The Crystal Structure of Anthracene and Tetracene

The crystal structures of the hydrocarbons anthracene and tetracene have been investigated by X-ray diffraction methods. In the former compound a triple Fourier analysis was carried out, and the atomic co-ordinates have been determined with great accuracy. The observed variations in bond lengths within the molecule have been discussed in terms of the resonance structures, and a measure of agreement has been found to exist between the observed and calculated values. The effect of thermal vibration and the presence of hydrogen atoms have both been clearly indicated in the Fourier contour map drawn in the plane of the molecule. The preliminary investigation into the crystal structure of tetracene, by a double Fourier analysis, has led to a determination of the atomic parameters, and a close similarity to the anthracene structure has been revealed

Habitat selection by wood mice apodemus sylvaticus (L.) and bank voles clethrionomys glareolus (schr.), and their abundance and distribution in four gorge woodlands in county Durham

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Antisense RNA Transcription Regulates IE2 Expression in the HSV-1 Deletion Variant 1703

The aim of this project was to further characterize the HSV-1 strain 17+ deletion variant 1703. Initial characterization after isolation (MacLean & Brown, 1987a) demonstrated that 1703 had a deletion of approximately 7500 base pairs (bp); (4. 9x10 6 mol. wt. ) in the UL/IRL region of the genome. By restriction enzyme analysis, the deletion was shown to affect genes UL55, UL56 and one copy each of IE1 and LAT. Polypeptide analysis demonstrated that, although the deletion terminated an estimated 500 base pairs downstream of the 3' end of IE2, the IE2 gene product Vmw63 was apparently not produced during immediate-early times of infection. Further characterization of 1703 was achieved by: 1. The dideoxynucleotide sequence analysis of 1703 DNA fragments in which IE2 and the end points of the deletion were located, 2. The analysis of 1703 IE2 gene products, 3. The in vivo characterization of 1703 and 4. The construction of a 1703 wild-type recombinant. Following the suggestion by Dr John McLauchlan that IE2 mRNA synthesis in 1703 infected cells may be controlled by the production of transcripts initiating from the promoter of the IRL copy of IE1 which was antisense to IE2 RNA, the project was extended to determine if this could be substantiated. Dideoxynucleotide sequence analysis of IE2 demonstrated that the promoter, promoter associated, terminator, terminator associated signals and most of the open reading frame were homologous to the published wild-type sequence (McGeoch et al. , 1988a). Sequencing of the deletion end points has shown that it spans the region between np (nucleotide position) 123623 and np15839, removing UL56 and 343 base pairs of the 3' end of UL55 thus leaving 555 base pairs between the 3' end of IE2 and the deletion end point. The methods of polypeptide analysis, Western blot analysis and S1 nuclease mapping were used to detect IE2 gene products at both protein and RNA levels. These techniques demonstrated that IE2 mRNA and Vmw63 synthesis were reduced, but not totally absent, at immediate-early times of infection. Western blot analysis of 17+ immediate-early polypeptide extracts titrated in mock infected extracts compared to 1703 immediate-early polypeptide extracts demonstrated that, at most, Vmw63 production in 1703 infected cells was 1/8 that produced by 17+. At early and late times of infection, Vmw63 synthesis by 1703 was equivalent to 17+. The in vivo effect of the loss of UL55, UL56, one copy of IE1 and LAT and the reduction in synthesis of Vmw63 during immediate-early times of infection was examined. Inoculation of 3 week old mice with 1703 via the intracranial route demonstrated that 1703 was as virulent as the wild-type virus. The latency characteristics of 1703 were also shown to be equivalent to those of 17+ indicating that the products of the genes mentioned above are not required for intracranial virulence or for the establishment, maintenance or reactivation of latent genomes. Construction of a wild-type recombinant of 1703 was achieved by recombination of the 1703 DNA fragment in which the end points of the deletion were located into 17+ DNA. The characterization of the resultant recombinant's IE2 gene products indicated equivalence to those produced by 1703 and hence that the deletion was responsible for the underproduction of Vmw63 during immediate-early times of infection. To examine the possibility of antisense transcripts controlling the production of IE2 mRNA, a polyadenylation signal was cloned between the 3' end of IE2 and the 5' end of the IRL copy of IE1 in the correct orientation to terminate the synthesis of a potential antisense transcript before IE2 coding sequences. A HSV-2 strain HG52 polyadenylation signal was chosen for this and, since the surrounding sequences were heterologous to 1703 DNA, two 1703 fragments were cloned around the polyadenylation signal and the construct recombined into 1703 DNA. The resultant recombinant was called 1703PA and analysis of 1703PA IE2 gene products demonstrated that IE2 mRNA and Vmw63 synthesis had returned to wild-type levels. The detection of the novel transcript generated as a result of the insertion of the polyadenylation signal substantiated the conclusion that antisense transcripts initiating from the IRl copy of IE1 had the potential to control the production of IE2 mRNA in 1703 infected cells

Wavenumber Sampling Issues in 2.5D Frequency Domain Seismic Modelling

There are several important wavenumber sampling issues associated with 2.5D seismic modelling in the frequency domain, which need careful attention if accurate results are to be obtained. At certain critical wavenumbers there exist rapid disruptions in the mainly smooth oscillatory spectra. The amplitudes of these disruptions can be very large, and this affects the accuracy of the inverse Fourier transformed frequency-space domain solution. In anisotropic elastic media there are critical wavenumbers associated with each wave mode—the quasi-P (qP) wave, and the two quasi-shear (qS1 and qS2) waves. A small wavenumber sampling interval is desirable in order to capture the highly oscillatory nature of the wavenumber spectrum, especially at increasing distance from the source. Obviously a small wavenumber sampling interval adds greatly to the computational effort because a 2D problem must be solved for every wavenumber and every frequency. The discretisation should be carried out up to some maximum wavenumber, beyond which the field becomes evanescent (exponentially decaying or diffusive). For receivers close to the source, activity persists beyond the critical wavenumber associated with the minimum shear wave velocity in the model. Fortunately, for receivers well removed from the source, the contribution from the evanescent energy is negligible and so there is no need to sample beyond this critical wavenumber. Sampling at Gauss-Legendre spacings is a satisfactory approach for acoustic media, but it is not practical in elastic media due to the difficulty of partitioning the integration around the different critical wavenumbers. We found to our surprise that in transversely isotropic media, the critical wavenumbers are independent of wave direction, but always occur at those wavenumbers corresponding to the maximum phase velocities of the three wave modes (qP, qS1 and qS2), which depend only on the elastic constants and the density. Additionally, we have observed that intermediate layers between source and receiver can filter out to a large degree, the sharp irregularities around the critical wavenumbers in the ω-k y spectra. We have found that, using the spectral element method, the singularities (poles) at the critical wavenumbers which exist with analytic solutions, do not arise. However, the troublesome spike-like behaviour still occurs and can be damped out without distorting the spectrum elsewhere, through the introduction of slight attenuatio

The Effects of Early Intervention and Parent Training on Vocabulary Development for the At-Risk Preschool Child

This interdisciplinary team research documents that when specific skills are taught systematically at home and at school, the low-high SES achievement gap shrinks. It provides a “close-up look” at the effects of early intervention and parent training on vocabulary development for the child, which resulted in an intergenerational achievement. The quintessential research goal is to make certain that parents are well equipped to develop their child’s vocabulary; using conversation, literature, environmental print, and a focus on selected proven strategies; that is, concept development, daily and repeated readings, and vocabulary games and activities

Understanding the Impact on Healthcare Professionals of Viewing Digital Stories of Adults with Cancer: A Hermeneutic Study

The purpose of this study was to understand the effects on oncology healthcare providers (HCPs), both personally and professionally, of watching digital stories made by adults with cancer (past and present), and what HCPs envisioned for the uses of digital stories. Seven healthcare professionals from various disciplines volunteered for this study. This research took place in a large urban center in Western Canada and was done in the tradition of philosophical hermeneutics. A 90-minute focus group was used for data collection, where participants watched eight digital stories (batched in four groups of two stories) that had been created by individuals with cancer (past or present). Data was analyzed using an interpretive qualitative methodology. Findings revealed that watching digital stories made by adults with cancer was emotionally compelling, provided context, incited deep introspection, and may offer a protective effect with respect to HCP burnout

Front loading the curriculum: early placement experiences enhance career awareness and motivation for students with diverse career options

Deciding which career path is right for undergraduate students can be challenging and positive outcomes are linked to early work placements. The aim of the current study was to explore the student experience following the introduction of early career-based awareness-raising and reflective learning opportunities in first-year sport and exercise science-based students. Students met with the first-year coordinator to discuss career progression and career aspirations. From this meeting, students were allocated a placement. Following the placement visit, students submitted a reflection piece addressing their experiences at the placement site with six themes identified including: 1) positive experience; 2) degree selection; 3) exposure and reinforcement of practices; 4) career awareness; 5) supervisor impact; and 6) negative experience. The provision of early placement for students in an observational capacity appears to be beneficial to first year experience to assist in consolidating their choice of degree

School-based interventions for preventing HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy in adolescents

