βCaMKII regulates bidirectional long-term plasticity in cerebellar Purkinje cells by a CaMKII/PP2B switch mechanism

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise statedPeer reviewe

The International Mass Loading Service

The International Mass Loading Service computes four loadings: a) atmospheric pressure loading; b) land water storage loading; c) oceanic tidal loading; and d) non-tidal oceanic loading. The service provides to users the mass loading time series in three forms: 1) pre-computed time series for a list of 849 space geodesy stations; 2) pre-computed time series on the global 1deg x 1deg grid; and 3) on-demand Internet service for a list of stations and a time range specified by the user. The loading displacements are provided for the time period from 1979.01.01 through present, updated on an hourly basis, and have latencies 8-20 hours.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, to appear in the Proceedings of the Reference Frames for Applications in Geosciences Simposium, held in Luxemboug in October 201

Can adenine nucleotides predict primary nonfunction of the human liver homograft?

Sixty-eight primary liver grafts were analyzed to see whether adenine nucleotides (AN: ATP, ADP, and AMP) or purine catabolites (PC: adenosine, inosine, hypoxanthine, and xanthine) of tissue or effluent can predict primary graft nonfunction. AN, PC, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, oxidized form (NAD+) of the tissue before (pretransplant) and after graft reperfusion (post-transplant) and of the effluent were analyzed. The graft outcome was classified into two groups (group A: successful, n = 64; group B: primary nonfunctioning, n = 4). No significant differences were observed in pretransplant measurements between groups A and B, whereas ATP, ADP, total AN, total AN + total PC (T) and NAD+, in post-transplant tissues, were significantly higher in group A. Xanthine in the effluent was significantly higher in group B than in group A. ATP, ADP, total AN, T, and NAD+ in post-transplant tissue were significantly associated with primary graft nonfunction by logistic regression analysis

Will graduating medical students prefer to practise in rural communities?

Background: The shortage of doctors and their maldistribution between urban and rural areas contribute to inequitable health care delivery. Strategies are being sought by the government and universities to address these challenges. At the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine of the University of KwaZulu-Natal the admissions policy ensures greater access to rural students and curricular interventions have been introduced to increase an awareness of the plight of vulnerable communities. This study attempted to ascertain the career intentions of final-year medical students and the influence of area of origin and gender on the location of their proposed future practice.Methods: The 2005 final-year cohort was surveyed by means of an anonymous questionnaire. Demographic information, area of origin and career intentions were canvassed. Students of rural origin were identified as those who matriculated from rural schools and lived more than 200 km from the nearest city. The data were analysed descriptively.Results: Female and rural students accounted for 63% and 11% of the sample respectively. Women were less likely than men to practise in rural areas. Thirty-five per cent indicated a preference for a public government service career as opposed to a private medical (26%) career. Slightly more than 13.7% (n = 26) of the cohort wished to pursue practice or  postgraduate careers overseas. Nearly 62% (n = 90) of the students in the current cohort received government subsidies for their studies.Conclusions: The increased intake of students from rural origin and curricular attempts to increase social awareness of vulnerable rural communities are inadequate to alter the perceptions of medical graduates towards rural practice. While government initiatives and medical schools are starting to work together to service rural communities, alternative strategies need to be explored to entice physicians to rural practice

Het Rijksvaccinatieprogramma in Nederland : Surveillance en ontwikkelingen in 2014-2015

