Musical interest, church attendance and personality : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University

WARDS, A.R., 1980, Musical Interest, Church Attendance and Personality. M.A. thesis, Massey University, New Zealand. This study set out to investigate whether any relationships might exist between an individual's personality, his/her secular status, and involvement in music performance. It was hypothesised that Groups differing in church and musical interests will vary in personality characteristics as measured by the PRF (for motivational variables) and the NSQ (for level of stability). Ten Groups were studied: Church Choir, male and female; Church non-Music, male and female; non-Church Instrumental, male and female; non-Church non-Music, male and female; Salvation Army Band, male; Pipe Band, male. Ten subjects, drawn from the City of Palmerston North, formed each group. Analysis of results took two forms: Profile analyses of all groups in the possible comparisons of groups; Q-type factor analysis of group and subject differences. It was concluded that such an approach to the study of groups and interests is practicable, but that the measuring instruments used in this study were too blunt, and that caution must be used in interpreting results

An investigation of the Rapanui and Ngarino marine terraces in south Taranaki : coverbed stratigraphy, distribution and tectonics : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Quaternary Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Uplifted marine terraces, formed by successive marine onlap during interglacial and interstadial sea level maxima are preserved parallel to the South Taranaki coastline between Kakaramea in the southeast, and Hawera to the northwest. The objective of this research was to investigate the formation, deformation and subsequent landscape evolution of the Ngarino and Rapanui Terraces in the area between Hawera and Kakaramea The northwestern part of the study area occupies the southeastern margin of the Egmont ringplain where terraces that extend from the southeast sector are progressively buried by volcaniclastic sediments west of the Tangahoe River. Ages of the wave-cut platforms have been inferred from the coverbed stratigraphy and subsequent correlation to sea-level and oxygen isotope curves. Mapping the height of wave-cut platforms also allowed calculation of marine terrace deformation rates and patterns in this area. In the past, studies have tentatively concluded that between Kakaramea and Hawera the younger 120 ka Rapanui Terrace is cut out at the coast along with the 100 ka Inaha Terrace, and that to the west only the Ngarino Terrace is preserved. Examination of coverbed stratigraphy has established that both the Ngarino and Rapanui Terraces (210 and 120 ka respectively) are present in the study area. The terrace coverbed stratigraphy presented here indicates that next to the coast the terrace is younger than 210 ka. On this terrace loess units, corresponding to oxygen isotope stages 2,3,4 and 5 are found and gives a maximum age of 120 ka. Inland, the terrace stratigraphy reveals loess units corresponding to stages 2,3,4,5, and 6, providing a maximum age of 210 ka. Structural interpretation has demonstrated that underlying tectonics associated with the Taranaki Fault Zone has subsequently deformed the wave-cut platforms from their shallow angled seaward-dipping profiles. Southeast of the Tangahoe River, uplift rates between 0.3 - 0.55 mm/yr have formed well-defined terraces. The doming of the terrace surfaces is the surface expression of the Patea-Tongaporutu High, which is east of and parallels the Taranaki Fault Zone. The Tangahoe River is interpreted to overlie the Taranaki Fault Zone. This Zone marks the eastern boundary of the Taranaki Basin where uplift rates decrease to below 0.3 mm/yr. Stern et al. (1990) suggest that at this point broad bending of the lithosphere is induced by west-moving thrust sheets within the Taranaki Fault Zone and this is thought to be responsible for the increased uplift rates in this area. The uplift pattern displays the differential between the Patea-Tongaporutu High to the southeast and the Taranaki Basin to the west

Alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase levels in cancer patients are affected by Vitamin D binding protein-derived macrophage activating factor

It is well assessed that alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (nagalase) accumulates in serum of cancer patients and is responsible for deglycosylation of vitamin D binding protein, which is the precursor of vitamin D binding protein-derived macrophage activating factor (GcMAF), eventually leading to immunodeficiency in advanced cancer patients. The increase in nagalase activity in cancer patients is due to the fact that cancer cells release nagalase, and nagalase activity reflects tumour burden, aggressiveness and progression of the disease up to the point that determination of nagalase activity is a non-invasive way of evaluation of cancer severity. Here we report the observation of a series of clinical cases describing the results obtained administering GcMAF to patients with diverse types of cancers. In all cases, GcMAF treatment was initiated at late stages of tumour progression. The response to GcMAF was robust. All patients (n= 20) presented with nagalase levels well above the threshold of normal values (2.84+0.26 nM/min/mg). All patients, but one, showed significant decrease of nagalase levels following GcMAF weekly injections (1.59+0.17. p<0.01). Nagalase decrease was associated with improved clinical conditions. No adverse side effects were reported. The observation reported here confirm and extend the results presented in [1] and open the way to further studies aimed at assessing the precise role and indications for GcMAF in the immunotherapy of cancer

The Role of Disordered Ribosomal Protein Extensions in the Early Steps of Eubacterial 50 S Ribosomal Subunit Assembly

