The Road to Tenure: Obstacles for the Media Adviser

Tenure has been the topic of various journal articles, but few have examined the process from within specific disciplines. This study surveyed 136 advisers of campus radio and television stations to ascertain what obstacles to tenure were associated with this position. Respondents reported that 1) advising a media outlet takes time from teaching and research; 2) advising the station and producing programming is not highly valued by tenure committees; 3) tenure is essential to job security because students tend to push the envelope in on-air activities, and; 4) tenure is an archaic concept and they have no interest in pursuing it

The Myth of the Five-Day Forecast: A Study of Television Weather Accuracy and Audience Perceptions of Accuracy in Columbus, Ohio

Television weather has not been studied in a communication journal since 1982, despite technological advances and a reliance on forecasts by a transient public.This study measured accuracy of weather forecasts in central Ohio and found that stations were very accurate in predicting within 48 hours,but extended forecasts were quite inaccurate. Interviews with local television weathercasters revealed that they use the extended forecast as a marketing tool. Telephone interviews with 315 central Ohio residents revealed that they not only rely on the five-day forecasts, but believe them to be accurate.Television was cited as the dominant resource for weather information, and a majority of respondents said they choose weather forecasts for reasons other than perceived accuracy

Fluctuation of left ventricular thresholds and required safety margin for left ventricular pacing with cardiac resynchronization therapy

AIMS: Fluctuations in left ventricular (LV) thresholds with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) are unknown. The LV capture management (LVCM) algorithm automatically measures LV thresholds on a daily basis and offers the opportunity to analyse threshold fluctuations. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 282 patients implanted with a Medtronic Concerto CRT-D device were prospectively studied. Device data were collected at periodic visits, including daily thresholds from the preceding 14 days and weekly threshold ranges since implantation, acquired by the LVCM algorithm up to 12 months' follow-up. Overall, LV thresholds remained relatively stable, with 189/208 (91%) patients having a maximum increase in threshold of > or = 1.0 V at any time between their 1 and 6 month visits and 127/135 (94%) between the 6 and 12 month visits. However, increase in threshold was significantly affected by LV threshold amplitude. Of the 170 patients with a 1 month threshold of > or = 2.0 V, 159 (94%) had increases of >1.0 V up to their 6 month visit, whereas 8/38 (21%) patients with or = 2.0 V) LV thresholds, a safety margin of 1.0 V is sufficient to ensure LV capture if phrenic nerve stimulation is an issue, and may be even lower in devices with auto-adaptive capture management algorithms. However, the margin should be greater in patients with higher thresholds because of larger fluctuations. Left ventricular capture management may be particularly useful in these patients to ensure LV capture without sacrificing device longevity

Gambaran Jumlah Eosinofil Darah Tepi Penderita Asma Bronkial di Bangsal Paru RSUP Dr. M. Djamil Padang