In Nederland is de vaccinatiegraad binnen het Rijksvaccinatieprogramma (RVP) hoog, waardoor weinig mensen de ziekten krijgen waartegen zij worden ingeënt. Alleen de deelname aan de vaccinatie van meisjes tegen het humaan papillomavirus (HPV) ligt lager. Na de vaccinaties komen weinig ernstige bijwerkingen voor. Bijwerkingen die gerapporteerd worden zijn doorgaans niet ernstig van aard zijn. Continue monitoring is nodig om een optimaal vaccinatieprogramma te behouden. Wijzigingen in het vaccinatieschema in 2014-2015 Sinds januari 2014 is de vaccinatie tegen het HPV-virus, dat baarmoederhalskanker kan veroorzaken, teruggebracht naar twee prikken. De vaccinatie wordt aan alle twaalfjarige meisjes aangeboden. Ontwikkelingen voor RVP-ziekten Door de uitbreiding van het pneumokokkenvaccin met drie typen in 2011 is het aantal kinderen gedaald dat van deze drie typen ziek werd. Deze daling was ook te zien onder volwassenen, die mogelijk indirect door de vaccinatie van kinderen zijn beschermd.Kinkhoest nam in 2014 weer toe na een daling in 2013. Het aantal zieken was minder hoog dan tijdens de epidemie in 2012. De bof kwam weinig voor in 2014, al steeg het aantal meldingen weer in de eerste maanden van 2015. De meeste mazelengevallen zijn in de eerste twee maanden van 2014 gerapporteerd, aan het einde van de epidemie die in 2013 begon. De mazelen kwam voor in gebieden waar mensen zich om religieuze redenen vaak niet laten vaccineren. Er zijn geen gevallen van polio gemeld. Vorig jaar waren de controles op polio geïntensiveerd in regio's in Nederland waar vluchtelingen worden opgevangen. Dit betrof vluchtelingen uit enkele niet-Europese landen waar het aantal poliogevallen was gestegen, zoals Syrië. Aangezien polio in die landen in 2014 minder voorkwam zijn de controles tot een normaal niveau teruggebracht. Ontwikkelingen voor toekomstige RVP-kandidaten De Gezondheidsraad kan de minister adviseren om het aantal ziekten die onder het RVP vallen uit te breiden. Het RIVM houdt in de gaten hoe ziekten die hiervoor in aanmerking komen, zich ontwikkelen. In 2014 kwamen uitzonderlijk weinig infecties met het rotavirus voor. Ook daalde het aantal zieken door meningokokken serogroep B. Het aantal mensen met het waterpokken, gordelroos en hepatitis A is de afgelopen jaren stabiel gebleven.In the Netherlands, participation in the National Immunisation Programme (NIP) is high, resulting in low incidences of most diseases included in the NIP. Yet coverage for vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) in girls is lower. Only a few severe adverse events following immunisation occurred. Reported adverse events are mostly mild and transient. Continuous monitoring of effectiveness and safety is necessary for the programme to remain optimal. Changes in the vaccination schedule in 2014-2015 Since 2014, girls have been receiving a reduced number of doses against human papillomavirus (HPV). Two doses of HPV vaccine are offered to 12-year-old girls. Developments for diseases included in the NIP The switch to the 10-valent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV10) in 2011 reduced the number of invasive pneumococcal diseases caused by the additional PCV10 serotypes in the vaccinated age groups. A decrease in the incidence of IPD caused by the additional PCV10 serotypes was also seen in the adult age groups, which is probably due to indirect protection. The incidence of pertussis increased in 2014 after a lower incidence in 2013, but was somewhat lower than during the epidemic year 2012. The incidence of mumps was low in 2014, but a resurgence of mumps and an endemic transmission were encountered in the first few months of 2015. The majority of the measles cases reported in 2014 belonged to the measles epidemic in the Bible Belt, which started in 2013. No cases of polio were reported. The environmental routine surveillance, which was intensified in the region where refugees were first cared for in 2013, was changed to routine level again in April 2015. Developments for future NIP candidates The Health Council could advise the Dutch Minister of Health, Welfare and Sports on expansion of the NIP. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands (RIVM) investigates developments in potential future NIP candidates. In 2014, the rotavirus season was exceptionally low. A decrease in meningococcal serogroup B disease was seen in 2014. Incidences of varicella zoster virus and hepatitis A remained stable over the previous years.Ministerie van VW

The binding study advice in medical education: a 2-year experience.

To improve the effectiveness of higher education, Dutch universities implemented the binding study advice at medical faculties. Accordingly, medicine students of Radboud University need to gain ≥ 42 out of 60 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits to obtain a positive binding study advice and to continue their study programme. In case of a negative advice, the student is obliged to terminate the study, and he/she cannot register for the same study programme in the Netherlands within the next three years. The purpose of this manuscript is to evaluate the effect of implementation of the binding study advice on study outcomes. First, the binding study advice did not impact on student performance, as the average ECTS credits were comparable before and after its introduction. Second, study progress improved 8 % with 93 % of the students obtaining access to the second year of the study programme after binding study advice implementation. Third, the binding study advice did not impact propaedeutic graduation rates. These data demonstrate that the implementation of the binding study advice in medical faculties has only a small impact on study outcomes. The high performance levels of medical students compared with peers at other faculties are likely to contribute to these findings and suggest a 'ceiling effect' in the potential improvement of study outcomes at medical faculties

