Aquaculture research and development in rural Africa: summary report

A summary report on the ICLARM-GTZ/Malawi Fisheries Department/University of Malawi International Conference in Zomba, Malawi, on 2-6 April 1990. Contains abstracts of the papers, which attempt to identify the reasons why the progress of aquaculture in Africa has been slow. With Malawi as a case study, fresh approaches to aquaculture development are presented.Aquaculture development, Small scale aquaculture, Sociological aspects, Aquaculture systems, Africa, Malawi,

Chromosomal Assignment of a Family of Human Oncogenes

A family of human transforming genes, previously shown to share homology with the ras family of viral oncogenes, maps to three different human chromosomes. A well-characterized mouse-human hybrid cell panel, combined with Southern blotting, was used in this study. The transforming gene of the T24 bladder carcinoma cell line maps to human chromosome 11. An oncogene isolated from the lung carcinoma cell line SK-Calu-1 maps to human chromosome 12. The third ras-related gene, cloned from SK-N-SH, a neuroblastoma cell line, maps to human chromosome 1

Compound heterozygote myocilin mutations in a pedigree with high prevalence of primary open-angle glaucoma

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License 3.0, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non commercial and is otherwise in compliance with the license.Purpose: To describe the phenotype of ocular hypertension and primary open-angle glaucoma in a family with individuals compound heterozygote for Gln368STOP and Thr377Met myocilin (MYOC) mutations. Methods: Family members of the proband underwent comprehensive ocular clinical examination and DNA sequencing for MYOC mutations. Results: A 34-year-old woman with marked ocular hypertension was found to carry Gln368STOP and Thr377Met MYOC mutations. Three other siblings carried both mutations, while one carried Gln368STOP alone. Three of five siblings had received treatment for ocular hypertension or early glaucoma, with the average age of diagnosis 28 years; one required trabeculectomy at age 27. The mother of the proband was found to be a carrier for Gln368STOP alone, which indicates that her offspring with both Gln368STOP and Thr377Met carry variants on opposing alleles. Conclusions: This pedigree is the first report with individuals compound heterozygote for the two most common glaucoma-causing MYOC variants. The combination of mutations manifests a more severe phenotype than either alone. Identification of gene changes associated with glaucoma within the family has enabled unaffected members to stratify their risk of future disease and institute closer monitoring and early treatment.CERA receives Operational Infrastructure Support from the Victorian Government. The Australian and New Zealand Registry of Advanced Glaucoma is funded by the RANZCO Eye Foundation. KPB and JEC are funded by a Career Development Award and Practitioner Fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, respectively

Exploring the use of rapport in professional information‐gathering contexts by systematically mapping the evidence base

A growing body of research illustrates consensus between researchers and practitioners that developing rapport facilitates cooperation and disclosure in a range of professional information gathering contexts. In such contexts, rapport behaviors are often intentionally used in an attempt to facilitate a positive interaction with another adult, which may or may not result in genuine mutual rapport. To examine how rapport has been manipulated and measured in professional contexts we systematically mapped the relevant evidence-base in this field. For each of the 35 studies that met our inclusion criteria, behaviors associated with building rapport were coded in relation to whether they were verbal, non-verbal, or para-verbal. Methods to measure rapport were also coded and recorded, as were different types of disclosure. A Searchable Systematic Map was produced to catalogue key study characteristics. Discussion focuses on the underlying intention of the rapport behaviors that featured most frequently across studies

Visual parameter optimisation for biomedical image processing

Background: Biomedical image processing methods require users to optimise input parameters to ensure high quality output. This presents two challenges. First, it is difficult to optimise multiple input parameters for multiple input images. Second, it is difficult to achieve an understanding of underlying algorithms, in particular, relationships between input and output. Results: We present a visualisation method that transforms users’ ability to understand algorithm behaviour by integrating input and output, and by supporting exploration of their relationships. We discuss its application to a colour deconvolution technique for stained histology images and show how it enabled a domain expert to identify suitable parameter values for the deconvolution of two types of images, and metrics to quantify deconvolution performance. It also enabled a breakthrough in understanding by invalidating an underlying assumption about the algorithm. Conclusions: The visualisation method presented here provides analysis capability for multiple inputs and outputs in biomedical image processing that is not supported by previous analysis software. The analysis supported by our method is not feasible with conventional trial-and-error approaches

Magnetic susceptibility measurements at high pressure using designer diamond anvils

High pressure magnetic susceptibility experiments can yield valuable insights into the changes in magnetic behavior and electron correlation properties which can accompany extreme compressions of matter. However, magnetic susceptibility experiments with ultrahigh pressure diamond anvil cells are extremely challenging due to the very small size of the high-pressure sample ͑Ϸ75 m diameter͒ and the difficulty of obtaining good coupling between the sample and the sensing coil. As a result, measurement sensitivity and poor signal-to-background ratios tend to be serious concerns which limit the applicability of these experiments. We present here a new approach to high-pressure ac magnetic susceptibility experiments that involve specially fabricated diamond anvils with diamond encapsulated sensing microcoils which are located just 10-20 m from the high-pressure sample. We also present some test results taken with a gadolinium sample in order to demonstrate the viability of this high-pressure ac susceptibility technique

Children's traditional ecological knowledge of wild food resources: a case study in a rural village in Northeast Thailand

Consuming wild foods is part of the food ways of people in many societies, including farming populations throughout the world. Knowledge of non-domesticated food resources is part of traditional and tacit ecological knowledge, and is largely transmitted through socialization within cultural and household contexts. The context of this study, a small village in Northeast Thailand, is one where the community has experienced changes due to the migration of the parental generation, with the children being left behind in the village to be raised by their grandparents

Combined MYC and P53 defects emerge at medulloblastoma relapse and define rapidly progressive, therapeutically targetable disease

We undertook a comprehensive clinical and biological investigation of serial medulloblastoma biopsies obtained at diagnosis and relapse. CombinedMYCfamily amplifications and P53 pathway defects commonly emerged at relapse, and all patients in this group died of rapidly progressive disease postrelapse. To study this interaction, we investigated a transgenic model of MYCN-driven medulloblastoma and found spontaneous development ofTrp53inactivating mutations. Abrogation of p53 function in this model produced aggressive tumors that mimicked characteristics of relapsed human tumors with combined P53-MYC dysfunction. Restoration of p53 activity and genetic and therapeutic suppression of MYCN all reduced tumor growth and prolonged survival. Our findings identify P53-MYC interactions at medulloblastoma relapse as biomarkers of clinically aggressive disease that may be targeted therapeutically.Additional co-authors: Louise Howell, Colin Kwok, Abhijit Joshi, Sarah Leigh Nicholson, Stephen Crosier, David W. Ellison, Stephen B. Wharton, Keith Robson, Antony Michalski, Darren Hargrave, Thomas S. Jacques, Barry Pizer, Simon Bailey, Fredrik J. Swartling, William A. Weiss, Louis Chesler, Steven C. Cliffor