The UK Experience of COPD National Audit

Compared with most European countries the UK has a relatively long tradition of participation in clinical audit following the publication in 1989 of a government document ‘Working for Patients’ [...

Some Empirical Regularities of the Humber River Drainage Net

In describing the drainage net of the Humber River (Ontario), the various parameters used (stream length, number, order: basin area: mean annual discharge) were found to have clear linear relationships. These relationships could not have arisen by chance, and, hence, reflect the regularity of the erosional processes at work. Product moment correlation analysis was also employed between stream length and basin area

Assessment of the environmental toxicity and carcinogenicity of tungsten-based shot.

The toxicity of elemental tungsten released from discharged shot was assessed against previous studies that established a 1% toxic threshold for soil organisms. Extremely heavy theoretical shot loadings of 69,000 shot/ha were used to generate estimated environmental concentrations (EEC) for two brands of tungsten-based shot containing 51% and 95% tungsten. The corresponding tungsten EEC values were 6.5–13.5 mg W/kg soil, far below the 1% toxic threshold. The same shot loading in water produced tungsten EEC values of 2.1–4.4 mg W/L, levels that are not toxic under experimental conditions. Pure tungsten has not been shown to exhibit carcinogenic properties when ingested or embedded in animal tissues, but nickel, with which it is often alloyed, has known carcinogenicity. Given the large number of waterfowl that carry shot embedded in their body, it is advisable to screen lead shot substitutes for their carcinogenic potential through intra-muscular implantation

15N NMR study of a mixture of uniformly labeled tRNAs

15N NMR spectra were taken of 15N-enriched tRNA extracted from bakers yeast; ammonium sulfate was used as a nitrogen source. The increase in the degree of denaturation of tRNA, which occurs with increase in temperature from 30 degrees C to 70 degrees C, resulted in no large changes in 15N chemical shifts at acidic and neutral pH but quite pronounced changes in proton-15N nuclear Overhauser effects

Statistical Models of Reconstructed Phase Spaces for Signal Classification

This paper introduces a novel approach to the analysis and classification of time series signals using statistical models of reconstructed phase spaces. With sufficient dimension, such reconstructed phase spaces are, with probability one, guaranteed to be topologically equivalent to the state dynamics of the generating system, and, therefore, may contain information that is absent in analysis and classification methods rooted in linear assumptions. Parametric and nonparametric distributions are introduced as statistical representations over the multidimensional reconstructed phase space, with classification accomplished through methods such as Bayes maximum likelihood and artificial neural networks (ANNs). The technique is demonstrated on heart arrhythmia classification and speech recognition. This new approach is shown to be a viable and effective alternative to traditional signal classification approaches, particularly for signals with strong nonlinear characteristics

Collaborative working within UK NHS secondary care and across sectors for COPD and the impact of peer review : qualitative findings from the UK National COPD Resources and Outcomes Project

Introduction: We investigated the effects on collaborative work within the UK National Health Service (NHS) of an intervention for service quality improvement: informal, structured, reciprocated, multidisciplinary peer review with feedback and action plans. The setting was care for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Theory and methods: We analysed semi-structured interviews with 43 hospital respiratory consultants, nurses and general managers at 24 intervention and 11 control sites, as part of a UK randomised controlled study, the National COPD Resources and Outcomes Project (NCROP), using Scott’s conceptual framework for action (inter-organisational, intra-organisational, inter-professional and inter-individual). Three areas of care targeted by NCROP involved collaboration across primary and secondary care. Results: Hospital respiratory department collaborations with commissioners and hospital managers varied. Analysis suggested that this is related to team responses to barriers. Clinicians in unsuccessful collaborations told ‘atrocity stories’ of organisational, structural and professional barriers to service improvement. The others removed barriers by working with government and commissioner agendas to ensure continued involvement in patients’ care. Multidisciplinary peer review facilitated collaboration between participants, enabling them to meet, reconcile differences and exchange ideas across boundaries. Conclusions: The data come from the first randomised controlled trial of organisational peer review, adding to research into UK health service collaborative work, which has had a more restricted focus on inter-professional relations. NCROP peer review may only modestly improve collaboration but these data suggest it might be more effective than top-down exhortations to change when collaboration both across and within organisations is required

The effect of a decaffeinated green tea extract formula on fat oxidation, body composition and exercise performance

