worldwide and have forced many into temporary displacement camps. Sometimes, most are caught in prolonged and overcrowded refugee camps, which provide ideal grounds for the transmission of diseases, increased risk for acute respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases, and malnutrition. In this study, stunting, under nutrition, and wasting were measured among 454 children under the age of 10 years in four internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. Stunting was found to be the most common nutritional abnormality in all four IDP camps with the highest prevalence rate (29.3%) in the Trade Center Camp and lowest (14.2%) in the National Workshop Camp. This study indicates that forced internal displacement results in high prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight among children.Key Words: Nutritional status, Children, Displacement, Sierra Leone

Macronutrient Consumption Prior to, and During, Mountain Marathon Events

Participation in ultra-endurance events such as mountain marathons is increasing, yet analysis of the nutritional intake and requirements of this group of athletes have received relatively little attention. This field study examined athletes’ food intake prior to, and during a mountain marathon event to assess compliance with recommendations and to identify associations with performance. Nineteen male athletes competing in the Longmynd Hike (LH) completed a 7-day food diary in the week prior to the event and a weighed food inventory of all items consumed during the event. Despite reported intentions to increase carbohydrate (CHO) consumption in the week prior to the event, there was no significant change in consumption across the week. The mean daily CHO intake of 4.5 g/kg/d was below that recommended to effectively enhance glycogen stores. CHO and energy consumption prior to the event were positively associated with performance [energy (kJ/kg/d): r = .56, p = 0.03; CHO (g/kg/d): r = .54, p = 0.04]. Energy and CHO consumption during the event were also positively correlated with performance [energy (kJ/kg/h): r = .80, p < 0.001; CHO (g/kg/h): r = .75, p = 0.001)], despite most participants again failing to meet recommendations for intake. Further research is needed to determine reasons for non-compliance with nutritional guidelines and to investigate to what extent type and timing of macronutrient intake during such events impacts on performance

Apport De La Télédétection Et De La Géophysique Dans La Cartographie Des Fractures Hydrauliquement Actives En Zone De Socle Au Centre-Ouest Du Benin

The hilly region is famous in Benin for its water supply problems because it is located in an area composed only of crystalline rocks. It is experiencing acute difficulties of access to water resources. The present study aims to map fracture networks from satellite images and to use high resolution electrical resistivity tomography for their ground locations. The methodological approach used consists of the use of remote sensing techniques for the structural mapping of lineaments and the application of electrical resistivity tomography for the validation of hydraulically active lineaments. The use of the Selective Principal Component Analysis techniques and Sobel (7x7) directionalspatial filtering techniques made it possible to map the major lineaments. The validation of lineaments was made during several geophysical prospecting surveys of electrical resistivity tomography. The map generated as a result of satellite image processing has 638 linear structures ranging in size from 7 to 34 km and having two preferred directions N0 ° - N10 ° and N80 ° - N90 °. At the end of the geophysics, 13 lineaments were validated in major fractures with widths of the fissured-altered zone ranging from 15 to 40 m and whose depths are beyond 50m. The range of electrical resistivity characterizing these fractures varies from 100 to 800 (Ω.m).La région des collines est célèbre au Bénin pour ses problèmes de ravitaillement en eau car située dans une zone constituée uniquement de roches cristallines. Elle connait des difficultés aiguës d’accessibilité aux ressources en eau. La présente étude a pour objectifs de cartographier les réseaux de fractures issues des images satellitaires et d’utiliser la tomographie de résistivité électrique pour leurs localisations au sol. L’approche méthodologique utilisée est basée sur l’utilisation des techniques de la télédétection pour la cartographie structurale des linéaments et l’application de la tomographie de résistivité électrique pour la validation des linéaments hydrauliquement actives. L’utilisation des techniques de l’Analyse en Composantes Principales Sélectives et des filtrages spatiaux directionnels de Sobel (7x7) ont permis d’établir la carte des linéaments majeurs. La validation des linéaments a été faite au cours de plusieurs travaux de prospection géophysique de tomographie de résistivité électrique. La carte générée à la suite du traitement des images satellitaires compte 638 structures linéaires dont la taille varie de 7 à 34 km et qui présentent deux directions préférentielles N0°- N10° et N80°- N90°. A l’issu destravaux de géophysique, 13 linéaments ont été validés en fractures majeures avec des largeurs de la zone fissurée-altérée allant de 15 à 40 m et dont leurs profondeurs sont au-delà de 50 m. La gamme de résistivité électrique caractérisant ces fractures varie de 100 à 800 (Ω.m)

