The effect of temperature and humidity on the transmission of radio waves

Radio waves are generated by a transmitter and detected by a receiver which operate over a range of frequencies. Radio waves are usually transmitted across 2 different locations over a large distance and hence the outdoor weather conditions may affect the transmission of radio waves, due to temperature. This paper aims to observe the relationship of temperature against the efficiency of transmitting radio waves across a distance. This will also study the effects of temperature on radio waves or what type of radio waves are transmitted most efficiently in a certain temperature to mitigate any major problems in real life contexts when important and classified information is transmitted

Why do small business taxpayers stay with their practitioners? Trust, competence and aggressive advice

This article draws upon self-report survey data to examine the commitment of 181 small business taxpayers to their tax practitioners. Using hierarchical regression modelling, commitment was associated with a local chartered accountant; having a letter of engagement; receiving cautious, competent and aggressive advice (once expectations were controlled) and believing the tax practitioner trustworthy. Trust was related to receiving competent and cautious advice. Receiving aggressive advice contributed to commitment independently of being considered professionally competent and trustworthy

Practice Nurses' role extension and diagnostic work in long-term conditions: a qualitative metasynthesis and interview study

Background Role extension is common in primary care in the UK, with assessment, diagnosis and management of some conditions by role extended nurses well established. Practice nurses (PNs) are now considered fundamental to the care of patients with long-term conditions (LTCs). Healthcare policy demands that their role further extend to be inclusive of a greater level of complex care including assessment and diagnosis. Many LTCs have objective diagnostic criteria against which an unequivocally diagnosis can be made. The diagnosis of OA, a prevalent LTC, can be more complex with poor recognition and suboptimal treatment common. OA is often comorbid with other LTCs. Given their pivotal role in LTC care, PNs may be well placed to address poor recognition of OA, facilitating treatment optimisation and potentially improving patient outcomes. However, PN views on role extension in this context are unknown. Methods Empirical qualitative research evidence regarding PN perspectives of role extension and diagnosis of LTCs including OA in primary care was identified and synthesised using the process of meta-synthesis. Perspectives of PNs (n=18) were explored through semi-structured interviews using a topic guide. Data was analysed thematically using the principles of constant comparison. A LTC public and patient involvement and engagement (PPIE) group were involved in several stages of the research process. Results The meta-synthesis identified factors that can facilitate or hinder the successful implementation of extended roles. No literature regarding PN perspectives of their role in diagnosis was identified. Twenty-four PNs provided written consent to participate. No new themes were noted after eighteen interviews which were conducted face-to-face or via telephone. Six main themes were identified: understanding role extension; role boundaries; competent, confident and comfortable; factors that influence role extension; the impact of evolving role boundaries; and the nurse role in diagnosis. Role extension was described as something new, context dependent and relevant to the norm for that individual. The need for clear professional boundaries was explicit, yet nursing roles remain poorly defined affecting understanding and acceptability of extended roles. Problems in creating nationally agreed definitions were evident and clarity at the practice level was deemed more realistic and achievable. Strong interprofessional relationships and integrated care was important in the context of support. Support was considered essential for role extension and provision was reliant upon the ability to recognise and work within boundaries. Whilst role extension usually requires formal training, the importance of experiential learning and need to be comfortable in a role was clear. Three main drivers for change were recognised: the system, GP and nurse. Participants had variable understanding of the term OA and misconceptions were noted. Conclusion NHS England talk of the need to increase the flexibility and capacity of the primary care workforce if we are to ‘future proof’ the NHS against the challenges to come. Role extension is seen as pivotal to this process. Whist PNs accept the need for role extension, implementation is not without its problems. This thesis identifies and discusses key facilitators and barriers to role extension in the context of the PN in primary care