AbstrakAsma merupakan penyakit gangguan inflamasi kronis saluran pernapasan dengan banyak sel serta elemen seluler yang berperan. Asma dihubungkan dengan hiperresponsif bronkus, keterbatasan aliran udara dan gejala pernapasan yang bersifat reversibel. Salah satu sel yang diketahui berperan besar dalam patogenesis asma adalah eosinofil. Eosinofil melepaskan berbagai mediator seperti Major Basic Protein, Eosinophil Cationic Protein, peroksidase eosinofil, leukotrien C4, serta Platelet-Activating Faktor yang akan merusak epitel saluran napas serta menyebabkan peradangan. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan pada bulan Januari sampai Desember 2012 di Bagian Rekam Medik RSUP Dr. M. Djamil Padang dengan tujuan untuk melihat gambaran jumlah eosinofil darah tepi pada penderita asma bronkial yang dirawat inap. Penelitian yang dilakukan bersifat deskriptif dengan tinjauan retrospektif. Penelitian dilakukan dengan melihat data rekam medis penderita asma bronkial yang dirawat inap di Bangsal Paru RSUP Dr. M. Djamil Padang periode Januari 2010-Desember 2012. Dalam periode dua tahun tersebut, diperoleh 18 sampel yang digunakan pada penelitian ini. Hasil yang diperoleh ialah 4 penderita memiliki jumlah eosinofil darah tepi normal (40-400/mm3) (22,22%) dan 14 penderita memiliki jumlah eosinofil darah tepi dibawah normal (400/mm3). Jumlah eosinofil darah tepi pada penderita asma bronkial lebih banyak dibawah normal.Kata kunci: Asma Bronkial, EosinofilAbstractAsthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways in which many cells and cellular elements play a role. Asthma is associated with hyperresponsif bronchi, airflow limitation, and respiratory symptomps that are reversible. One of cells which is known to play a major role in asthma pathogenesis is eosinophil. Eosinophil release a variety of mediators such as Major Basic Protein, Eosinophil Cationic Protein, Eosinophil Peroxidase, Leukotriene C4, and Platelet Activating Factor that will damage airway epithelium and cause inflammation. The research was conducted in January 2012 through December 2012 at Medical Records Department of RSUP Dr. M. Djamil Padang aiming to see the overview of peripheral blood eosinophil number in patient with bronchial asthma who are hospitalized. The research conducted is using descriptive retrospective review. The study is done by looking medical record data of bronchial asthma patient hospitalized in pulmonary ward of RSUP Dr. M. Djamil Padang in the period of January 2010-December 2012. In the two year period, there are 18 patients which are used in the study. The results are 4 patients had normal peripheral blood eosinophil number (40-400/mm3)(22,22%), 14 patients had low peripheral blood eosinophil number (400/mm3). Peripheral blood eosinophil number in bronchial asthma patient is mostly low.Keywords: Bronchial Asthma, Eosinophi

A fruit diet rather than invertebrate diet maintains a robust innate immunity in an omnivorous tropical songbird

Experiments were funded by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) Academy Ecology Fund to C.J.N—(KENMERK J1618/ECO/G437). C.J.N. was supported by a studentship funded by the Leventis Conservation Foundation through the University of St. Andrews UK and an Ubbo Emmius grant of the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. B.I.T. was supported by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO‐Vidi 864.10.012).1. Diet alteration may lead to nutrient limitations even in the absence of food limitation, and this may affect physiological functions, including immunity. Nutrient limitations may also affect the maintenance of body mass and key life history events that may affect immune function. Yet, variation in immune function is largely attributed to energetic trade-offs rather than specific nutrient constraints. 2. To test the effect of diet on life history traits, we tested how diet composition affects innate immune function, body mass and moult separately and in combination with each other, and then used path analyses to generate hypotheses about the mechanistic connections between immunity and body mass under different diet composition. 3. We performed a balanced parallel and crossover design experiment with omnivorous common bulbuls Pycnonotus barbatus in out-door aviaries in Nigeria. We fed 40 wild-caught bulbuls ad libitum on fruits or invertebrates for 24 weeks, switching half of each group between treatments after 12 weeks. We assessed innate immune indices (haptoglobin, nitric oxide and ovotransferrin concentrations, and haemagglutination and haemolysis titres), body mass and primary moult, fortnightly. We simplified immune indices into three principal components (PCs), but we explored mechanistic connections between diet, body mass and each immune index separately. 4. Fruit fed bulbuls had higher body mass, earlier moult and showed higher values for two of the three immune PCs compared to invertebrate fed bulbuls. These effects were reversed when we switched bulbuls between treatments after 12 weeks. Exploring the correlations between immune function, body mass and moult, showed that an increase in immune function was associated with a decrease in body mass and delayed moult in invertebrate fed bulbuls, while fruit fed bulbuls maintained body mass despite variation in immune function. Path analyses indicated that diet composition was most likely to affect body mass and immune indices directly and independently from each other. Only haptoglobin concentration was indirectly linked to diet composition via body mass. 5. We demonstrated a causal effect of diet composition on innate immune function, body mass and moult: bulbuls were in better condition when fed on fruits than invertebrates, confirming that innate immunity is nutrient specific. Our results are unique because they show a reversible effect of diet composition on wild adult birds whose immune systems are presumably fully developed and adapted to wild conditions – demonstrating a short-term consequence of diet alteration on life history traits.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Study protocol: can a school gardening intervention improve children's diets?

BACKGROUND: The current academic literature suggests there is a potential for using gardening as a tool to improve children's fruit and vegetable intake. This study is two parallel randomised controlled trials (RCT) devised to evaluate the school gardening programme of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Campaign for School Gardening, to determine if it has an effect on children's fruit and vegetable intake. METHOD/DESIGN: Trial One will consist of 26 schools; these schools will be randomised into two groups, one to receive the intensive intervention as "Partner Schools" and the other to receive the less intensive intervention as "Associate Schools". Trial Two will consist of 32 schools; these schools will be randomised into either the less intensive intervention "Associate Schools" or a comparison group with delayed intervention. Baseline data collection will be collected using a 24-hour food diary (CADET) to collect data on dietary intake and a questionnaire exploring children's knowledge and attitudes towards fruit and vegetables. A process measures questionnaire will be used to assess each school's gardening activities. DISCUSSION: The results from these trials will provide information on the impact of the RHS Campaign for School Gardening on children's fruit and vegetable intake. The evaluation will provide valuable information for designing future research in primary school children's diets and school based interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN11396528

Can agricultural cultivation methods influence the healthfulness of crops for foods

The aim of the current study was to investigate if there are any health effects of long-term consumption of organically grown crops using a rat model. Crops were retrieved over two years from along-term field trial at three different locations in Denmark, using three different cultivation systems(OA, organic based on livestock manure; OB, organic based on green manure; and C, conventional with mineral fertilizers and pesticides)with two field replicates. The cultivation system had an impact on the nutritional quality, affecting γ-tocopherol, some amino acids, and fatty acid composition. Additionally, the nutritional quality was affected by harvest year and location. However, harvest year and location rather than cultivation system affected the measured health biomarkers. In conclusion, the differences in dietary treatments composed of ingredients from different cultivation systems did not lead to significant differences in the measured health biomarkers, except for a significant difference in plasma IgGl evels

No Evidence for a Trade-Off between Reproductive Investment and Immunity in a Rodent

Life history theory assumes there are trade-offs between competing functions such as reproduction and immunity. Although well studied in birds, studies of the trade-offs between reproduction and immunity in small mammals are scarce. Here we examined whether reduced immunity is a consequence of reproductive effort in lactating Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii). Specifically, we tested the effects of lactation on immune function (Experiment I). The results showed that food intake and resting metabolic rate (RMR) were higher in lactating voles (6≤ litter size ≤8) than that in non-reproductive voles. Contrary to our expectation, lactating voles also had higher levels of serum total Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and anti-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) IgG and no change in phytohemagglutinin (PHA) response and anti-KLH Immunoglobulin M (IgM) compared with non-reproductive voles, suggesting improved rather than reduced immune function. To further test the effect of differences in reproductive investment on immunity, we compared the responses between natural large (n≥8) and small litter size (n≤6) (Experiment II) and manipulated large (11–13) and small litter size (2–3) (Experiment III). During peak lactation, acquired immunity (PHA response, anti-KLH IgG and anti-KLH IgM) was not significantly different between voles raising large or small litters in both experiments, despite the measured difference in reproductive investment (greater litter size, litter mass, RMR and food intake in the voles raising larger litters). Total IgG was higher in voles with natural large litter size than those with natural small litter size, but decreased in the enlarged litter size group compared with control and reduced group. Our results showed that immune function is not suppressed to compensate the high energy demands during lactation in Brandt's voles and contrasting the situation in birds, is unlikely to be an important aspect mediating the trade-off between reproduction and survival