Estimating heritability using family and unrelated individuals data

For the family data from Genetic Analysis Workshop 17, we obtained heritability estimates of quantitative traits Q1 and Q4 using the ASSOC program in the S.A.G.E. software package. ASSOC is a family-based method that estimates heritability through the estimation of variance components. The covariate-adjusted mean heritability was 0.650 for Q1 and 0.745 for Q4. For the unrelated individuals data, we estimated the heritability of Q1 as the proportion of total variance that can be accounted for by all single-nucleotide polymorphisms under an additive model. We examined a novel ordinary least-squares method, a naïve restricted maximum-likelihood method, and a calibrated restricted maximum-likelihood method. We applied the different methods to all 200 replicates for Q1. We observed that the ordinary least-squares method yielded many estimates outside the interval [0, 1]. The restricted maximum-likelihood estimates were more stable than the ordinary least-squares estimates. The naïve restricted maximum-likelihood method yielded an average estimate of 0.462 ± 0.1, and the calibrated restricted maximum-likelihood method yielded an average of 0.535 ± 0.121. Our results demonstrate discrepancies in heritability estimates using the family data and the unrelated individuals data

A Close Nuclear Black Hole Pair in the Spiral Galaxy NGC 3393

The current picture of galaxy evolution advocates co-evolution of galaxies and their nuclear massive black holes (MBHs), through accretion and merging. Quasar pairs (6,000-300,000 light-years separation) exemplify the first stages of this gravitational interaction. The final stages, through binary MBHs and final collapse with gravitational wave emission, are consistent with the sub-light-year separation MBHs inferred from optical spectra and light-variability of two quasars. The double active nuclei of few nearby galaxies with disrupted morphology and intense star formation (e.g., NGC 6240 and Mkn 463; ~2,400 and ~12,000 light-years separation respectively) demonstrate the importance of major mergers of equal mass spirals in this evolution, leading to an elliptical galaxy, as in the case of the double radio nucleus (~15 light-years separation) elliptical 0402+379. Minor mergers of galaxies with a smaller companion should be a more common occurrence, evolving into spiral galaxies with active MBH pairs, but have hitherto not been seen. Here we report the presence of two active MBHs, separated by ~430 light-years, in the Seyfert galaxy NGC 3393. The regular spiral morphology and predominantly old circum-nuclear stellar population of this galaxy, and the closeness of the MBHs embedded in the bulge, suggest the result of minor merger evolution.Comment: Preprint (not final) version of a paper to appear in Natur

Analysis of Economic Effects of Eco-Tourism on Wang-An Island: A Case Study of Green Turtle Protected Area in Pescadores

With the expansion of transport, increasing car ownership, rapid increase in outbound travel and new interests in nature based eco-tourism, and the adoption of 5 work days, marine eco-tourism is expected to have a very promising future and need more detailed preparation and planning. While marine eco-tourism occupies 30% of the travel industry, leisure activities in coastal areas are concentrated on a few areas such as swimming and fishing, and are expected to become more diversified with the increase of income. Marine eco-tourism brings about an advance in region's economical output and is good options to provide much needed employment for rural community, such as fishing village. This paper aims to investigate how the Wang-An Island in the Pescadores archipelago can be developed as an eco-tourism site. We carried out surveys to estimate the recreational value of Wang-An island in 2002 and 2003. In this case study, both on-site travelers and local residents are interviewed. In order to understand the tourist behavior, the recreational value of the Wang-An Island, and the economic impacts caused by eco-tourism are investigated. The contingent valuation method is applied to evaluate the visitors' and residents' willingness-to-pay for preserving the Wang-An Island. We also identify those positive and negative crucial factors related to the development, operation and management of the eco-tourism in the Island. SWOT method is applied to analyze the Niche for developing a sustainable eco-tourism at the Wang-An Island. Finally we construct an ideal model of eco-tourism community which can provide a decision support mechanism in building a sustainable island eco-tourism. The results of this research can also provide many insights on policies for developing the eco-tourism in other similar oceanic islands.Keywords: Tourist behavior, Island eco-tourism, Contingent valuation, Pescadores, Travel cost method, Fisheries Economics, Community integration, SWOT, Contributions of Fisheries and Aquaculture to Societ