Although during the past decade research has shown the functional importance of disorder in proteins, many of the structural and dynamics properties of intrinsically unstructured proteins (IUPs) remain to be elucidated. This review is focused on the role of the extensions of the ribosomal proteins in the early steps of the assembly of the eubacterial 50 S subunit. The recent crystallographic structures of the ribosomal particles have revealed the picture of a complex assembly pathway that condenses the rRNA and the ribosomal proteins into active ribosomes. However, little is know about the molecular mechanisms of this process. It is thought that the long basic r-protein extensions that penetrate deeply into the subunit cores play a key role through disorder-order transitions and/or co-folding mechanisms. A current view is that such structural transitions may facilitate the proper rRNA folding. In this paper, the structures of the proteins L3, L4, L13, L20, L22 and L24 that have been experimentally found to be essential for the first steps of ribosome assembly have been compared. On the basis of their structural and dynamics properties, three categories of extensions have been identified. Each of them seems to play a distinct function. Among them, only the coil-helix transition that occurs in a phylogenetically conserved cluster of basic residues of the L20 extension appears to be strictly required for the large subunit assembly in eubacteria. The role of α helix-coil transitions in 23 S RNA folding is discussed in the light of the calcium binding protein calmodulin that shares many structural and dynamics properties with L20

Phenylalanine-Rich Peptides Potently Bind ESAT6, a Virulence Determinant of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Concurrently Affect the Pathogen's Growth

BACKGROUND:The secretory proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) have been known to be involved in the virulence, pathogenesis as well as proliferation of the pathogen. Among this set, many proteins have been hypothesized to play a critical role at the genesis of the onset of infection, the primary site of which is invariably the human lung. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:During our efforts to isolate potential binding partners of key secretory proteins of M. tuberculosis from a human lung protein library, we isolated peptides that strongly bound the virulence determinant protein Esat6. All peptides were less than fifty amino acids in length and the binding was confirmed by in vivo as well as in vitro studies. Curiously, we found all three binders to be unusually rich in phenylalanine, with one of the three peptides a short fragment of the human cytochrome c oxidase-3 (Cox-3). The most accessible of the three binders, named Hcl1, was shown also to bind to the Mycobacterium smegmatis (M. smegmatis) Esat6 homologue. Expression of hcl1 in M. tuberculosis H37Rv led to considerable reduction in growth. Microarray analysis showed that Hcl1 affects a host of key cellular pathways in M. tuberculosis. In a macrophage infection model, the sets expressing hcl1 were shown to clear off M. tuberculosis in much greater numbers than those infected macrophages wherein the M. tuberculosis was not expressing the peptide. Transmission electron microscopy studies of hcl1 expressing M. tuberculosis showed prominent expulsion of cellular material into the matrix, hinting at cell wall damage. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:While the debilitating effects of Hcl1 on M. tuberculosis are unrelated and not because of the peptide's binding to Esat6-as the latter is not an essential protein of M. tuberculosis-nonetheless, further studies with this peptide, as well as a closer inspection of the microarray data may shed important light on the suitability of such small phenylalanine-rich peptides as potential drug-like molecules against this pathogen

Patient involvement in improving the evidence base on mental health inpatient care: the PERCEIVE programme

