Detecting asymptomatic coronary artery disease using routine exercise testing and exercise thallium scintigraphy in patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease

ECG-monitored exercise testing has been proposed as a relatively inexpensive and effective means of screening for asymptomatic coronary artery disease in patients presenting for peripheral vascular surgery. Despite the fact that exercise thallium scintigraphy is also dependent on the patient's ability to exercise, using this test in conjunction with ECG-monitored exercise testing may enhance sensitivity and specificity of non-invasive evaluation. Thirty-two patients were subjected to ECG-monitored exercise testing, exercise thallium scintigraphy and coronary angiography. The sensitivity of ECGmonitored exercise testing for detecting coronary artery disease was calculated at 81,8% and the specificity at 87,5%, while the figures for exercise thallium scintigraphy were 73,1% and 33,3% respectively. Using these two methods in combination yielded a predictive accuracy of 90,6%. The only advantage of exercise thallium scintigraphy over exercise ECG appears to be in patients in whom the latter test could not be interpreted or was non-diagnostic

Laser-assisted synthesis, and structural and thermal properties of ZnS nanoparticles stabilised in polyvinylpyrrolidone

Zinc sulphide (ZnS) nanoparticles have been synthesised by a green approach involving laser irradiationof an aqueous solution of zinc acetate (Znac2) and sodium sulphide (Na2S·9H2O) or thioacetamide (TAA)in polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The structural and morphological properties of the prepared sampleswere analysed using a transmission electron microscope, TEM, a high resolution transmission electronmicroscope, HRTEM, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. The thermal properties were studiedusing a simultaneous thermal analyser (SDTA). Better dispersed and larger particles were obtained byusing sodium sulphide (Na2S) instead of TAA as the sulphur source. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses andRaman measurement show that the particles have a cubic structure, which is usually a low temperaturephase of ZnS. There were phonon softening and line broadening of the peaks which are attributed to thephonon confinement effect. The average crystallite size of the ZnS nanoparticles estimated from the XRDshowed a reduction in size from 13.62 to 10.42 nm for samples obtained from Na2S, and 9.13 to 8.16 nmfor samples obtained from TAA, with an increase in the time of irradiation. The thermal stability of PVPwas increased due to the incorporation of the ZnS nanoparticles in the matrices. The absorption spectrashowed that the nanoparticles exhibit quantum confinement effects.National Research Foundation(NRF), South Africa: Grant No. 77591; University of Pretoria’sResearch Development Programme (RDP), South Africa: GrantNo. A0W679 and North-West University, Potchefstroom, SouthAfrica.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/apsuschb201

Resepsie van 2 Makkabeërs 6:18-7:42 in 'n multi-kulturele Suid-Afrikaanse protestantse gemeenskap

A sample investigation into how a multi-cultural Protestant South African community received the martyr texts in 2 Maccabees 6:31-7:42 provided interesting results. Various threats to their Christian faith were identified. A deep spiritual need emerged to make sense of troubling circumstances. In an attempt to address these problems the martyr texts of 2 Maccabees 6:31-7:42 were seen to be suitable. The research in this paper was undertaken without any expectation that we would reach any specific results. The spiritual need among this specific sample of a Protestant community in South Africa shows that it may be the right time for a fresh approach to the corpus of apocryphal books.http://reference.sabinet.co.za.nwulib.nwu.ac.za/sa_epublication/semithttp://reference.sabinet.co.za.nwulib.nwu.ac.za/document/EJC14742

Seasonal fission and fusion of killer whale, Orcinus orca, social structure at sub-Antarctic Marion Island

Variation in the distribution and abundance of food resources are key factors affecting animal sociality. In environments with variable resources, dynamic social organization, such as the fission and fusion of groups, is thought to increase the benefits of group living, while reducing the costs. We investigated the relationship between social organization and prey abundance in a highly social predator, the killer whale. This was achieved by analysing 12 years (2006–2018) of seasonally delineated (coinciding with high and low prey abundances) association data obtained from nearly 90 000 identification photographs of killer whales in-shore at Marion Island in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean. Association network measures were compared between periods using randomized association matrices. Half-weight association index, degree, number of modules and group size were all greater during periods of high prey abundance while mean distance, centrality and modularity were lower during this same period. Results suggest that killer whales at Marion Island were more social, formed larger groups and had more associations during periods of high prey abundance. During periods of lower prey abundance, fewer interactions, stronger clustering and more division in the association network were observed. These results indicate that the social organization of this population of killer whales is seasonally dynamic, with increased sociality measures coinciding with periods of higher prey abundance. These results are similar to those of other social species, emphasizing the importance of resource abundance as a driver of social structure in animal societies.The South African Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) provided funding through the National Research Foundation's SANAP and Thuthuka programmes. Additional funding through the International Whaling Commission Southern Ocean Research Partnership, the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund and a FILAMO Mobility grant.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/anbehavhj2022Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

Seasonal fission and fusion of killer whale, Orcinus orca, social structure at sub-Antarctic Marion Island

Variation in the distribution and abundance of food resources are key factors affecting animal sociality. In environments with variable resources, dynamic social organization, such as the fission and fusion of groups, is thought to increase the benefits of group living, while reducing the costs. We investigated the relationship between social organization and prey abundance in a highly social predator, the killer whale. This was achieved by analysing 12 years (2006–2018) of seasonally delineated (coinciding with high and low prey abundances) association data obtained from nearly 90 000 identification photographs of killer whales in-shore at Marion Island in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean. Association network measures were compared between periods using randomized association matrices. Half-weight association index, degree, number of modules and group size were all greater during periods of high prey abundance while mean distance, centrality and modularity were lower during this same period. Results suggest that killer whales at Marion Island were more social, formed larger groups and had more associations during periods of high prey abundance. During periods of lower prey abundance, fewer interactions, stronger clustering and more division in the association network were observed. These results indicate that the social organization of this population of killer whales is seasonally dynamic, with increased sociality measures coinciding with periods of higher prey abundance. These results are similar to those of other social species, emphasizing the importance of resource abundance as a driver of social structure in animal societies