Lysophospholipid (LPA) receptors in GtoPdb v.2023.1

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptors (nomenclature as agreed by the NC-IUPHAR Subcommittee on Lysophospholipid Receptors [62, 23, 91, 144]) are activated by the endogenous phospholipid LPA. The first receptor, LPA1, was identified as ventricular zone gene-1 (vzg-1) [46], This discovery represented the beginning of the de-orphanisation of members of the endothelial differentiation gene (edg) family, as other LPA and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptors were found. Five additional LPA receptors (LPA2,3,4,5,6) have since been identified [91] and their gene nomenclature codified for human LPAR1, LPAR2, etc. (HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee, HGNC) and Lpar1, Lpar2, etc. for mice (Mouse Genome Informatics Database, MGI) to reflect species and receptor function of their corresponding proteins. The crystal structure of LPA1 [17, 80, 2] and LPA6 [128] are solved and indicate that LPA accesses the extracellular binding pocket, consistent with its proposed delivery via autotaxin [17]. These studies have also implicated cross-talk with endocannabinoids via phosphorylated intermediates that can also activate these receptors. The binding affinities to LPA1 of unlabeled, natural LPA and anandamide phosphate (AEAp) were measured using backscattering interferometry (pKd = 9) [92, 115]. Utilization of this method indicated affinities that were 77-fold lower than when measured using radioactivity-based protocols [143]. Targeted deletion of LPA receptors has clarified signalling pathways and identified physiological and pathophysiological roles. Multiple groups have independently published validation of all six LPA receptors described in these tables, and further validation was achieved using a distinct read-out via a novel TGFα "shedding* assay [54]. LPA has been proposed to be a ligand for GPR35 [103], supported by a study revealing that LPA modulates macrophage function through GPR35 [60]. However chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 17 (CXCL17) is reported to be a ligand for GPR35/CXCR8 [85]. Moreover, LPA has also been described as an agonist for the transient receptor potential (Trp) ion channels TRPV1 [96] and TRPA1 [65]. All of these proposed non-GPCR receptor identities require confirmation and are not currently recognized as bona fide LPA receptors

Local experience of using traditional medicine in northern Rwanda: a qualitative study

Background: The popular use of traditional medicine in low-income settings has previously been attributed to poverty, lack of education, and insufficient accessibility to conventional health service. However, in many countries, including in Rwanda, the use of traditional medicine is still popular despite the good accessibility and availability of conventional health services. This study aims to explore why traditional medicine is popularly used in Rwanda where it has achieved universal health coverage.// Methods: The qualitative study, which included in-depth interviews and participant observations, investigated the experience of using traditional medicine as well as the perceived needs and reasons for its use in the Musanze district of northern Rwanda. We recruited 21 participants (15 community members and 6 traditional healers) for in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted to generate common themes and coding schemes.// Results: Our findings suggest that the characteristics of traditional medicine are responding to community members’ health, social and financial needs which are insufficiently met by the current conventional health services. Participants used traditional medicine particularly to deal with culture-specific illness – uburozi. To treat uburozi appropriately, referrals from hospitals to traditional healers took place spontaneously.// Conclusions: In Rwanda, conventional health services universally cover diseases that are diagnosed by the standard of conventional medicine. However, this universal health coverage may not sufficiently respond patients’ social and financial needs arising from the health needs. Given this, integrating traditional medicine into national health systems, with adequate regulatory framework for quality control, would be beneficial to meet patients’ needs

Lysophospholipid (S1P) receptors (version 2020.5) in the IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology Database

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptors (nomenclature as agreed by the NC-IUPHAR Subcommittee on Lysophospholipid receptors [86]) are activated by the endogenous lipid sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P). Originally cloned as orphan members of the endothelial differentiation gene (edg) family, current gene names have been designated as S1P1R through S1P5R [66, 16, 109]. S1PRs, particularly S1P1, are expressed throughout all mammalian organ systems. Ligand delivery occurs via two known carriers (or "chaperones"): albumin and HDL-bound apolipoprotein M (ApoM), the latter of which elicits biased agonist signaling by S1P1 in multiple cell types [18, 48]. The five S1PRs, two chaperones, and active cellular metabolism have complicated analyses of receptor ligand binding in native systems. Signaling pathways and physiological roles have been characterized through radioligand binding in heterologous expression systems, targeted deletion of the different S1PRs, and most recently, mouse models that report in vivo S1P1R activation [91, 93]. A crystal structure of an S1P1-T4 fusion protein confirmed aspects of ligand binding, specificity, and receptor activation determined previously through biochemical and genetic studies [62, 17]. fingolimod (FTY720), the first drug to target any of the lysophospholipid receptors, binds to four of the five S1PRs, and was the first oral therapy for multiple sclerosis )MS) [32]. siponimod and ozanimod that target S1P1 and S1P5 are also FDA approved for the treatment of various MS forms [16, 109]. The mechanisms of action of fingolimod and other S1PR modulating drugs in development include binding S1PRs in multiple organ systems, e.g., immune and nervous systems, although the precise nature of their receptor interactions requires clarification [126, 34, 56, 57]

Learning together through international collaboration in teacher education in Malaysia. Report of a project to develop a Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Primary Mathematics

