Does perceived organisational support influence career intentions?:The qualitative stories shared by UK early career doctors

Our thanks to all those FP2 doctors who participated in the interviews. Our thanks also to the Foundation Programme Directorate staff in the Scotland Deanery, NHS Education for Scotland, for sending out the email correspondence to the two regions involved in the interviews. No patients or any members of the public were involved in this study. Funding: Our thanks go to NHS Education for Scotland for funding Gillian Scanlan’s programme of work through the Scottish Medical Education Research Consortium (SMERC) and for funding the open-access fee for this paper.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Does initial postgraduate career intention and social demographics predict perceived career behaviour?:A national cross-sectional survey of UK postgraduate doctors

Acknowledgements: Our thanks to all those FP2 doctors who participated in the survey. Our thanks also to the Foundation Programme Directors across the UK for allowing permission to conduct research on this data set. No patients or any members of the public were involved in this study. Funding: Our thanks go to NHS Education for Scotland for funding Gillian Scanlan’s programme of work through the Scottish Medical Education Research Consortium (SMERC). Data sharing statement: The data reported is from the UKFPO dataset, and any data shared would need the permission of the UK Foundation Programme directorsPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Genetic diversity of eukaryotic ultraphytoplankton in the Gulf of Naples during an annual cycle

Eukaryotic ultraphytoplankton (<5 μm) are an important component of phytoplankton populations, Dot blot hybridisation analysis using class level 16S rRNA gene probes as well as clone libraries were used to investigate the diversity of these ultraphytoplankton during a 15 mo period (2003 to 2004) in the Gulf of Naples. Hybridisation data showed the presence of 3 main classes, Cryptophyceae, Chrysophyceae and Prymnesiophyceae, along with lower signals from the Pelagophyceae. Clone libraries also contained these 4 classes as well as sequences from the Dictyochophyceae, Bacillariophyceae and Prasinophyceae. However, the Prymnesiophyceae gave the dominant hybridisation signal and constituted the majority of each clone library. Their diversity, with a total of 190 sequences belonging to 114 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), probably allows them to dominate the ultraphytoplankton throughout the whole year under differing environmental conditions. Over 100 of these OTUs were unique to different libraries, suggesting a succession of different taxa during the year. The Cryptophyceae were present most of the year with 1 OTU, corresponding to a Plagioselmis prolonga strain from the Gulf of Naples, being the dominant taxon (28 % of sequences). A striking result was the high hybridisation signal from the Chrysophyceae, which showed a preference for the summer months. The Pelagophyceae were present between December and March. Most (80 %) of the sequences found in the clone libraries were not identical to available 16S rRNA gene sequences, indicating a high amount of hidden diversity for these algal classes. However, sequences from Prasinophyceae Clade II (Mamiellales) were not detected in the clone libraries

The validity and reliability of the Basketball Jump Shooting Accuracy Test

The aim of this study was to examine the content validity, construct validity and reliability of the newly developed Basketball Jump Shooting Accuracy Test (BJSAT). Basketball athletes from different playing levels (State Basketball League [SBL], n = 30, age: 22.7 ± 6.1 yr; SBL Division I, n = 11, age: 20.6 ± 2.1 yr) completed four separate trials of the BJSAT with each trial consisting of shot attempts from two- and three-point distances at pre-determined court locations. Each shot attempt was scored utilising a criteria where higher scores were given when greater accuracy was exhibited. The BJSAT detected a significant, large difference in accuracy between two- and three-point shots (d = 0.99, p \u3c 0.01). Relative reliability across the repeated trials was rated as moderate for all athletes (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.71, p \u3c 0.01) and goodfor the SBL athletes (ICC = 0.78, p \u3c 0.01). Absolute reliability for all athletes was above the acceptable benchmark (coefficient of variation = 16.2%); however superior to skill tests available in the literature. In conclusion, the BJSAT is sensitive to two- and three-point shooting accuracy and can reliably assess jump shooting accuracy in basketball athletes

A Floristic Study and Grouse Production in the Mille Lacs Wildlife Area

The upland vegetation in four stands was analyzed for differences in conditions important for ruffed grouse production. The structure of the control stand suggests that Acer saccharum and other shade-tolerant tree species will replace the dominants Quercus borealis and Populus tremuloides. The Acer saccharum would not be useful to grouse. In an adjacent stand in which forest litter had been burned, there was a tremendous amount of reproduction of trembling aspen and much less sugar maple reproduction, compared with the control stand. Differences in the understory beneficial to grouse also were found

Mavourneen

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/4392/thumbnail.jp

Biochemical and molecular genetic approaches to studying protein export by cyanobacteria

We have shown that high molecular weight polypeptides are exported extracellularly by cyanobacteria. This is in addition to the well documented release of amino acids and peptides into the culture medium. Synechococcus R2 secretes two polypeptides of 14,400 molecular weight, and Nostoc sp. MAC a 43,000 molecular weight polypeptide. Their function is unclear, but we have some evidence that the 43,000 polypeptide may be involved in metal-binding. Outer membrane proteins (OMP), i.e. carotenoid-containing cell wall fractions, were isolated from several cyanobacteria and a prochlorophyte, and these showed that the extracellular polypeptides were not just cell wall components released into the culture medium. Functional analysis of Synechococcus R2 OMP showed that these proteins were heat-modifiable, a characteristic of porins, and that the pattern of OMP could be modulated by sucrose, magnesium limitation, phosphate- limitation and iron limitation. The effects of iron limitation on the OMP pattern could be simulated by the addition of EDDA (0.004%) to normal growth medium. Synechocystls sp. PCC6308 also Induced specific OMP under iron limitation. It is possible that Synechococcus R2 OMP are multifunctional. Antibodies raised against a Synechococcus R2 cell wall fraction cross-reacted with several other cyanobacterial OMP, and with an OMP fraction from Prochlorothrix hollandice. Using this antisera several positive plaques were obtained after screening a Synechococcus R2 Agtll library. Antibodies against an iron-regulated inner membrane protein, and a carotenoid-associated thylakoid protein cross-reacted with OMP from Synechococcus R2, suggesting a family of carotenoid- containing membrane proteins may exist. The lacZ gene, encoding the enzyme β-galactosidase, has been expressed in Synechococcus R2 on both a multicopy plasmid and when integrated into the cyanobacterial chromosome. The mechanism of integration relied on homologous recombination events between two pBR-plasmid derivatives. This required the construction of a universal recipient strain of Synechococcus R2. A gene encoding the extracellular enzyme pectate lyase from an Erwinia sp. was introduced into the chromosome of Synechococcus R2, but no detectable enzyme activity was observed. The transposon TnphoA was introduced into a cyanobacterial shuttle vector, but was incapable of transposition. Similarly, transposon Tn5, although stably maintained in the Synechococcus R2 chromosome after its introduction via homologous recombination, was not capable of transposition when introduced on a suicide vector. Even though transposition of Tn5 was observed in another Synechococcus sp. no mutant phenotypes were observed. NTG mutagenesis of Synechococcus R2 and Nostoc sp. MAC produced various pigment mutants, but mutants incapable of growth in chelator-deficient medium could not be obtained. This may reflect the selection procedure. The LacZ promoter probe has been constructed for use in Synechococcus R2 based on a multicopy plasmid capable of replicating in this organism. Differential expression of LacZ by Synechococcus R2 was observed under conditions of magnesium and iron limitation. Similar use of a kanamycin promoter probe suggests this construct will be useful for selecting strong promoter sequences via selection for high antibiotic resistance