PROMOTING INTERACTIVITY AND CREATIVITY IN A SCIENCE COURSE

Young people entering the working force are nowadays required to compete not only on skills and education but also on creative thinking. This is because creativity and innovation are a must for businesses and nations which, today more than ever, are required to compete on the creative use of the scarce resources and the identification of new ones. Thus, promoting creative thinking among students, individually and collectively, is an educator’s challenge. This paper presents the efforts made to promote creative thinking in a Human Computer Interaction course and the students’ evaluation of these efforts

A Tool For Teaching Spline Methods In A Computer Graphics Course

The specialized mathematics knowledge covered in a computer graphics course is usually presented to students in an abstract way. Albeit, computer graphics is an application of this (abstract) mathematics, students may find it hard to link them together. In particular one of the most difficult topics to present in a pedagogical manner to junior students in a computer graphics course is spline methods (mathematical method for data smoothing) used for curve/surface modelling. This topic involves mainly the mathematics of parametric functions, piecewise functions, derivatives, matrices, and parametric/geometric continuities. Usually a student has a vague picture of the actual output of the application of this mathematics. Many educators have experienced that students may fully understand splines application, if and when they are assigned a software project to implement splines, and this understanding could still remain vague until the very last stages of the implementation. As an alternative, static pictures may be presented in class to provide an intuitive understanding of splines. This approach is, in effect, similar to viewing a picture in a textbook. A better alternative is for the educator to demonstrate real-time spline generation, since a picture is worth ten thousand words but a moving picture (animation) is worth ten thousand static ones. This paper presents an interactive software program which is used as a tool to introduce important concepts and algorithms of spline methods to computer science and computer engineering students. The software is specially developed for educational purposes, and generates spline curves

How do potentially inappropriate medications and polypharmacy affect mortality in frail and non-frail cognitively impaired older adults?:A cohort study

OBJECTIVES: To test whether the use of potentially inappropriate central nervous system acting medications, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or polypharmacy are associated with mortality in cognitively impaired older adults and whether frailer people are at greater risk of harm. SETTING: A cohort study nested within the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study II, a population representative cohort study of the older population in Cambridgeshire, Nottingham and Newcastle, UK. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1154 cognitively impaired participants, aged 65 years or older. EXPOSURES: Any use of antipsychotics, antidepressants, other anticholinergic medication, benzodiazepines or PPIs, polypharmacy (5-9) and hyperpolypharmacy (≥10 reported medications) were ascertained at baseline. Frailty was assessed using the Fried criteria. PRIMARY OUTCOME: Mortality up to 8 years follow-up. HRs associated with potentially inappropriate medication (PIM), frailty and their interaction were estimated adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: Within the sample, 44% were taking one or more PIM. Apart from antipsychotics (adjusted HR=3.24, 95% CI 1.83 to 5.73), use of specific PIM was not associated with greater subsequent mortality. Polypharmacy (HR=1.17, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.45) and hyperpolypharmacy were associated with mortality (HR=1.60, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.22). Being frail (HR=1.90, 95% CI 1.32 to 2.72) or prefrail (HR=1.56, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.20) was associated with increased mortality. There was some evidence that the HR for polypharmacy on mortality was lower among frailer individuals, but the overall polypharmacy by frailty interaction was not statistically significant (p=0.102). CONCLUSIONS: For those with cognitive impairment, greater concern should be afforded to the number of medications than the prescription of specific classes. Frailer individuals may have a lower relative risk of mortality associated with polypharmacy than less frail individuals

Transient neurological symptoms in the older population:report of a prospective cohort study--the Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (CFAS)

Transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is a recognised risk factor for stroke in the older population requiring timely assessment and treatment by a specialist. The need for such TIA services is driven by the epidemiology of transient neurological symptoms, which may not be caused by TIA. We report prevalence and incidence of transient neurological symptoms in a large UK cohort study of older people

Structural studies of the bacteriophage lambda holin and M. tuberculosis secA translocase