Copyright University of Hertfordshire, School of Education 2011Learning together through international collaboration in teacher education in Malaysia is the report of an enterprising partnership between the University of Hertfordshire, UK, the Ministry of Education Malaysia and two Institutes of Teacher Education in Malaysia. Working collaboratively with colleagues in Malaysia, the University of Hertfordshire School of Education designed, validated, supported and quality assured a Bachelor of Education (Honours) degree programme for initial teacher training for a single cohort of 120 students over four years. All the students graduated in 2010. Learning together through international collaboration in teacher education in Malaysia provides a record of the project itself. It also documents in-depth insights from contributors to the project in two main areas: the collaborative approach to working together and issues relating to learning and teaching, including the Action – Reflection – Modelling (ARM) pedagogical approach, which underpinned the degree programme. Senior managers, teacher educators and lecturers share some of their learning from working together to develop and implement the new degree programme. Student teachers voice some experiences from their school placements. They describe how they used ARM; highlight some of the benefits of the approach and identify some of the challenges associated with introducing a different pedagogy in schools as they were 'learning to teach'. There are glimpses of 'lively and attractive' classes in which 'pupils enjoy and feel comfortable to learn' and 'are eager to answer my questions'. School mentors provide additional insights into the student teachers' learning and teaching practice. The richness of the contributions is reflected in the many quotations included in the report. The successful completion of this project was due to the dedication and expertise of many contributors. The findings documented in this report are relevant for all those engaged in international collaboration and teacher education.Final Published versio

Lysophospholipid (S1P) receptors in GtoPdb v.2021.2

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptors (nomenclature as agreed by the NC-IUPHAR Subcommittee on Lysophospholipid receptors [89]) are activated by the endogenous lipid sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P). Originally cloned as orphan members of the endothelial differentiation gene (edg) family [16, 112], the receptors are currently designated as S1P1R through S1P5R [69, 16, 112]. Their gene nomenclature has been codified as human S1PR1, S1PR2, etc. (HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee, HGNC) and S1pr1, S1pr2, etc. for mice (Mouse Genome Informatics Database, MGI) to reflect species and receptor function. All S1P receptors have been knocked-out in mice constitutively and in some cases, conditionally. S1PRs, particularly S1P1, are expressed throughout all mammalian organ systems. Ligand delivery occurs via two known carriers (or "chaperones"): albumin and HDL-bound apolipoprotein M (ApoM), the latter of which elicits biased agonist signaling by S1P1 in multiple cell types [18, 49]. The five S1PRs, two chaperones, and active cellular metabolism have complicated analyses of receptor ligand binding in native systems. Signaling pathways and physiological roles have been characterized through radioligand binding in heterologous expression systems, targeted deletion of the different S1PRs, and most recently, mouse models that report in vivo S1P1R activation [94, 96]. A crystal structure of an S1P1-T4 fusion protein confirmed aspects of ligand binding, specificity, and receptor activation, determined previously through biochemical and genetic studies [65, 17]. fingolimod (FTY720), the first FDA-approved drug to target any of the lysophospholipid receptors, binds as a phosphorylated metabolite to four of the five S1PRs, and was the first oral therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) [33]. siponimod and ozanimod that target S1P1 and S1P5 are also FDA approved for the treatment of various MS forms [16, 112]. The mechanisms of action of fingolimod and other S1PR-modulating drugs now in development include binding S1PRs in multiple organ systems, e.g., immune and nervous systems, although the precise nature of their receptor interactions requires clarification [129, 35, 59, 60]

Utilizing polydispersity in composite fibrous based sound absorbing materials

The distribution of fiber diameters plays a crucial role in the transport and sound absorbing properties of a three-dimensional random fibrous (3D-RF) composites. Conventionally, volume-weighted averaging of fiber diameters has been utilized as an appropriate microstructural descriptor to predict the static viscous permeability of 3D-RF composites. However, the long wavelength acoustical properties of a 3D-RF composites are also sensitive to the smallest fibers, this is particularly true in the high-frequency regime. In our recent research, we demonstrated that an inverse volume-weighted averaging of fiber diameters can effectively serve as a complementary microstructural descriptor to capture the high-frequency behavior of polydisperse fibrous media. In the present work, we review the identification of two representative volume elements (RVEs) which relies on the reconstruction of 3D-RF composites having volume-weighted and inverse-volume weighted averaged fiber diameters, respectively in the low-frequency and high frequency regimes. We examine the implication of such a weighting procedure on the transport and sound absorbing properties of polydisperse fibrous media, highlighting their potential advantages. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges associated with this research field. Finally, we provide a brief perspective of the future directions and opportunities for advancing this area of study, aiming to overcome challenges and extend the benefits of employing polydispersity as a new lever for the optimization of 3D-RF composites in sound-absorbing materials.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure