Tjekkiet og Slovakiet – kompliceret kærlighed

Intet resum

Centraleuropas manglende politiske kultur

Det går fremad for økonomien i de ekskommuni- stiske lande i Centraleuropa. Men skandaler, korruption og demagogi er stadig en del af regionens hverdag.&nbsp

Exploring Community Associated Clostridium Difficile

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a life threatening bacteria spread in spore form through diarrhea. C. difficile effects approximately 500,000 people annually (CDC, 2016). From 2009-2016, the incidence rate of C. difficile in Minnesota* has increased from 50 to 227/1000,000 persons, with 58% of cases considered community associated** (CA), 17% healthcare facility onset (HCFO), and 25% community onset-HCFO (MDH, 2016). MDH 2016 data indicates C. difficile is being transmitted within healthcare and community settings and among patients primarily greater than 65 years of age, with 54% of CA cases using antibiotics during the 12 weeks prior to positive specimen (2016).https://digitalcommons.centracare.com/nursing_posters/1079/thumbnail.jp

Diffusion basis spectrum imaging for identifying pathologies in MS subtypes

Diffusion basis spectrum imaging (DBSI) combines discrete anisotropic diffusion tensors and the spectrum of isotropic diffusion tensors to model the underlying multiple sclerosis (MS) pathologies. We used clinical MS subtypes as a surrogate of underlying pathologies to assess DBSI as a biomarker of pathology in 55 individuals with MS. Restricted isotropic fraction (reflecting cellularity) and fiber fraction (representing apparent axonal density) were the most important DBSI metrics to classify MS using brain white matter lesions. These DBSI metrics outperformed lesion volume. When analyzing the normal-appearing corpus callosum, the most significant DBSI metrics were fiber fraction, radial diffusivity (reflecting myelination), and nonrestricted isotropic fraction (representing edema). This study provides preliminary evidence supporting the ability of DBSI as a potential noninvasive biomarker of MS neuropathology

Induction of Gynogenesis in Muskellunge With Irradiated Sperm of Yellow Perch Proves Diploid Muskellunge Male Homogamety

Diploid gynogenesis was induced in muskellunge Esox masquinongy using UV-irradiated muskellunge sperm as the first step in producing monosex females. In this approach, we have to rely on negative controls as an indirect reference for sperm genetic material destruction. In the first experiment, equal proportions of gynogenetic females and males were produced. Negative controls, UV-irradiated sperm without heat shock, yielded some normal hatching larvae, described as spontaneous diploids. In the second experiment, muskellunge eggs were activated using sperm from yellow perch. Because hybrids between these species are not viable, we produced unambiguous gynogens. When UV-irradiated yellow perch sperm was used to inseminate muskellunge eggs, haploids resulted (22.5% ± 2.8% survival to the eyed stage). To produce diploid gynogens, a heat shock of 31°C was applied to inseminated eggs 20 min after activation for a duration of 6 min. This process yielded several hundreds of gynogens for rearing. Several treatments of masculinizing hormone, 17 α-methyltestosterone (MT), were carried out. Fish were dissected and gonads examined histologically for sex determination. Gynogens produced using yellow-perch sperm confirmed the presence of males in the control group, whereas the MT bath treatment (400 μg/liter) resulted in the production of fish with ovotestis. These results provide evidence for male homogamety in muskellunge and imply that a change of strategy is needed to produce monosex populations.Funding for this project was provided by the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program (F-69-P, Fish Management in Ohio), administered jointly by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Ohio Division of Wildlife

Autonomous & adaptive oceanographic front tracking on board autonomous underwater vehicles

Oceanic fronts, similar to atmospheric fronts, occur at the interface of two fluid (water) masses of varying characteristics. In regions such as these where there are quantifiable physical, chemical, or biological changes in the ocean environment, it is possible - with the proper instrumentation - to track, or map, the front boundary. In this paper, the front is approximated as an isotherm that is tracked autonomously and adaptively in 2D (horizontal) and 3D space by an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) running MOOS-IvP autonomy. The basic, 2D (constant depth) front tracking method developed in this work has three phases: detection, classification, and tracking, and results in the AUV tracing a zigzag path along and across the front. The 3D AUV front tracking method presented here results in a helical motion around a central axis that is aligned along the front in the horizontal plane, tracing a 3D path that resembles a slinky stretched out along the front. To test and evaluate these front tracking methods (implemented as autonomy behaviors), virtual experiments were conducted with simulated AUVs in a spatiotemporally dynamic MIT MSEAS ocean model environment of the Mid-Atlantic Bight region, where a distinct temperature front is present along the shelfbreak. A number of performance metrics were developed to evaluate the performance of the AUVs running these front tracking behaviors, and the results are presented herein.United States. Office of Naval Research (Awards N00014-11-1-0097 and N00014-14-1-0214

Peer navigators to promote engagement of homeless African Americans with serious mental illness in primary care

Homeless African Americans with serious mental illness experience higher rates of morbidity and mortality than adults with severe mental illness alone. Peer navigators, individuals with similar lived experiences, may help these individuals navigate the healthcare system to improve healthcare utilization. This study examined whether the Peer Navigator Program (PNP) improved scheduling and achieving healthcare appointments compared to treatment as usual (TAU) over the course of 12 months, including three periods within that timeframe: engagement (first three months), impact (middle six months), and maintenance (final six months). Results indicated no change during the first three months of the study, a significantly greater improvement in scheduled and achieved appointments for PNP compared to TAU during the middle six months, and maintenance of appointment change improvements over the final three months of the study. This research suggests peer navigators may offer a promising solution to barriers in utilizing the healthcare system for people with severe mental illness, especially those who may be homeless or from minority racial groups

Metal uptake and distribution in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo: differences between nanoparticles and metal ions

Quantitative data on nanoparticle and cation uptake are compared in a compartment-specific way and distinct differences between metals were identified