Background School-based sexual and reproductive health programmes are widely accepted as an approach to reducing high-risk sexual behaviour among adolescents. Many studies and systematic reviews have concentrated on measuring effects on knowledge or self-reported behaviour rather than biological outcomes, such as pregnancy or prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Objectives To evaluate the effects of school-based sexual and reproductive health programmes on sexually transmitted infections (such as HIV, herpes simplex virus, and syphilis), and pregnancy among adolescents. Search methods We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) for published peer-reviewed journal articles; and ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform for prospective trials; AIDS Educaton and Global Information System (AEGIS) and National Library of Medicine (NLM) gateway for conference presentations; and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UNAIDS, the WHO and the National Health Service (NHS) centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) websites from 1990 to 7 April 2016. We handsearched the reference lists of all relevant papers. Selection criteria\ud We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), both individually randomized and cluster-randomized, that evaluated school-based programmes aimed at improving the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion, evaluated risk of bias, and extracted data. When appropriate, we obtained summary measures of treatment effect through a random-effects meta-analysis and we reported them using risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We assessed the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach. Main results We included eight cluster-RCTs that enrolled 55,157 participants. Five trials were conducted in sub-Saharan Africa (Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Kenya), one in Latin America (Chile), and two in Europe (England and Scotland). Sexual and reproductive health educational programmes Six trials evaluated school-based educational interventions. In these trials, the educational programmes evaluated had no demonstrable effect on the prevalence of HIV (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.32, three trials; 14,163 participants; low certainty evidence), or other STIs (herpes simplex virus prevalence: RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.15; three trials, 17,445 participants; moderate certainty evidence; syphilis prevalence: RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.47 to 1.39; one trial, 6977 participants; low certainty evidence). There was also no apparent effect on the number of young women who were pregnant at the end of the trial (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.16; three trials, 8280 participants; moderate certainty evidence). Material or monetary incentive-based programmes to promote school attendance Two trials evaluated incentive-based programmes to promote school attendance. In these two trials, the incentives used had no demonstrable effect on HIV prevalence (RR 1.23, 95% CI 0.51 to 2.96; two trials, 3805 participants; low certainty evidence). Compared to controls, the prevalence of herpes simplex virus infection was lower in young women receiving a monthly cash incentive to stay in school (RR 0.30, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.85), but not in young people given free school uniforms (Data not pooled, two trials, 7229 participants; very low certainty evidence). One trial evaluated the effects on syphilis and the prevalence was too low to detect or exclude effects confidently (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.05 to 3.27; one trial, 1291 participants; very low certainty evidence). However, the number of young women who were pregnant at the end of the trial was lower among those who received incentives (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.99; two trials, 4200 participants; low certainty evidence). Combined educational and incentive-based programmes The single trial that evaluated free school uniforms also included a trial arm in which participants received both uniforms and a programme of sexual and reproductive education. In this trial arm herpes simplex virus infection was reduced (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.99; one trial, 5899 participants; low certainty evidence), predominantly in young women, but no effect was detected for HIV or pregnancy (low certainty evidence). Authors' conclusions There is a continued need to provide health services to adolescents that include contraceptive choices and condoms and that involve them in the design of services. Schools may be a good place in which to provide these services. There is little evidence that educational curriculum-based programmes alone are effective in improving sexual and reproductive health outcomes for adolescents. Incentive-based interventions that focus on keeping young people in secondary school may reduce adolescent pregnancy but further trials are needed to confirm this

Adductor focal laryngeal Dystonia: correlation between clinicians’ ratings and subjects’ perception of Dysphonia

Background Although considerable research has focused on the etiology and symptomology of adductor focal laryngeal dystonia (AD-FLD), little is known about the correlation between clinicians’ ratings and patients’ perception of this voice disturbance. This study has five objectives: first, to determine if there is a relationship between subjects’ symptom-severity and its impact on their quality of life; to compare clinicians’ ratings with subjects’ perception of the individual characteristics and severity of AD-FLD; to document the subjects’ perception of changes in dysphonia since diagnosis; to record the frequency of voice arrest during connected speech; and, finally, to calculate inter-clinician reliability based on results from the Unified Spasmodic Dysphonia Rating Scale (USDRS) (Stewart et al, J Voice 1195-10, 1997). Methods Sixty subjects with AD-FLD who were receiving ongoing injections of BoNT participated in this study. Subjects’ mean age was 60.78 years and their mean duration of symptoms was 16.1 years. Subjects completed the Disease Symptom Questionnaire (DSQ) (specifically designed for this study) and the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) (Jacobson et al, Am J Speech Lang Pathol 6:66–70, 1997) to measure the symptoms of their dysphonia and the impact of the disease on their quality of life. Two speech-language pathologists and two laryngologists used the Voice Arrest Measure (VAM) (specifically designed for this study) and the USDRS to independently rate voice recordings of 56/60 subjects. Results The mean VHI-10 score was 21.3 which is clinically significant. The results of the DSQ and the USDRS were highly correlated. The most severe symptoms identified by both subjects and clinicians were roughness, strain-strangled voice quality, and increased expiratory effort. Voice arrest, aphonia, and tremor were uncommon. Subjects rated their current voice quality at the time of reinjection (i.e., at the time of the study) as significantly better than at the time of their initial AD-FLD diagnosis (p < 0.0001). Inter-clinician reliability on the USDRS was significant at the 0.001 level. Conclusions The findings from the VHI-10 suggest that AD-FLD has a profound impact on quality of life. The results of the DSQ and the USDRS suggest that there is a strong correlation between subjects’ perception and clinicians’ assessment of the individual symptoms and the severity of the dysphonia. The findings from the VAM suggest that voice arrests are infrequent in subjects with AD-FLD who are receiving ongoing BoNT injections. The strong inter-clinician reliability on the USDRS suggests that it is an appropriate measure for identifying symptoms and severity of AD-FLD