Florida marine biotechnology: research, development and training capabilities to advance science and commerce

The level of activity and interest in “marine biotechnology” among Florida university faculty and allied laboratory scientists is reported in this document. The information will be used to (1) promote networking and collaboration in research and education, (2) inform industry of possible academic partners, (3) identify contacts interested in potential new sources of funding, and (4) assist development of funding for a statewide marine biotechnology research, training and development program. This document is the first of its kind. Institutions of higher learning were given the opportunity to contribute both an overview of campus capabilities and individual faculty Expressions of Scientific Interest. They are listed in the table of contents. (104pp.

Memórias de uma vida dedicada à Trompa

O objectivo do presente trabalho é o de demonstrar como evoluímos, não só na escola, com os nossos professores, mas também no ambiente onde vivemos, onde trabalhamos, onde fazemos nossas actividades profissionais e não profissionais, aprendendo assim com a vida, com os nossos erros e com os erros dos outros. Desta forma, a presente exposição abordará as seguintes áreas do meu percurso pessoal e profissional: 1. Fase inicial, Escola Básica de Música – Lidová Skola Umení – LSU – Escola Popular Artística. 2. Desenvolvimento na Escola Secundária de Música: Conservatório, Orquestra, Música de Câmara, Início da carreira de professor. 3. Universidade: Nível de Aprendizagem Superior, Concursos de Trompa, Início de actividade em Orquestras Profissionais. 4. Um ano na Orquestra das Forças Armadas em Praga. 5. A Orquestra de Ópera de L.Janacek em Brno e a Orquestra Filarmónica de Brno: Música de Câmara, Quarteto de Trompas e Quinteto de Metais. 6. Portugal: Nova Filarmonia Portuguesa, primeiras influências de outras escolas. 7. Régie Cooperativa Sinfonia, Orquestra Clássica do Porto, Orquestra Nacional do Porto. 8. Ensino nas escolas profissionais em Portugal. 9. Escola Superior de Música, Artes e Espectáculo do Instituto Politécnico do Porto (ESMAE/IPP): Concursos, Seminários e Master Classes. 10. A influência do AIKIDO na performance musical, no ensino e na vida. 11. As minhas formas de ensinar. 12. Passos essenciais da Trompa

Bayley\u27s Claims About Alice

Melanie Bayley, a doctoral candidate in Victorian literature, has recently authored two articles claiming that Lewis Carroll\u27s Alice in Wonderland was Charles Dodgson\u27s attempt to satirize the new mathematics of his day. We disagree completely with her thesis

Association of plasma uric acid with ischaemic heart disease and blood pressure: mendelian randomisation analysis of two large cohorts

Objectives: To assess the associations between both uric acid levels and hyperuricaemia, with ischaemic heart disease and blood pressure, and to explore the potentially confounding role of body mass index. Design: Mendelian randomisation analysis, using variation at specific genes (SLC2A9 (rs7442295) as an instrument for uric acid; and FTO (rs9939609), MC4R (rs17782313), and TMEM18 (rs6548238) for body mass index). Setting: Two large, prospective cohort studies in Denmark. Participants: We measured levels of uric acid and related covariables in 58 072 participants from the Copenhagen General Population Study and 10 602 from the Copenhagen City Heart Study, comprising 4890 and 2282 cases of ischaemic heart disease, respectively. Main outcome: Blood pressure and prospectively assessed ischaemic heart disease. Results: Estimates confirmed known observational associations between plasma uric acid and hyperuricaemia with risk of ischaemic heart disease and diastolic and systolic blood pressure. However, when using genotypic instruments for uric acid and hyperuricaemia, we saw no evidence for causal associations between uric acid, ischaemic heart disease, and blood pressure. We used genetic instruments to investigate body mass index as a potentially confounding factor in observational associations, and saw a causal effect on uric acid levels. Every four unit increase of body mass index saw a rise in uric acid of 0.03 mmol/L (95% confidence interval 0.02 to 0.04), and an increase in risk of hyperuricaemia of 7.5% (3.9% to 11.1%). Conclusion: By contrast with observational findings, there is no strong evidence for causal associations between uric acid and ischaemic heart disease or blood pressure. However, evidence supports a causal effect between body mass index and uric acid level and hyperuricaemia. This finding strongly suggests body mass index as a confounder in observational associations, and suggests a role for elevated body mass index or obesity in the development of uric acid related conditions