Double stranded DNA bacteriophages achieve release of phage progeny by disrupting the cell envelope of the host cell. This is accomplished by two phage-encoded proteins, the holin and the endolysin. In bacteriophage lambda, the S holin is a small three TMD membrane protein that creates a lesion in the inner membrane of the host at a specific time, programmed in its primary structure. Lesion formation permits the cytoplasmic endolysin R access to the murein cell wall for degradation and cell lysis. Although it has been shown that S oligomerizes in the membrane, the structural nature of this complex has not been elucidated. In this study the S holin was purified using a mild non-ionic detergent and the structure of a ring complex formed by the holin was determined by electron microscopy and single particle analysis at a resolution of 2.6 nm. Biochemical characterization of the rings suggests that such a complex might represent the assembly formed by S in the membrane. Protein translocation in all organisms allows the export of proteins destined for localization outside the cytoplasm. In eubacteria, newly synthesized proteins are directed to the heterotrimeric membrane complex SecYEG by signals embedded in their sequence. The driving force through this complex is provided by the cytoplasmic ATPase SecA which combines ATP hydrolysis to mechanically insert proteins through the protein conducting channel. Using electron microscopy and single particle analysis we have obtained the structure of SecA from M. tuberculosis. The structure indicates that four SecA monomers assemble to form an elongated molecule with D2 symmetry. Docking of the EM map to the crystal structure of tb SecA confirms this arrangement of the subunits. This finding, that M. tuberculosis SecA forms a tetramer raises intriguing possibilities about SecA function

Anticholinergic drugs and risk of dementia: case-control study

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the association between duration and level of exposure to different classes of anticholinergic medication and subsequent incident dementia. DESIGN: Case-control study SETTING: General practices in the United Kingdom contributing to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. PARTICIPANTS: 40,770 patients aged 65-99 years and diagnosed with dementia between April 2006 and July 2015, and 283,933 controls without dementia matched 7:1 on date, sex, age, level of deprivation of the area in which each practice is located, and years of available data history. INTERVENTIONS: Daily defined doses (DDD) of anticholinergic medications coded according to the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden (ACB) scale; in total and grouped by subclass; prescribed between 4-20 years prior to dementia diagnosis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Odds ratios for incident dementia, adjusted for a wide range of demographics and health-related covariates. RESULTS: 14,453 (35%) cases and 86,403 (30%) controls were prescribed at least one definite (ACB score 3, ACB3) anticholinergic during the exposure period. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for ‘any ACB3’ was 1.11 (95% confidence interval 1.08 to 1.14), and an increasing odds of dementia was significantly associated with an increasing average ACB score. When considered by class, ACB3 gastro-intestinals were not significantly linked to dementia. Within ACB3 antidepressants, urologicals, and antiparkinson medications, risks increased with greater exposure, and was still observed for exposure 15-20 years before diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: In the largest study to date, a robust association between some classes of anticholinergic medication use and future dementia incidence was observed. This could be caused by a class-specific effect, or by medications being used for very early symptoms of dementia. Future pharmacological and clinical research should examine subgroups of anticholinergics as opposed to anticholinergic effects per se or summing scales for anticholinergic exposure.This research was funded by the Alzheimer’s Society (AS-PG-2013-017)

The effects of hypoglycemia and dementia on cardiovascular events, falls and fractures and all-cause mortality in older people:a retrospective cohort study

