Ecological Status Report: results from the CPR Survey 2004/2005.

Using a number of ecological indices, this report summarises unusual species found, large phytoplankton blooms, changes in community structure and trends in hydrobiological indicators from regions in the North Atlantic (with an emphasis on the North Sea). In the majority of cases the term unuasual or large in referring to phytoplankton blooms refers to population increases greater than four standard deviations above the species recorded baseline mean (baseline mean: 1980-2003). Notable blooms that are geographically lareg refer to patch sizes greater then 100 km in diameter. The primary regional assessment area used to monitor changes in community structure, biomass and phenological changes is the central North Sea. Most data analysis has been performed to highlight the year 2004 in relation to the long-term dataset. 2005 sample data is presented but has not yet undergone quality checks. Annual abundance estimates were calculated for each CPR box when eight or more months were sampled, no annual estimate of abundance was calculated. Sea surface temperature was used as an indicator of ocean climate and climate change

Placing the university: thinking in and beyond globalization

In some respects, the impact of globalization on universities is well rehearsed (competition for international students; the drive for status in global rankings; the opening of overseas campuses; the dream of massive open online courses and other forms of digital education), but the relationship between universities as place-based institutions and globalization is less well understood. It is on that this chapter focuses. Drawing on work undertaken as part of an Economic and Social Research Council project (“Higher Education and Regional Social Transformation”) the author sets the arguments in a wider context. He explores the extent to which and ways in which universities have become key players in the reimagination of their city regions in a (neoliberal) global context. As well as reflecting on the wider public (and local) role of universities, he also considers how universities use the tools available to them to position themselves effectively as successful businesses within the new world in which they find themselves

Offshore telementored ultrasound: a quality assessment study

Background Telementored ultrasound (US) connects experts to novices through various types of communication and network technologies with the overall aim to bridge the medical imaging gap between patients’ diagnostic needs and on-site user experience. The recurrent theme in previous research on remote telementored US is the limited access to US machines and experienced users. This study was conducted to determine whether telementored US was feasible in a remote offshore setting. The aim was to assess if an onshore US expert can guide an offshore nurse through focused US scanning protocols by connecting an US machine to existing videoconference units at the offshore hospitals and to evaluate the diagnostic quality of the images and cineloops procured. Results The diagnostic quality of cineloops was scored on a five-point scale. The percentage of cineloops suitable for interpretation (score 3 ≥) for the FATE and e-FAST protocols was 96.4 and 79.1. Lung sliding and seashore sign could be identified in all volunteers. The scan time for the FAST protocol (n = four scanning positions), FATE protocol (n = six scanning positions) and both lungs (n = two scanning positions) was 1 min 20 s, 4 min 15 s and 32 s, respectively. Conclusion A novice US user can be guided by a remote expert through focused US protocols within an acceptable time frame and with good diagnostic quality using existing communication and network systems found onboard offshore oil rigs.publishedVersio

Decline in Antigenicity of Tumor Markers by Storage Time Using Pathology Sections Cut From Tissue Microarrays.

Sectioning a whole tissue microarrray (TMA block) and storing the sections maximizes the number of sections obtained, but may impair the antigenicity of the stored sections. We have investigated the impact of TMA section storage on antigenicity. First, we reexamined existing TMA data to determine whether antigenicity in stored sections changes over time. Component scores for each marker, based on cellular compartment of staining and score-type, were evaluated separately. Residual components scores adjusted for grade, tumor size, and node positivity, were regressed on the number of days storage to evaluate the effect of storage time. Storage time ranged from 2 to 1897 days, and the mean change in antigenicity per year ranged from -0.88 (95% confidence interval, -1.11 to -0.65) to 0.035 (95% confidence interval, 0.016-0.054). Further analysis showed no significant improvement in the fit of survival models if storage time adjusted scores were included in the models rather than unadjusted scores. We then compared 3 ways of processing TMA sections after cutting-immediate staining, staining after 1 year, and staining after 1 year coated in wax-on the immunohistochemistry results for: progesterone receptor, a routinely used, robust antibody, and MKI67, which is generally considered less robust. The progesterone receptor scores for stored sections were similar to those for unstored sections, whereas the MKI67 scores for stored sections were substantially different to those for unstored sections. Wax coating made little difference to the results. Biomarker antigenicity shows a small decline over time that is unlikely to have an important effect on studies of prognostic biomarkers.We acknowledge the SEARCH team, the National Cancer Registration Service Eastern Office and Information Centre, the Histopathology Core Facility at the CRUK Cambridge Research Institute for immunohistochemical staining and digital image acquisition and the Human Research Tissue Bank, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This work was funded through a programme grant from Cancer Research UK (C490/A10119, C490/A10124 and C490/A16561) and funding from the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre.This is the final version of the article. It was first published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins at http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PAI.000000000000017

