6,671 research outputs found
Pupils with social, emotional and mental health special needs: Perceptions of how restrictive physical interventions impact their relationships with teaching staff
Positive teacher-child relationships (TCRs) are vital for pupil well-being and are especially important for at-risk children. This qualitative study investigated the impact of restrictive physical interventions (RPIs) on TCRs in focus groups comprising ten boys aged 9–11 years attending two special schools in England. We examined the immediate and post incident impact of RPIs on the TCRs of two groups: students who have experienced RPIs and those who have witnessed RPIs. A range of consequences for student well-being, educational support and the TCR were identified. The implications of current study findings for the prevention and implementation of RPIs are discussed
Inhibition of the Bloom's and Werner's syndrome helicases by G-quadruplex interacting ligands.
G-Quadruplex DNAs are folded, non-Watson-Crick structures that can form within guanine-rich DNA sequences such as telomeric repeats. Previous studies have identified a series of trisubstituted acridine derivatives that are potent and selective ligands for G-quadruplex DNA. These ligands have been shown previously to inhibit the activity of telomerase, the specialized reverse transcriptase that regulates telomere length. The RecQ family of DNA helicases, which includes the Bloom's (BLM) and Werner's (WRN) syndrome gene products, are apparently unique among cellular helicases in their ability to efficiently disrupt G-quadruplex DNA. This property may be relevant to telomere maintenance, since it is known that the sole budding yeast RecQ helicase, Sgs1p, is required for a telomerase-independent telomere lengthening pathway reminiscent of the "ALT" pathway in human cells. Here, we show that trisubstituted acridine ligands are potent inhibitors of the helicase activity of the BLM and WRN proteins on both G-quadruplex and B-form DNA substrates. Inhibition of helicase activity is associated with both a reduction in the level of binding of the helicase to G-quadruplex DNA and a reduction in the degree to which the G-quadruplex DNA can support DNA-dependent ATPase activity. We discuss these results in the context of the possible utility of trisubstituted acridines as antitumor agents for the disruption of both telomerase-dependent and telomerase-independent telomere maintenance
The perceptions of undertaking a higher degree alongside orthodontic speciality training: a cross-sectional survey of British Orthodontic Society members
Introduction: In the UK, orthodontic speciality training takes place over three years full-time. In addition to the clinical training, there is an expectation that trainees undertake a higher degree. Currently, there is little evidence regarding the impact of undertaking a higher degree on specialist orthodontists.
Aims: Investigate UK orthodontists' perceptions of undertaking a higher degree alongside speciality training.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional research study involving the distribution of an anonymous, descriptive, online, questionnaire-based survey between May and June 2021 via the British Orthodontic Society. Data were obtained in relation to the impact of undertaking a higher degree on the completion of speciality training, research skills, delivery of patient care and career opportunities.
Results: In total, 166 questionnaires were completed (approximately 13.3% response rate). Most respondents 'agreed' or 'strongly agreed' that undertaking a higher degree had improved their scientific (77.1%) and critical appraisal skills (80.7%), job prospects (60.2%) and career opportunities (63.9%). Most respondents felt the benefits of the higher degree outweighed the associated costs (65.1%) and was a worthwhile component of training (69.3%).
Conclusions: Specialist orthodontists place a high value on undertaking a higher degree. The results of this questionnaire should be of importance to stakeholders involved in the development of the orthodontic curriculum
Initial conditions, Discreteness and non-linear structure formation in cosmology
In this lecture we address three different but related aspects of the initial
continuous fluctuation field in standard cosmological models. Firstly we
discuss the properties of the so-called Harrison-Zeldovich like spectra. This
power spectrum is a fundamental feature of all current standard cosmological
models. In a simple classification of all stationary stochastic processes into
three categories, we highlight with the name ``super-homogeneous'' the
properties of the class to which models like this, with , belong. In
statistical physics language they are well described as glass-like. Secondly,
the initial continuous density field with such small amplitude correlated
Gaussian fluctuations must be discretised in order to set up the initial
particle distribution used in gravitational N-body simulations. We discuss the
main issues related to the effects of discretisation, particularly concerning
the effect of particle induced fluctuations on the statistical properties of
the initial conditions and on the dynamical evolution of gravitational
clustering.Comment: 28 pages, 1 figure, to appear in Proceedings of 9th Course on
Astrofundamental Physics, International School D. Chalonge, Kluwer, eds N.G.
Sanchez and Y.M. Pariiski, uses crckapb.st pages, 3 figure, ro appear in
Proceedings of 9th Course on Astrofundamental Physics, International School
D. Chalonge, Kluwer, Eds. N.G. Sanchez and Y.M. Pariiski, uses crckapb.st
Effects of Acute Ethanol Administration on Neocortical Inhibition
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65719/1/j.1530-0277.1986.tb05132.x.pd
Higher Dimensional Cylindrical or Kasner Type Electrovacuum Solutions
We consider a D dimensional Kasner type diagonal spacetime where metric
functions depend only on a single coordinate and electromagnetic field shares
the symmetries of spacetime. These solutions can describe static cylindrical or
cosmological Einstein-Maxwell vacuum spacetimes. We mainly focus on
electrovacuum solutions and four different types of solutions are obtained in
which one of them has no four dimensional counterpart. We also consider the
properties of the general solution corresponding to the exterior field of a
charged line mass and discuss its several properties. Although it resembles the
same form with four dimensional one, there is a difference on the range of the
solutions for fixed signs of the parameters. General magnetic field vacuum
solution are also briefly discussed, which reduces to Bonnor-Melvin magnetic
universe for a special choice of the parameters. The Kasner forms of the
general solution are also presented for the cylindrical or cosmological cases.Comment: 16 pages, Revtex. Text and references are extended, Published versio
The distribution and hydrological significance of rock glaciers in the Nepalese Himalaya
This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.In the Nepalese Himalaya, there is little information on the number, spatial distribution and morphometric
characteristics of rock glaciers, and this information is required if their hydrological contribution is to be
understood. Based on freely available fine spatial resolution satellite data accessible through Google Earth, we
produced the first comprehensive Nepalese rock glacier inventory, supported through statistical validation and
field survey. The inventory includes the location of over 6000 rock glaciers, with a mean specific density of 3.4%.