Towards zero latency photonic switching in shared memory networks

Photonic networks-on-chip based on silicon photonics have been proposed to reduce latency and power consumption in future chip multi-core processors (CMP). However, high performance CMPs use a shared memory model which generates large numbers of short messages, creating high arbitration latency overhead for photonic switching networks. In this paper we explore techniques which intelligently use information from the memory hierarchy to predict communication in order to setup photonic circuits with reduced or eliminated arbitration latency. Firstly, we present a switch scheduling algorithm which arbitrates on a per memory transaction basis and holds open photonic circuits to exploit temporal locality. We show that this can reduce the average arbitration latency overhead by 60% and eliminate arbitration latency altogether for a signi cant proportion of memory transactions. We then show how this technique can be applied to multiple-socket shared memory systems with low latency and energy consumption penalties. Finally, we present ideas and initial results to demonstrate that cache miss prediction could be used to set up photonic circuits for more complex memory transactions and main memory accesses

Knowledge regarding basic concepts of hereditary cancers, and the available genetic counselling and testing services: A survey of general practitioners in Johannesburg, South Africa

Background. In families with hereditary cancer, at-risk individuals can benefit from genetic counselling and testing. General practitioners (GPs) are ideally placed to identify such families and refer them appropriately.Objective. To assess the practices, knowledge and attitudes of GPs regarding common hereditary cancers.Methods. An exploratory research design was used. An existing questionnaire was adapted, piloted and mailed to 196 GPs in Johannesburg, South Africa. The 61 GPs (31.1%) who completed and returned the questionnaire constituted the final sample. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics.Results. The GPs obtained some information on cancer family history from their patients, but not enough to assess the risks. Altogether 22 (36.1%) of the GPs referred patients to appropriate facilities for assessment and testing, while 32 (52.5%) were aware of genetic testing services. Most (38/61, 62.3%) were not familiar with the genetic counselling facilities available, but they felt patients should have counselling before testing. Less than half knew about possible paternal inheritance, or the low rate of hereditary mutations and their penetrance. Overall, the majority of GPs (53/61, 86.9%) were interested in learning more about cancer genetics and available services, and they expected to play an increasing role in the field in the future.Conclusions. Many of the GPs in this study had limited knowledge about inherited cancers, cancer risk management and genetic services. Appropriate education needs to be increased so that they are better equipped to identify and refer families at risk

Global transcriptome profiling reveals molecular mechanisms of metal tolerance in a chronically exposed wild population of brown trout.

addresses: Biosciences, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter , Exeter, EX4 4QD. [email protected] © 2013 American Chemical SocietyThis is an open access article that is freely available in ORE or from the publisher's web site. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es401380p Please cite the published versioncontacts: T.M.U.W.: E-mail [email protected], phone +44 (0)1392 724677, fax +44 (0)1392 263434. E.M.S.: E-mail E.Santos@ exeter.ac.uk, phone +44 (0)1392 264607, fax +44 (0)1392 263434.Worldwide, a number of viable populations of fish are found in environments heavily contaminated with metals, including brown trout (Salmo trutta) inhabiting the River Hayle in South-West of England. This population is chronically exposed to a water-borne mixture of metals, including copper and zinc, at concentrations lethal to naïve fish. We aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms employed by the River Hayle brown trout to tolerate high metal concentrations. To achieve this, we combined tissue metal analysis with whole-transcriptome profiling using RNA-seq on an Illumina platform. Metal concentrations in the Hayle trout, compared to fish from a relatively unimpacted river, were significantly increased in the gills, liver and kidney (63-, 34- and 19-fold respectively), but not the gut. This confirms that these fish can tolerate considerable metal accumulation, highlighting the importance of these tissues in metal uptake (gill), storage and detoxification (liver, kidney). We sequenced, assembled and annotated the brown trout transcriptome using a de novo approach. Subsequent gene expression analysis identified 998 differentially expressed transcripts and functional analysis revealed that metal- and ion-homeostasis pathways are likely to be the most important mechanisms contributing to the metal tolerance exhibited by this population.Natural Environment Research Council (NERC