BackgroundDespite the movement towards care in the community, 40% of the NHS budget on mental health care is still attributed to inpatient services. However, long before the Francis Report highlighted grave shortcomings in inpatient care, there were reports by service user groups on the poor quality of these services in mental health. The programme provides a particular focus on the inclusion of the patient’s perspective in the development and evaluation of evidence.ObjectivesTo understand how changes to inpatient care affect the perceptions of the ward by service users and staff by using stakeholder participatory methods.DesignThe programme consisted of four work packages (WPs). (1) Lasting Improvements for Acute Inpatient SEttings (LIAISE): using participatory methods we developed two new scales [Views On Therapeutic Environment (VOTE) for staff and Views On Inpatient CarE (VOICE) for service users]. (2) Client Services Receipt Inventory – Inpatient (CITRINE): working with nurses and service users we developed a health economic measure of the amount of contact service users have with staff. The self-report measure records interactions with staff as well as the number of therapeutic activities attended. (3) Delivering Opportunities for Recovery (DOORWAYS): a stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial to test if training ward nurses to deliver therapeutic group activities would improve the perception of the ward by service users and staff. A total of 16 wards were progressively randomised and we compared the VOICE, VOTE and CITRINE measures before and after the intervention. A total of 1108 service users and 539 staff participated in this trial. (4) Bringing Emergency TreatmenT to Early Resolution (BETTER PATHWAYS) was an observational study comparing two service systems. The first was a ‘triage’ system in which service users were admitted to the triage ward and then either transferred to their locality wards or discharged back into the community within 7 days. The second system was routine care. We collected data from 454 service users and 284 nurses on their perceptions of the wards.Main outcome measuresThe main outcomes for the DOORWAYS and BETTER project were service user and staff perceptions of the ward (VOICE and VOTE, respectively) and the health economic measure was CITRINE. All were developed in WPs 1 and 2.ResultsWe developed reliable and valid measures of (1) the perceptions of inpatient care from the perspectives of service users and nurses (VOICE and VOTE) and (2) costs of interactions that were valued by service users (CITRINE). In the DOORWAYS project, after adjusting for legal status, we found weak evidence for benefit (standardised effect of –0.18, 95% CI 0.38 improvement to 0.01 deterioration; p = 0.062). There was only a significant benefit for involuntary patients following the staff training (N582, standardised effect of –0.35, 95% CI –0.57 to –0.12; p = 0.002; interaction p-value 0.006). VOTE scores did not change over time (standardised effect size of 0.04, 95% CI –0.09 to 0.18; p = 0.54). We found no evidence of an improvement in cost-effectiveness (estimated effect of £33, 95% CI –£91 to £146; p = 0.602), but resource allocation did change towards patient-perceived meaningful contacts by an average of £12 (95% CI –£76 to £98; p = 0·774). There were no significant differences between the triage and routine models of admission in terms of better perceptions by service users (estimated effect 0.77-point improvement in VOICE score on the triage ward; p = 0.68) or nurses (estimated effect of 1.68-point deterioration in VOTE on the triage ward; p = 0.38) or in terms of the cost of the length of care provided (£391 higher on triage; p = 0.77).Strengths and limitationsWe have developed measures using methods involving both service users and staff from mental health services. The measures were developed specifically for acute inpatient services and, therefore, cannot be assumed to be useful for other services. For instance, extensions of the measures are under construction for use in mother and baby units. The strength of the BETTER PATHWAYS and DOORWAYS projects is the large-scale data collection. However, we were testing specific services based in inner city areas and stretching to inner urban areas. It may be that different effects would be found in more rural communities or in different types of inpatient care.Future workOur database will be used to develop an understanding of the mediating and moderating factors for improving care quality.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN06545047.FundingThis project was funded by the NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research programme and will be published in full in Programme Grants for Applied Research; Vol. 6, No. 7. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information

Cross-national mixed methods comparative case study of recovery-focused mental health care planning and coordination in acute inpatient mental health settings (COCAPP-A)

Background: Serious concerns have been identified in relation to care planning, patient involvement and consent to treatment in mental health wards, including for those patients detained under the Mental Health Act. Further evidence is needed to develop care planning interventions that embed dignity, recovery and participation for all people using inpatient mental health care. Design: We propose to undertake a cross-national comparative study of recovery-focused mental health care planning in inpatient settings. This two-phase exploratory mixed methods study will produce theory and empirical evidence to complement that developed in our current study of community mental health services to inform a future whole systems intervention study. The study is guided by a theoretical framework emphasising the connections between different 'levels' of organisation (macro/meso/micro). In phase 1 we study the macro-level through the comparative analysis of English and Welsh policy contexts. In phase 2 concurrent quantitative and qualitative data will be collected at 6 NHS Trust/Health Board case study sites (meso-level) and within each site, a single micro-level mental health ward will be selected to provide in-depth qualitative data related to care planning processes. Phase 1: We will extend our current meta-narrative mapping review (Wong et al 2013) of English and Welsh policies and the international literature on personalised recovery-oriented care planning and coordination in community settings to include inpatient settings. We will provide a review of evidence that is useful, rigorous and relevant for service providers and decision-makers and to inform Phase 2. Phase 2: We are employing a concurrent transformative mixed methods approach with embedded case studies (Creswell 2009: 215). We will conduct six in-depth meso-level case study investigations across contrasting NHS Trusts in England (n=4) and Local Health Boards in Wales (n=2), selected to reflect variety in geography and population and include a mix of rural, urban and inner city settings providing routine inpatient care. A large sample of service users (total n=300), inpatient staff (n=300) and informal carers (n=150) will be surveyed about perceptions of acute mental health care and care planning, recovery oriented practices, therapeutic relationships and empowerment using validated questionnaires. Documents and interviews with managers, consultant psychiatrists, ward staff and informal carers (n=60) will also be generated relating to local contexts, policies and practices. In each site we will also select a single inpatient ward and conduct a series of case studies embedded within each organisational case study, to explore care planning in detail. We will invite a sample of service users (total n=36) to participate in in-depth interviews about care planning and structured narrative reviews of their care plans; undertake a structured review of anonymised care plans for a further sample (n=60) of consecutively discharged patients; and conduct observation of care planning processes (n= 18). Framework method will be employed to integrate and compare textual and statistical summaries of qualitative and quantitative analyses within each case study site, informed by the theoretical framework focused on recovery and personalisation. Armed with our set of six within-case analyses we will then conduct a cross-case analysis to draw out key findings from across all sites