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Comparison of governance approaches for the control of antimicrobial resistance: Analysis of three European countries
Policy makers and governments are calling for coordination to address the crisis emerging from the ineffectiveness of current antibiotics and stagnated pipe-line of new ones β antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Wider contextual drivers and mechanisms are contributing to shifts in governance strategies in health care, but are national health system approaches aligned with strategies required to tackle antimicrobial resistance? This article provides an analysis of governance approaches within healthcare systems including: priority setting, performance monitoring and accountability for AMR prevention in three European countries: England, France and Germany. Advantages and unresolved issues from these different experiences are reported, concluding that mechanisms are needed to support partnerships between healthcare professionals and patients with democratized decision-making and accountability via collaboration. But along with this multi-stakeholder approach to governance, a balance between regulation and persuasion is needed
An off-board quantum point contact as a sensitive detector of cantilever motion
Recent advances in the fabrication of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)
and their evolution into nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) have allowed
researchers to measure extremely small forces, masses, and displacements. In
particular, researchers have developed position transducers with resolution
approaching the uncertainty limit set by quantum mechanics. The achievement of
such resolution has implications not only for the detection of quantum behavior
in mechanical systems, but also for a variety of other precision experiments
including the bounding of deviations from Newtonian gravity at short distances
and the measurement of single spins. Here we demonstrate the use of a quantum
point contact (QPC) as a sensitive displacement detector capable of sensing the
low-temperature thermal motion of a nearby micromechanical cantilever.
Advantages of this approach include versatility due to its off-board design,
compatibility with nanoscale oscillators, and, with further development, the
potential to achieve quantum limited displacement detection.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Spin Caloritronics
This is a brief overview of the state of the art of spin caloritronics, the
science and technology of controlling heat currents by the electron spin degree
of freedom (and vice versa).Comment: To be published in "Spin Current", edited by S. Maekawa, E. Saitoh,
S. Valenzuela and Y. Kimura, Oxford University Pres
Special electronic structures and quantum conduction of B/P co-doping carbon nanotubes under electric field using the first principle
Boron (B)/phosphorus (P) doped single wall carbon nanotubes (B-PSWNTs) are
studied by using the First- Principle method based on density function theory
(DFT). Mayer bond order, band structure, electrons density and density of
states are calculated. It concludes that the B-PSWNTs have special band
structure which is quite different from BN nanotubes, and that metallic carbon
nanotubes will be converted to semiconductor due to boron/phosphorus co-doping
which breaks the symmetrical structure. The bonding forms in B-PSWNTs are
investigated in detail. Besides, Mulliken charge population and the quantum
conductance are also calculated to study the quantum transport characteristics
of B-PSWNT hetero-junction. It is found that the position of p-n junction in
this hetero-junction will be changed as the applied electric field increase and
it performs the characteristics of diode.Comment: 11 pages, 6 fiugres, 2 table
Observation of Quantum Interference in Molecular Charge Transport
As the dimensions of a conductor approach the nano-scale, quantum effects
will begin to dominate its behavior. This entails the exciting possibility of
controlling the conductance of a device by direct manipulation of the electron
wave function. Such control has been most clearly demonstrated in mesoscopic
semiconductor structures at low temperatures. Indeed, the Aharanov-Bohm effect,
conductance quantization and universal conductance fluctuations are direct
manifestations of the electron wave nature. However, an extension of this
concept to more practical emperatures has not been achieved so far. As
molecules are nano-scale objects with typical energy level spacings (~eV) much
larger than the thermal energy at 300 K (~25 meV), they are natural candidates
to enable such a break-through. Fascinating phenomena including giant
magnetoresistance, Kondo effects and conductance switching, have previously
been demonstrated at the molecular level. Here, we report direct evidence for
destructive quantum interference in charge transport through two-terminal
molecular junctions at room temperature. Furthermore, we show that the degree
of interference can be controlled by simple chemical modifications of the
molecule. Not only does this provide the experimental demonstration of a new
phenomenon in quantum charge transport, it also opens the road for a new type
of molecular devices based on chemical or electrostatic control of quantum
interference
The COPE LBP trial: Cognitive Patient Education for Low Back Pain - a cluster randomized controlled trial in primary care