Background: The cardio-metabolic and antioxidant health benefits of caffeinated green tea (GT) relate to its catechin polyphenol content. Less is known about decaffeinated extracts, particularly in combination with exercise. The aim of this study was therefore to determine whether a decaffeinated green tea extract (dGTE) positively influenced fat oxidation, body composition and exercise performance in recreationally active participants. Methods: Fourteen, recreationally active males participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel design intervention (mean±SE; age = 21.4±0.3 yrs; weight = 76.37±1.73 kg; body fat = 16.84±0.97 %, peak oxygen consumption [V̇O2peak] = 3.00±0.10 L·min-1). Participants were randomly assigned capsulated dGTE (571 mg·d-1; n=7) or placebo (PL; n=7) for 4 weeks. Following body composition and resting cardiovascular measures, participants cycled for 1 hour at 50% V̇O2peak, followed by a 40 minute performance trial at week 0, 2 and 4. Fat and carbohydrate oxidation was assessed via indirect calorimetry. Pre-post exercise blood samples were collected for determination of total fatty acids (TFA). Distance covered (km) and average power output (W) were assessed as exercise performance criteria. Results: Total fat oxidation rates increased by 24.9 % from 0.241±0.025 to 0.301±0.009 g·min-1 with dGTE (P=0.05; ηp2 = 0.45) by week 4, whereas substrate utilisation was unaltered with PL. Body fat significantly decreased with dGTE by 1.63±0.16 % in contrast to PL over the intervention period (P<0.001; ηp2 = 0.84). No significant changes for FFA or blood pressure between groups were observed. dGTE resulted in a 10.9 % improvement in performance distance covered from 20.23±0.54 km to 22.43 ± 0.40 km by week 4 (P<0.001; ηp2 = 0.85). Conclusions: A 4 week dGTE intervention favourably enhanced substrate utilisation and subsequent performance indices, but did not alter TFA concentrations in comparison to PL. The results support the use of catechin polyphenols from dGTE in combination with exercise training in recreationally active volunteers

Two Middle Holocene Marker Beds in Vertically Accreted Floodplain Deposits, Lower Fraser River, British Columbia

Drill cores obtained from the eastern Fraser Delta and adjoining Fraser River floodplain reveal two middle Holocene marker beds—a peat with an age of about 6000 14C yr BP and a tephra bed, identified as Mazama (6800 yr BP). These marker beds, in conjunction with 14C dates from the flood-plain sediments, indicate that the Fraser River floodplain aggraded in response to a rise in sea-level, between about 8000 and 2250 yr BP, and that aggradation kept pace with sea-level rise. The aggradational deposits form a sediment wedge consisting mainly of organic-rich silts and fine sands of overbank origin. The wedge extends at least 20 km into the lower Fraser River Valley. Preservation of the marker beds indicates considerable channel stability in the lower reaches of the Fraser River over about the last 7000 years.Des carottes recueillies dans la partie est du delta du Fraser et de la plaine d'inondation adjacente montrent deux lits repères datant du milieu de l'Holocène, un lit de tourbe datant d'à peu près 6000 BP et un lit de tephra, correspondant à l'éruption du mont Mazama (6800 BP). Ces lits repères, ainsi que les datations au radiocarbone obtenues dans les sédiments de crue, montrent que la plaine d'inondation du Fraser a progressé en réponse à une hausse du niveau marin survenue entre environ 8000 et 2250 BP et que l'aggradation suivait la hausse du niveau marin. L'accumulation de sédiments, de forme triangulaire, est composée principalement de limons riches en matière organique et de sables fins d'origine alluviale. Le triangle s'étend jusqu'à au moins 20 km dans la vallée inférieure du Fraser. La conservation des lits repères démontre la grande stabilité des biefs du Fraser inférieur depuis environ 7000 ans.Bohrkerne von dem ôstlichen Fraser-Delta und der angrenzenden Hochflutebene lassen zwei Betten aus dem mittleren Holozân erkennen, die als Anhalt dienen: ein Torfbett das auf etwa 6000 "1C Jahre v.u.Z. datiert wird und ein Tephra-Bett, das aus der Zeit des Ausbruchs des Mazamabergs stammt (6800 Jahre v.u.Z.). Die als Anhaltspunkt dienenden Betten weisen zusammen mit den von den Hochflutsedimenten gewonnenen 14C-Daten darauf hin, dass die Hochflut des Fraser-Flusses als Reaktion auf eine Anhebung des Meeresspiegels zwischen etwa 8000 und 2250 Jahren v.u.Z. zugenommen hat. und dass diese Zunahme der Hebung des Meeresspiegels entsprach. Die Akkumulationssedimente bilden einen Sedimentkeil, der vor allem aus organisch reichem Schlamm und feinem Sand alluvialer Herkunft besteht. Der Keil erstreckt sich mindestens 20 km in das TaI des unteren Fraser. Die Erhaltung der als Anhaltspunkte dienenden Betten beweist eine beachtliche Kanalstabilitât in den unteren Stillen des Fraser wâhrend ungefàhr 7000 Jahren

Economic Assessment of Food Safety Regulations: The New Approach to Meat and Poultry Inspection

USDA is now requiring all Federally inspected meat and poultry processing and slaughter plants to implement a new system called Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) to reduce potentially harmful microbial pathogens in the food supply. This report finds that the benefits of the new regulations, which are the medical costs and productivity losses that are prevented when foodborne illnesses are averted, will likely exceed the costs, which include spending by firms on sanitation, temperature control, planning and training, and testing. Other, nonregulatory approaches can also improve food safety, such as providing market incentives for pathogen reduction, irradiation, and education and labeling to promote safe food handling and thorough cooking.food safety, foodborne illness, microbial pathogens, meat and poultry inspection, HACCP, cost of illness, consumer education, irradiation, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Livestock Production/Industries,

What do mathematicians think about their journals? peer reviewquality tops list of stated issues

Cameron Neylon (Curtin University), David Michael Roberts (University of Adelaide) and Mark C Wilson (University of Auckland) have conducted a large-scale survey of what mathematicians think of their scholarly publishing options and what improvements are required. Covering topics like open access, peer review and editorial processes, the survey findings reveal some fascinating insights into the scholarly communication system as it currently stands and what changes could be made to make it better