Aims: Older people with diabetes are susceptible to harm from hypoglycemia, however the consequences of hypoglycemia in older people with dementia are not known. We aimed to test association between hypoglycemia and serious adverse events in older patients with diabetes and dementia, and whether the consequences of hypoglycemia were affected by presence of dementia.  Materials and Methods: Cohort study using Clinical Practice Research Datalink in England (1997-2016). We selected participants, intervention (exposure) and follow-up to mirror two hypothetical target randomised controlled trials. Target trial 1’s exposure was hypoglycemia in patients with dementia. Target trial 2 examined adverse effects of hypoglycemia according to dementia status.We used Cox proportional hazard regression to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) for falls, fractures, cardiovascular events and mortality.  Results: In target trial 1, hypoglycemia was associated with an increased risk during 12 months follow-up of falls and fractures - aHR 1.94 (95% CI 1.67 to 2.24), cardiovascular events - aHR 2.00 (95% CI 1.61 to 2.48) and mortality - aHR 2.36 (95% CI 2.09 to 2.67).In target trial 2, presence of dementia was associated with increased risk of adverse events after hypoglycemia (12 months follow-up): falls & factures - aHR 1.72 (95% CI 1.51 to 1.96) and mortality - aHR 1.27 (95% CI 1.15 to 1.41), but had no effect on cardiovascular events - aHR 1.14 (95% CI 0.95 to 1.36).  Conclusions and Relevance: Hypoglycemia is associated with an early increased risk of serious adverse events in older people with diabetes and dementia

Роль корпоративной культуры в системе мотивации труда

OBJECTIVES: Multimorbidity is common in the older population, but the impact of combinations of chronic conditions on disability and quality of life (QoL) is not well known. This analysis explores the effect of specific combinations of chronic diseases on disability, QoL and self-rated health (SRH). DESIGN: We used data from two population representative cross-sectional studies, the Northern Ireland Health and Social Wellbeing Survey (NIHSWS) 2005 and the Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition (SLAN) 2007 (conducted in the Republic of Ireland). SETTING: Randomly selected community-living participants were interviewed at home. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 6159 participants aged 50 years and older were included in the analysis. OUTCOME MEASURES: Chronic conditions were classified as cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, diabetes or respiratory disease. Interaction terms estimated by logistic regression were used to examine the effects of multiple chronic conditions on disability, SRH and QoL. RESULTS: Each chronic condition group was correlated with each of the others after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Those from Northern Ireland were more likely to report a limitation in daily activities (45%) compared to those from the Republic of Ireland (21%). Each condition had an independent effect on disability, SRH and QoL, and those with multiple chronic conditions reported the worst outcomes. However, there were no statistically significant positive interactions between chronic condition groups with respect to any outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic conditions affect individuals largely independent of each other with respect to their effect on disability, SRH and QoL. However, a significant proportion of the population aged 50 years and over across the island of Ireland lives with multimorbidity, and this group is at the highest risk of disability, poor SRH and poor QoL

Impairments in Hemodynamic Responses to Orthostasis Associated with Frailty: Results from TILDA

Background: Dysregulated homeostatic response to stressors may underlie frailty in older adults. Orthostatic hypotension results from impairments in cardiovascular homeostasis and is implicated in falls and other adverse outcomes. This study aimed to characterise the relationships between orthostatic BP and heart rate recovery and frailty in an older population. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Two health centres in the Republic of Ireland. Participants: 4334 adults aged 50 and older enrolled in The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. Measurements: Continuous non-invasive blood pressure (BP) responses during active standing were captured by Finometer®. Frailty was assessed using the Cardiovascular Health Study criteria. Linear mixed models (random intercept) with piecewise splines were used to model differences in the rate of BP and heart rate recovery. Results: 93 (2.2%) participants were frail and 1366 (31.5%) were prefrail. Adjusting for age and sex, frailty was associated with a reduced rate of systolic BP recovery between 10-20 seconds post stand (frailty*time = -4.12 95%CI: -5.53 - -2.72) and with subsequent deficits in BP between 20-50 seconds. Similar results were seen for diastolic BP and heart rate. Further adjustment for health behaviours, morbidities, and medications reduced, but did not attenuate these associations. Of the 5 frailty criteria, only slow gait speed was consistently related to impaired BP and heart rate responses in the full models. Conclusions: Frailty, and particularly slow gait speed, was associated with reduced rate of recovery in BP and heart rate recovery following active standing. Impaired BP recovery may represent a marker of physiological frailty