The Influence of Sociodemographic and Land Use Patterns on Public Transport Use in Christchurch, New Zealand

This thesis investigated the links between public transport use and sociodemographic and land use factors. A dataset of address information about regular bus smartcard users was sourced. These addresses were geocoded using Geographical Information Systems, and the address points derived through this process were used to calculate the percentage of regular bus users in Census meshblock spatial areas. This percentage was then compared to a number of different factors, including deprivation levels (a measure of sociodemographic status), average distance to the nearest bus stop and bus route, and a number of variables from the New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings, using a number of forms of analysis. The number of cardholders in different residential zonings was assessed, along with the average number of trips taken per day by cardholders. Results indicate that there was a relationship between the regular Metrocard users and deprivation, and regular Metrocard users and land use, however the statistical validity of these relationships was low. Principal component analysis and regression analysis were carried out to assess what variables best explained the proportion of bus use. It was found that the presence of International Students in an area accounted for the biggest variation in the levels of bus use, along with people who were Unemployed and of Maori or Pacific ethnicity, and people who have limited access to vehicles. However, the statistical validity of these results was again low

The beneficial effects of exercise in rodents are preserved after detraining: a phenomenon unrelated to GLUT4 expression

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although exercise training has well-known cardiorespiratory and metabolic benefits, low compliance with exercise training programs is a fact, and the harmful effects of physical detraining regarding these adaptations usually go unnoticed. We investigated the effects of exercise detraining on blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, and GLUT4 expression in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Studied animals were randomized into sedentary, trained (treadmill running/5 days a week, 60 min/day for 10 weeks), 1 week of detraining, and 2 weeks of detraining. Blood pressure (tail-cuff system), insulin sensitivity (kITT), and GLUT4 (Western blot) in heart, gastrocnemius and white fat tissue were measured.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Exercise training reduced blood pressure (19%), improved insulin sensitivity (24%), and increased GLUT4 in the heart (+34%); gastrocnemius (+36%) and fat (+22%) in SHR. In WKY no change in either blood pressure or insulin sensitivity were observed, but there was an increase in GLUT4 in the heart (+25%), gastrocnemius (+45%) and fat (+36%) induced by training. Both periods of detraining did not induce any change in neither blood pressure nor insulin sensitivity in SHR and WKY. One-week detraining reduced GLUT4 in SHR (heart: -28%; fat: -23%) and WKY (heart: -19%; fat: -22%); GLUT4 in the gastrocnemius was reduced after a 2-week detraining (SHR: -35%; WKY: -25%). There was a positive correlation between GLUT4 (gastrocnemius) and the maximal velocity in the exercise test (r = 0.60, p = 0.004).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The study findings show that in detraining, despite reversion of the enhanced GLUT4 expression, cardiorespiratory and metabolic beneficial effects of exercise are preserved.</p

In vitro Efficacy of a Novel Guanosine-Analog Phosphonate

Actinic keratosis, a frequent carcinoma in situ of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), can transform into life-threatening cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Current treatment is limited due to low complete clearance rates and asks for novel therapeutic concepts; the novel purine nucleotide analogue OxBu may be an option. In order to enhance skin penetration, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN, 136-156 nm) were produced with an OxBu entrapment efficiency of 96.5 ± 0.1%. For improved preclinical evaluation, we combined tissue engineering with clinically used keratin-18 quantification. Three doses of 10-3 mol/l OxBu, dissolved in phosphate-buffered saline as well as loaded to SLN, were effective on reconstructed NMSC. Tumour response and apoptosis induction were evaluated by an increase in caspase-cleaved fragment of keratin-18, caspase-7 activation as well as by reduced expression of matrix metallopeptidase-2 and Ki-67. OxBu efficacy was superior to equimolar 5-fluorouracil solution, and thus the drug should be subjected to the next step in preclinical evaluation

Validation of a tearing mode locking model using a database of disruptive plasmas at ASDEX Upgrade

An exploratory study is presented that aims at validating a model for mode locking on the basis of a large set of ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) discharges. Not discriminating between plasma configurations, the model allows to estimate the duration of the deceleration phase, as well as the critical mode width for locking. Both quantities are important for the design of disruption avoidance algorithms that aim to affect the MHD mode rotation. It was found that the model successfully described locking of large modes in those cases where the deceleration started in a quasi-stationary phase of the discharge (i.e. with low variability of the global plasma angular momentum prior to mode seeding) and where deceleration took place over temporal intervals comparable to the momentum confinement time. Theoretical braking curves and locking durations predicted with the model were in good quantitative agreement with the experiment. On the other hand, the model failed to reproduce the braking curves of modes appearing towards the end of a transient phase, e.g. during an impurity influx or when approaching the disruptive density limit. It can be concluded that the modes were not the primary cause of the plasma momentum losses within the scope of the model. A modified mode equation of motion is proposed, which accounts for transient variation of the plasma density, e.g. during the development of a MARFE, and its impact on braking predictions is discussed. Furthermore, it was observed that a substantial fraction of modes was rotating at the onset of a major disruptive event. Consequences of this observation on disruption prediction schemes in AUG are examined

XY models with disorder and symmetry-breaking fields in two dimensions

The combined effect of disorder and symmetry-breaking fields on the two-dimensional XY model is examined. The study includes disorder in the interaction among spins in the form of random phase shifts as well as disorder in the local orientation of the field. The phase diagrams are determined and the properties of the various phases and phase transitions are calculated. We use a renormalization group approach in the Coulomb gas representation of the model. Our results differ from those obtained for special cases in previous works. In particular, we find a changed topology of the phase diagram that is composed of phases with long-range order, quasi-long-range order, and short-range order. The discrepancies can be ascribed to a breakdown of the fugacity expansion in the Coulomb gas representation. Implications for physical systems such as planar Josephson junctions and the faceting of crystal surfaces are discussed.Comment: 17 pages Latex with 5 eps figures, change: acknowledgment extende