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Non-specific low back pain (LBP) is usually self-limiting within 4-6 weeks. Longstanding pain and disability are not predictable from clinical signs or pathoanatomical findings. Pain cognition and physical performance have been shown to improve patients with chronic LBP following neurophysiological education. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate whether a specific cognitive based education programme for patients with LBP in primary care is more effective than normal care in terms of increased function. The secondary aims of the study are to evaluate whether this intervention also results in earlier return to work, decreased pain, increased patient satisfaction, increased quality-of-life, and cost utility.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>Cluster randomised controlled trial with 20 general practitioners and 20 physiotherapists in primary care as the unit of randomisation. Each practitioner will recruit up to 10 patients, aged 20 to 55 years, with non-specific sub-acute/chronic LBP of more than four weeks but less than 1 year's duration. Practitioners in the intervention arm will provide cognitive patient education intervention in up to four weekly sessions, each lasting 30 minutes. Practitioners in the control arm will provide normal treatment, but have to make four appointments for the patients. Patients, outcome assessors, and study statistician will be blinded to group allocation.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>We present the rationale and design of an ongoing RCT study that potentially offers an easily implemented treatment strategy for LBP patients in primary care. The results will be available in 2012.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ISRCTN04323845</p
Distinct roles for Arabidopsis SUMO protease ESD4 and its closest homolog ELS1
SUMO conjugation affects a broad range of processes in Arabidopsis thaliana, including flower initiation, pathogen defense, and responses to cold, drought and salt stress. We investigated two sequence-related SUMO-specific proteases that are both widely expressed and show that they differ significantly in their properties. The closest homolog of SUMO protease ESD4, ESD4-LIKE SUMO PROTEASE 1 (ELS1, alternatively called AtULP1a) has SUMO-specific proteolytic activity, but is functionally distinct from ESD4, as shown by intracellular localization, mutant phenotype and heterologous expression in yeast mutants. Furthermore, we show that the growth defects caused by loss of ESD4 function are not due to increased synthesis of the stress signal salicylic acid, as was previously shown for a SUMO ligase, indicating that impairment of the SUMO system affects plant growth in different ways. Our results demonstrate that two A. thaliana SUMO proteases showing close sequence similarity have distinct in vivo functions
Enhanced Botrytis cinerea resistance of Arabidopsis plants grown in compost may be explained by increased expression of defense-related genes, as revealed by microarray analysis
Composts are the products obtained after the aerobic degradation of different types of organic matter waste and can be used as substrates or substrate/soil amendments for plant cultivation. There is a small but increasing number of reports that suggest that foliar diseases may be reduced when using compost, rather than standard substrates, as growing medium. The purpose of this study was to examine the gene expression alteration produced by the compost to gain knowledge of the mechanisms involved in compost-induced systemic resistance. A compost from olive marc and olive tree leaves was able to induce resistance against Botrytis cinerea in Arabidopsis, unlike the standard substrate, perlite. Microarray analyses revealed that 178 genes were differently expressed, with a fold change cut-off of 1, of which 155 were up-regulated and 23 were down-regulated in compost-grown, as against perlite-grown plants. A functional enrichment study of up-regulated genes revealed that 38 Gene Ontology terms were significantly enriched. Response to stress, biotic stimulus, other organism, bacterium, fungus, chemical and abiotic stimulus, SA and ABA stimulus, oxidative stress, water, temperature and cold were significantly enriched, as were immune and defense responses, systemic acquired resistance, secondary metabolic process and oxireductase activity. Interestingly, PR1 expression, which was equally enhanced by growing the plants in compost and by B. cinerea inoculation, was further boosted in compost-grown pathogen-inoculated plants. Compost triggered a plant response that shares similarities with both systemic acquired resistance and ABA-dependent/independent abiotic stress responses
GATA3 Expression Is Decreased in Psoriasis and during Epidermal Regeneration; Induction by Narrow-Band UVB and IL-4
Psoriasis is characterized by hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and by
infiltration of activated Th1 and Th17 cells in the (epi)dermis. By expression
microarray, we previously found the GATA3 transcription factor significantly
downregulated in lesional psoriatic skin. Since GATA3 serves as a key switch in
both epidermal and T helper cell differentiation, we investigated its function
in psoriasis. Because psoriatic skin inflammation shares many characteristics of
epidermal regeneration during wound healing, we also studied GATA3 expression
under such conditions
Neck exercises, physical and cognitive behavioural-graded activity as a treatment for adult whiplash patients with chronic neck pain: Design of a randomised controlled trial
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