Factors supporting and preventing academics from becoming lifelong learners

In present circumstances, it has become inevitable for individuals to continue obtaining new information and skills throughout their lives. Having learned to learn and information literate individuals are able to meet their learning needs both in career and personal terms by themselves. The important aspect is the individual feels the need to learn and knows how and where to meet these needs. Feeling those can be considered as the basic requirement to make efforts in order to meet them. However, the surrounding circumstances may support or prevent meeting these needs. Since the situation of being a lifelong learner will be examined based on the present working conditions, the study is designed as embedded multiple case study. Maximum variety is ensured in the study group by taking into account the various academic titles, gender, and fields of study. The interview form is developed based on the literature and revised according to the opinions of specialists. The data has been collected by doing individual interviews with academics and a content analysis has been performed. In conclusion of the analysis performed, such themes as the need to become lifelong learners, the factors supporting to become lifelong learners and the factors preventing from becoming lifelong learners have been reached. © 2018, Sciedu Press. All rights reserved

Serum level of lactate dehydrogenase, homocystein, hemoglobin and platelet in preeclampsia

Objectives: Pre-eclampsia affects approximately 5-8% of pregnant women. The aim of this study was to compare the serum level of Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Homocystein, Hemoglubin and platelet in pregnant women diagnosed as pre-eclampsia and a normal group in Gorgan city, Northeastern Iran from 2007-2008. Methodology: In this case control study, 50 cases of pre-eclampsia were compared with the control group women hospitalized in Dezyani hospital. Pre-eclampsia criteria were: Blood pressure more than or equal to 140/90 mm hg and Proteinuria greater or equal to 300 mg/ 24 hours urine sample in the third trimester. Hemoglobin, platelet, LDH and hemocystein were measured. Data were analyzed by the mean of SPSS-14 program & Chi-2 or t-student were used. Results: The difference of BMI and family incomes was significant between two groups (P-value0.01). Hemocystein level was more than normal range in five patients with pre-eclampsia (P-value<0.001). Conclusions: In this study, hemocystein level was significantly higher in pre-eclampsia patients but LDH, hemoglobin and platelet level had no significant difference

Housing demand prediction in Selangor

Housing provision is one of the important sectors in ensuring socio-economic stability in Selangor as well as direct contributor to its economic growth. Its populations increased from 4.2 million in year 2000 to 6.3 million people in year 2016 affected the demand for housing. Thus, the sufficient houses should be provided to the next generations. The goal of the study is to develop housing demand prediction model based on 4 categories of housing in Selangor which are low cost, low-medium cost, medium cost and high cost houses. This study was focused in Selangor because the state was recorded highest residential after Johor and Penang. The aim was to determine housing demand for 4 categories of housing based on household formation. The study used Census Data 2010 from Department of Statistic Malaysia to determine the headship rate in Selangor using Headship Rate Method based on household formation. Then, a questionnaire was conducted on 415 respondents to determine the choice probability of selecting housing type by using Multinomial Logit (MNL) analysis in producing a Choice Probabilities (CP) Model. Result showed that low medium cost housing was the most preferable with the highest value of 0.899. Double Exponential Smoothing (DES) method was used to predict population for 14 level age groups from years 1970 until years 2020 based on Quick Population Info‟s data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia. Then total housing demand for 4 categories housing were determined by multiplying population with headship. This prediction model was validated using Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) between an actual and predictive data. The validation of error shows a value of 36.88% which is acceptable when the value close to zero. Thus, a small error indicates the high effectiveness performances in develop model prediction housing demand in Selangor. The finding helps Lembaga Perumahan dan Hartanah Selangor (LPHS) and other government agency to plan constructions for all housing categories in line with the demand