A variant form of acute reversible cardiomyopathy: a case report

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

SNPs in the FCER1A Gene Region Show No Association with Allergic Rhinitis in a Han Chinese Population

Background: Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is a central player in the allergic response, and raised total IgE levels are considered as an indicator of atopy or potential development of atopy. A recent genome-wide scan in a German population-based cohort of adults identified the gene encoding the alpha chain of the high affinity receptor for IgE (FCER1A) as a susceptibility locus influencing total serum IgE levels. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the polymorphisms in the FCER1A gene are associated with allergic rhinitis (AR) in a Han Chinese population. Methodology/Principal Findings: A population of 378 patients with AR and 288 healthy controls was studied. Precise phenotyping of patients was accomplished by means of a questionnaire and clinical examination. Blood was drawn for DNA extraction and total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) measurement. A total of 16 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FCER1A were selected and individually genotyped. None of the SNPs in the FCER1A showed an association with AR. Similarly, the lack of association was also evident in subgroup analysis for the presence of different allergen sensitivities. None of the selected SNPs in FCER1A was associated with total IgE level. Conclusions: Although FCER1A presents itself as a good candidate for contributing to total serum IgE, this study failed t

Application of the speed-duration relationship to normalize the intensity of high-intensity interval training

The tolerable duration of continuous high-intensity exercise is determined by the hyperbolic Speed-tolerable duration (S-tLIM) relationship. However, application of the S-tLIM relationship to normalize the intensity of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has yet to be considered, with this the aim of present study. Subjects completed a ramp-incremental test, and series of 4 constant-speed tests to determine the S-tLIM relationship. A sub-group of subjects (n = 8) then repeated 4 min bouts of exercise at the speeds predicted to induce intolerance at 4 min (WR4), 6 min (WR6) and 8 min (WR8), interspersed with bouts of 4 min recovery, to the point of exercise intolerance (fixed WR HIIT) on different days, with the aim of establishing the work rate that could be sustained for 960 s (i.e. 4×4 min). A sub-group of subjects (n = 6) also completed 4 bouts of exercise interspersed with 4 min recovery, with each bout continued to the point of exercise intolerance (maximal HIIT) to determine the appropriate protocol for maximizing the amount of high-intensity work that can be completed during 4×4 min HIIT. For fixed WR HIIT tLIM of HIIT sessions was 399±81 s for WR4, 892±181 s for WR6 and 1517±346 s for WR8, with total exercise durations all significantly different from each other (P<0.050). For maximal HIIT, there was no difference in tLIM of each of the 4 bouts (Bout 1: 229±27 s; Bout 2: 262±37 s; Bout 3: 235±49 s; Bout 4: 235±53 s; P>0.050). However, there was significantly less high-intensity work completed during bouts 2 (153.5±40. 9 m), 3 (136.9±38.9 m), and 4 (136.7±39.3 m), compared with bout 1 (264.9±58.7 m; P>0.050). These data establish that WR6 provides the appropriate work rate to normalize the intensity of HIIT between subjects. Maximal HIIT provides a protocol which allows the relative contribution of the work rate profile to physiological adaptations to be considered during alternative intensity-matched HIIT protocols