This corresponds to an areal coverage of 1371 km². Our approach subsampled approximately 20% of the total
identified rock glacier inventory (n = 1137) and digitised their outlines so that quantitative/qualitative landform
attributes could be extracted. Intact landforms (containing ice) accounted for 68% of the subsample, and the
remaining were classified as relict (not containing ice). The majority (56%) were found to have a northerly aspect
(NE, N, and NW), and landforms situated within north- to west-aspects reside at lower elevations than those
with south- to- east aspects. In Nepal, we show that rock glaciers are situated between 3225 to 5675 m a.s.l.,
with the mean minimum elevation at the front estimated to be 4977±280 m a.s.l. for intact landforms and
4541±346 m a.s.l. for relict landforms. The hydrological significance of rock glaciers in Nepal was then established
by statistically upscaling the results from the subsample to estimate that these cryospheric reserves store
between 16.72 and 25.08 billion cubic metres of water. This study, for the first time, estimates rock glacier water
volume equivalents and evaluates their relative hydrological importance in comparison to ice glaciers. Across
the Nepalese Himalaya, rock glacier to ice glacier water volume equivalent is 1:9, and generally increases
westwards (e.g., ratio = 1:3, West region). This inventory represents a preliminary step for understanding the
spatial distribution and the geomorphic conditions necessary for rock glacier formation in the Himalaya. With
continued climatically-driven ice glacier recession, the relative importance of rock glaciers in the Nepalese
Himalaya will potentially increase.This work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (grant number:
851 NE/L002434/1 to DBJ); the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) with a Dudley Stamp Memorial Award
852 (awarded to DBJ); the European Union Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013 (grant number: 603864
853 to SH and RAB [HELIX: High-End cLimate Impacts and eXtremes; www.helixclimate.eu]). The work of RB forms
854 part of the BEIS/Defra Met Office Hadley Centre Climate Programme GA01101.
Confirmation of low genetic diversity and multiple breeding females in a social group of Eurasian badgers from microsatellite and field data
The Eurasian badger (
Meles meles
) is a facultatively social carnivore that shows only rudimentary
co-operative behaviour and a poorly defined social hierarchy. Behavioural evidence
and limited genetic data have suggested that more than one female may breed in a
social group. We combine pregnancy detection by ultrasound and microsatellite locus
scores from a well-studied badger population from Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire, UK, to
demonstrate that multiple females reproduce within a social group. We found that at least
three of seven potential mothers reproduced in a group that contained 11 reproductive age
females and nine offspring. Twelve primers showed variability across the species range and only five of these were variable in Wytham. The microsatellites showed a reduced repeat number, a significantly higher number of nonperfect repeats, and moderate heterozygosity
levels in Wytham. The high frequency of imperfect repeats and demographic phenomena might be responsible for the reduced levels of variability observed in the badger
Direct and indirect control of the initiation of meiotic recombination by DNA damage checkpoint mechanisms in budding yeast
Meiotic recombination plays an essential role in the proper segregation of chromosomes at meiosis I in many sexually reproducing organisms. Meiotic recombination is initiated by the scheduled formation of genome-wide DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). The timing of DSB formation is strictly controlled because unscheduled DSB formation is detrimental to genome integrity. Here, we investigated the role of DNA damage checkpoint mechanisms in the control of meiotic DSB formation using budding yeast. By using recombination defective mutants in which meiotic DSBs are not repaired, the effect of DNA damage checkpoint mutations on DSB formation was evaluated. The Tel1 (ATM) pathway mainly responds to unresected DSB ends, thus the sae2 mutant background in which DSB ends remain intact was employed. On the other hand, the Mec1 (ATR) pathway is primarily used when DSB ends are resected, thus the rad51 dmc1 double mutant background was employed in which highly resected DSBs accumulate. In order to separate the effect caused by unscheduled cell cycle progression, which is often associated with DNA damage checkpoint defects, we also employed the ndt80 mutation which permanently arrests the meiotic cell cycle at prophase I. In the absence of Tel1, DSB formation was reduced in larger chromosomes (IV, VII, II and XI) whereas no significant reduction was found in smaller chromosomes (III and VI). On the other hand, the absence of Rad17 (a critical component of the ATR pathway) lead to an increase in DSB formation (chromosomes VII and II were tested). We propose that, within prophase I, the Tel1 pathway facilitates DSB formation, especially in bigger chromosomes, while the Mec1 pathway negatively regulates DSB formation. We also identified prophase I exit, which is under the control of the DNA damage checkpoint machinery, to be a critical event associated with down-regulating meiotic DSB formation
Using technology to deliver cancer follow-up : a systematic review
Peer reviewedPublisher PD
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