On-the-job training of clinical officers in Malawi

Although Malawi started a Medical College in 1991 to train medical doctors, it continues to face a chronic shortage of medical staff. Malawi Medical Journal Vol. 20 (3) 2008: pp. 74-7

A preferred vision for administering secondary schools : a reflective essay

This is an exciting time for education. Education has come to the forefront at the national level with President Clinton giving a full twenty minutes to education in his latest State of the Union address, more than any other president in history. I see parents wanting to do more and become more involved in their children\u27s education. Innovations in technology are making it more exciting to teach and to engage young minds to their fullest potential. Ownership in the school is returning back to the original owners, parents, teachers and most importantly, the students. Schools are no longer run by principals, they are run by everyone with the principal giving ideas, facilitating, and communicating a vision for the betterment of the institution

Probing metal ion binding and conformational properties of the colicin E9 endonuclease by electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Nano-electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was used to study the conformational consequences of metal ion binding to the colicin E9 endonuclease (E9 DNase) by taking advantage of the unique capability of ESI-MS to allow simultaneous assessment of conformational heterogeneity and metal ion binding. Alterations of charge state distributions on metal ion binding/release were correlated with spectral changes observed in far- and near-UV circular dichroism (CD) and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence. In addition, hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange experiments were used to probe structural integrity. The present study shows that ESI-MS is sensitive to changes of the thermodynamic stability of E9 DNase as a result of metal ion binding/release in a manner consistent with that deduced from proteolysis and calorimetric experiments. Interestingly, acid-induced release of the metal ion from the E9 DNase causes dramatic conformational instability associated with a loss of fixed tertiary structure, but secondary structure is retained. Furthermore, ESI-MS enabled the direct observation of the noncovalent protein complex of E9 DNase bound to its cognate immunity protein Im9 in the presence and absence of Zn2+. Gas-phase dissociation experiments of the deuterium-labeled binary and ternary complexes revealed that metal ion binding, not Im9, results in a dramatic exchange protection of E9 DNase in the complex. In addition, our metal ion binding studies and gas-phase dissociation experiments of the ternary E9 DNase-Zn2+-Im9 complex have provided further evidence that electrostatic interactions govern the gas phase ion stability

Neuroimaging and Clinical Biomarkers in the Familial and Sporadic FTD Spectrum – from the Presymptomatic to the Symptomatic Disease Stage

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the second most common type of early-onset dementia, in which symptoms commonly become apparent before the age of 65. The clinical spectrum is heterogeneous, ranging from a predominant behavioural manifestation (behavioural variant FTD; bvFTD) to progressive language deterioration (primary progressive aphasia; PPA) and parkinsonism. 10-30% of FTD cases have an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. Mutations in the progranulin (GRN) and microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) genes, and a repeat expansion in chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) are the three most common causes. Familial FTD allows the identification of pathogenic mutation carriers in their presymptomatic phase – a critical time-window for treatment as the pathological damage is at its minimum and potentially still reversible. However, with promising avenues opening for disease-modifying therapies in clinical trials, we currently lack robust biomarkers for (familial) FTD. These biomarkers will be essential for improving diagnostic accuracy, staging and prognosis, onset prediction, and monitoring disease progression and treatment response. In this thesis, we have therefore investigated potential neuroimaging and neuropsychological biomarkers in the familial and sporadic FTD spectrum

A New Strategy to Stabilize Oxytocin in Aqueous Solutions: I. The Effects of Divalent Metal Ions and Citrate Buffer

In the current study, the effect of metal ions in combination with buffers (citrate, acetate, pH 4.5) on the stability of aqueous solutions of oxytocin was investigated. and divalent metal ions (Ca2+, Mg2+, and Zn2+) were tested all as chloride salts. The effect of combinations of buffers and metal ions on the stability of aqueous oxytocin solutions was determined by RP-HPLC and HP-SEC after 4 weeks of storage at either 4°C or 55°C. Addition of sodium or potassium ions to acetate- or citrate-buffered solutions did not increase stability, nor did the addition of divalent metal ions to acetate buffer. However, the stability of aqueous oxytocin in aqueous formulations was improved in the presence of 5 and 10 mM citrate buffer in combination with at least 2 mM CaCl2, MgCl2, or ZnCl2 and depended on the divalent metal ion concentration. Isothermal titration calorimetric measurements were predictive for the stabilization effects observed during the stability study. Formulations in citrate buffer that had an improved stability displayed a strong interaction between oxytocin and Ca2+, Mg2+, or Zn2+, while formulations in acetate buffer did not. In conclusion, our study shows that divalent metal ions in combination with citrate buffer strongly improved the stability of oxytocin in aqueous solutions

Meteorological controls on snowpack formation and dynamics in the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains

Sherpa Romeo green journal. Open access article. Creative Commons Attribution license appliesConsiderable spatial variability in snow properties exists within apparently uniform slopes, often resulting from microscale weather patterns determined by local terrain. Since it is costly to establish abundant weather stations in a region, local lapse rates may offer an alternative for predicting snowpack characteristics. For two Castle Mountain Resort weather stations, we present the 2003–2004 winter season weather and snow profile data and the 1999–2004 winter season lapse rates. A third site was sampled for small-scale spatial variability. Layer thickness, stratigraphy, temperature gradients, crusts, wind drift layers, stability, and settlement were compared between the sites and correlated with temperature, wind, and lapse rates. Average yearly snowfall was 470 cm at the Base and 740 cm at the Upper station. Average daily maximum and minimum temperature lapse rates are 26.1uC km21 and 25.7uC km21 when inversions are removed. Inversions occur mostly at night, adversely affecting lapse rate averages. Lapse rate modes are unaffected and most often 26.3uC km 21. Snowpack spatial variability is ,25% of layer thickness and is controlled by wind and topography. Layer settlement is primarily related to initial snow thickness and wind drift. Snowpacks stabilize with age, unless rain crusts are present, which are important low-force failure horizons.Ye