Relationship Quality in Casual Dining Restaurants in Tshwane.

The aim of this paper is to report on the factors that influence customers' patronage decisions in the City of Tshwane, the former Pretoria, in the Republic of South Africa. In this quantitative study the researcher conducted a survey by using a questionnaire to collect data. A total of 211 questionnaires were completed and the data were analysed using STATA (v12). This study found that food quality, service quality, physical environment, location and price determine the relationship quality between diners and restaurants in the City

UK Quaternary : mapping and modelling the Quaternary - meeting our stakeholder needs

• This report provides an assessment of the strategic significance of Quaternary geology relative to the British Geological Survey (BGS) and its range of UK stakeholders. The report examines the type of information, data and knowledge that is required by our stakeholders and proposes a vision for how BGS will the tackle the Quaternary to deliver this. •The Quaternary – the last 2.588 Ma of geological time – is one of the most critical parts of the UK geological record. The Quaternary coincides with the geology that occurs in much of the shallow sub-surface. It reflects the part of the geological record most frequently interacted with and utilised by humans, but also the part of the geological record most impacted (buried, eroded and deformed) by the wide range of geological processes that operated during the Quaternary. • The geological record of the Quaternary is marked by a distinctive variability and heterogeneity that poses significant challenges and risks for BGS stakeholders. Improving our data, knowledge and understanding of this critical part of the geological record is important to help our stakeholders understand and mitigate against geological risks and to inform better planning and decision making. • BGS has a proven track record of characterising the Quaternary, but our approaches need to evolve to meet the demands provided by: (1) new geological knowledge and understanding; (2) the improved access to increasingly better-quality digital data; (3) the availability of new analytical techniques that enable us to characterise the geology and uncertainty more effectively and quantitatively; and (4) our stakeholder need for quality information, data and guidance at multiple spatial scales. • In this report we make several strategic recommendations for how our approach to the Quaternary can evolve and how this can be communicated to stakeholders most effectively. We consider that this should occur through the modernisation of the Quaternary Domains dataset; the development of new approaches to classifying and characterising the Quaternary; and the requirement for a spatial dataset or data matrix for storing and managing corporate data and information

Comprehensive analysis of epigenetic clocks reveals associations between disproportionate biological ageing and hippocampal volume

The concept of age acceleration, the difference between biological age and chronological age, is of growing interest, particularly with respect to age-related disorders, such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Whilst studies have reported associations with AD risk and related phenotypes, there remains a lack of consensus on these associations. Here we aimed to comprehensively investigate the relationship between five recognised measures of age acceleration, based on DNA methylation patterns (DNAm age), and cross-sectional and longitudinal cognition and AD-related neuroimaging phenotypes (volumetric MRI and Amyloid-β PET) in the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) and the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Significant associations were observed between age acceleration using the Hannum epigenetic clock and cross-sectional hippocampal volume in AIBL and replicated in ADNI. In AIBL, several other findings were observed cross-sectionally, including a significant association between hippocampal volume and the Hannum and Phenoage epigenetic clocks. Further, significant associations were also observed between hippocampal volume and the Zhang and Phenoage epigenetic clocks within Amyloid-β positive individuals. However, these were not validated within the ADNI cohort. No associations between age acceleration and other Alzheimer’s disease-related phenotypes, including measures of cognition or brain Amyloid-β burden, were observed, and there was no association with longitudinal change in any phenotype. This study presents a link between age acceleration, as determined using DNA methylation, and hippocampal volume that was statistically significant across two highly characterised cohorts. The results presented in this study contribute to a growing literature that supports the role of epigenetic modifications in ageing and AD-related phenotypes

New insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

Characterization of the genetic landscape of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADD) provides a unique opportunity for a better understanding of the associated pathophysiological processes. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association study totaling 111,326 clinically diagnosed/'proxy' AD cases and 677,663 controls. We found 75 risk loci, of which 42 were new at the time of analysis. Pathway enrichment analyses confirmed the involvement of amyloid/tau pathways and highlighted microglia implication. Gene prioritization in the new loci identified 31 genes that were suggestive of new genetically associated processes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway through the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. We also built a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future AD/dementia or progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD/dementia. The improvement in prediction led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in AD risk from the lowest to the highest decile, in addition to effects of age and the APOE ε4 allele

Uncovering the heterogeneity and temporal complexity of neurodegenerative diseases with Subtype and Stage Inference

The heterogeneity of neurodegenerative diseases is a key confound to disease understanding and treatment development, as study cohorts typically include multiple phenotypes on distinct disease trajectories. Here we introduce a machine-learning technique\u2014Subtype and Stage Inference (SuStaIn)\u2014able to uncover data-driven disease phenotypes with distinct temporal progression patterns, from widely available cross-sectional patient studies. Results from imaging studies in two neurodegenerative diseases reveal subgroups and their distinct trajectories of regional neurodegeneration. In genetic frontotemporal dementia, SuStaIn identifies genotypes from imaging alone, validating its ability to identify subtypes; further the technique reveals within-genotype heterogeneity. In Alzheimer\u2019s disease, SuStaIn uncovers three subtypes, uniquely characterising their temporal complexity. SuStaIn provides fine-grained patient stratification, which substantially enhances the ability to predict conversion between diagnostic categories over standard models that ignore subtype (p = 7.18 7 10 124 ) or temporal stage (p = 3.96 7 10 125 ). SuStaIn offers new promise for enabling disease subtype discovery and precision medicine

Extralabel mastitis theraphy: what does it mean?

Extra-label drug use (ELDU) is needed to provide optimal therapy for ill dairy cattle. Proper ELDU requires cooperation and compliance between the veterinarian and producer to ensure that proper drug withdrawal times are observed

Clinical mastitis perceptions of Kansas dairy producers

Mastitis is considered the most costly disease in the U.S. dairy industry. Treatment of clinical mastitis is the major reason for antibiotic contamination of products on U.S. dairy farms. A survey of 183 dairy producers was conducted to determine their perceptions regarding clinical mastitis treatments and what constituted their treatment regimens. Results indicated that 33% of dairy producers used a coliform vaccine, 10% used a Staphylococcus aureus vaccine, and 38% did no prestripping before milking cows. Obtaining a clinical cure (restoration of normal milk) was considered the most important aspect of mastitis treatment success (110/183; 60%) compared to bacteriological cure (absence of bacterial pathogen), somatic cell count cure (cells count back to near normal concentrations), milk production (back to near pre-mastitis levels), and udder firmness (back to near normal firmness). Average treatment success for mastitis reported by the 183 producers was 70%, with a range of 10 to 100%. Seventy-three (92%) producers listed “off-feed” as a good measure of the severity of clinical mastitis, followed closely by general appearance (91%). Appearance of udder and milk, droopy ears, appearance of the eyes, and low milk production were other popular methods used to determine the severity of clinical mastitis. Dairy producers believed that 5.3 days (range of 1 to 45 days) passed between first recognition of a clinical case until normal milk was restored. Only 34% of producers utilized rectal temperatures as a diagnostic tool for mastitis. Many treatments used were extra-label and some were potentially illegal. However, the results presented demonstrate a wide diversity of products used and a general lack of consensus of what is considered efficacious mastitis treatment. In addition, drug dosages and duration of therapy varied considerably. Greater education on proper dosages, durations, and potential efficacy of treatments should be beneficial. A clear need exists for conducting efficacy studies to help establish necessary and justified treatments for clinical mastitis