Do Porpoises Choose Their Associates? A New Method for Analyzing Social Relationships among Cetaceans

BACKGROUND: Observing and monitoring the underwater social interactions of cetaceans is challenging. Therefore, previous cetacean studies have monitored these interactions by surface observations. However, because cetaceans spend most of their time underwater, it is important that their underwater behavior is also continuously monitored to better understand their social relationships and social structure. The finless porpoise is small and has no dorsal fin. It is difficult to observe this species in the wild, and little is known of its sociality. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The swim depths of 6 free-ranging finless porpoises were simultaneously recorded using a time-synchronized bio-logging system. Synchronous diving was used as an index of association. Two pairs, #27 (an immature female estimated to be 3.5 years old) and #32 (an adult male), #28 (a juvenile male estimated to be 2 years old) and #29 (an adult male), tended to participate in long periods of synchronized diving more frequently than 13 other possible pairs, indicating that the 4 porpoises chose their social partners. The adult males (#32, #29) tended to follow the immature female (#27) and juvenile male (#28), respectively. However, during synchronized diving, the role of an initiator often changed within the pair, and their body movements appeared to be non-agonistic, e.g., rubbing of bodies against one another instead of that on one-side, as observed with chasing and escaping behaviors. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The present study employed a time-synchronized bio-logging method to observe the social relationships of free-ranging aquatic animals based on swimming depth. The results suggest that certain individuals form associations even if they are not a mother and calf pair. Long synchronized dives occurred when particular members were reunited, and this suggests that the synchronized dives were not a by-product of opportunistic aggregation

Systematic inclusion of mandatory interprofessional education in health professions curricula at Gunma University: a report of student self-assessment in a nine-year implementation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The mandatory interprofessional education programme at Gunma University was initiated in 1999. This paper is a statistical evaluation of the programme from 1999 to 2007.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A questionnaire of 10 items to assess the achievement levels of the programme, which was developed independently of other assessment systems published previously, was distributed, as well as two or three open-ended questions to be answered at the end of each annual module. A multivariate analysis of variance model was used, and the factor analysis of the responses was performed with varimax rotation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Over all, 1418 respondents of a possible 1629 students completed the survey, for a total response rate of 87.1%. Cronbach's alpha of 10 items was 0.793, revealing high internal consistency. Our original questionnaire was categorized into four subscales as follows: "Role and responsibilities", "Teamwork and collaboration", "Structure and function of training facilities", and "Professional identity". Students in the Department of Occupational Therapy reached a relatively lower level of achievement. In the replies to the open-ended questions, requests for the participation of the medical students were repeated throughout the evaluation period.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present four subscales measure "understanding", and may take into account the development of interprofessional education programmes with clinical training in various facilities. The content and quality of clinical training subjects may be remarkably dependent on training facilities, suggesting the importance of full consultation mechanisms in the local network with the relevant educational institutes for medicine, health care and welfare.</p

IL-4 as a Repurposed Biological Drug for Myocardial Infarction through Augmentation of Reparative Cardiac Macrophages: Proof-of-Concept Data in Mice.

Recent research has shown that reparative (alternatively activated or M2) macrophages play a role in repair of damaged tissues, including the infarcted hearts. Administration of IL-4 is known to augment M2 macrophages. This translational study thus aimed to investigate whether IL-4 administration is useful for the treatment of myocardial infarction. Long-acting IL-4 complex (IL-4c; recombinant IL-4 mixed with anti-IL-4 monoclonal antibody as a stabilizer) was administered after coronary artery ligation in mice. It was observed that IL-4c administration increased accumulation of CD206+F4/80+ M2-like macrophages predominantly in the injured myocardium, compared to the control. Sorted cardiac M2-like macrophages highly expressed wide-ranging tissue repair-related genes. Indeed, IL-4c administration enhanced cardiac function in association with reduced infarct size and enhanced tissue repair (strengthened connective tissue formation, improved microvascular formation and attenuated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy). Experiments using Trib1 -/- mice that had a depleted ability to develop M2 macrophages and other in-vitro studies supported that these IL-4-mediated effects were induced via M2-like macrophages. On the other hand, when administered at Day 28 post-MI, the effects of IL-4c were diminished, suggesting a time-frame for IL-4 treatment to be effective. These data represent proof-of-concept of efficacy of IL-4 treatment for acute myocardial infarction, encouraging its further development.This project was funded by the Heart Research UK Translational Research Grant (RG2653/15/16), British Heart Foundation Programme Grant (RG/15/31236), and Queen Mary Innovation Proof of Concept Grant (2015). The National Institute for Health Researchfunded Barts Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit also supported this project.This project was funded by the Heart Research UK Translational Research Grant (RG2653/15/16), British Heart Foundation Programme Grant (RG/15/31236), and Queen Mary Innovation Proof of Concept Grant (2015). The National Institute for Health Research-funded Barts Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit also supported this project

The effectiveness of interventions to change six health behaviours: a review of reviews

Background: Several World Health Organisation reports over recent years have highlighted the high incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease and cancer. Contributory factors include unhealthy diets, alcohol and tobacco use and sedentary lifestyles. This paper reports the findings of a review of reviews of behavioural change interventions to reduce unhealthy behaviours or promote healthy behaviours. We included six different health-related behaviours in the review: healthy eating, physical exercise, smoking, alcohol misuse, sexual risk taking (in young people) and illicit drug use. We excluded reviews which focussed on pharmacological treatments or those which required intensive treatments (e. g. for drug or alcohol dependency). Methods: The Cochrane Library, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE) and several Ovid databases were searched for systematic reviews of interventions for the six behaviours (updated search 2008). Two reviewers applied the inclusion criteria, extracted data and assessed the quality of the reviews. The results were discussed in a narrative synthesis. Results: We included 103 reviews published between 1995 and 2008. The focus of interventions varied, but those targeting specific individuals were generally designed to change an existing behaviour (e. g. cigarette smoking, alcohol misuse), whilst those aimed at the general population or groups such as school children were designed to promote positive behaviours (e. g. healthy eating). Almost 50% (n = 48) of the reviews focussed on smoking (either prevention or cessation). Interventions that were most effective across a range of health behaviours included physician advice or individual counselling, and workplace- and school-based activities. Mass media campaigns and legislative interventions also showed small to moderate effects in changing health behaviours. Generally, the evidence related to short-term effects rather than sustained/longer-term impact and there was a relative lack of evidence on how best to address inequalities. Conclusions: Despite limitations of the review of reviews approach, it is encouraging that there are interventions that are effective in achieving behavioural change. Further emphasis in both primary studies and secondary analysis (e.g. systematic reviews) should be placed on assessing the differential effectiveness of interventions across different population subgroups to ensure that health inequalities are addressed.</p

Search for sterile neutrino mixing in the MINOS long-baseline experiment

A search for depletion of the combined flux of active neutrino species over a 735 km baseline is reported using neutral-current interaction data recorded by the MINOS detectors in the NuMI neutrino beam. Such a depletion is not expected according to conventional interpretations of neutrino oscillation data involving the three known neutrino flavors. A depletion would be a signature of oscillations or decay to postulated noninteracting sterile neutrinos, scenarios not ruled out by existing data. From an exposure of 3.18×1020 protons on target in which neutrinos of energies between ~500¿¿MeV and 120 GeV are produced predominantly as ¿µ, the visible energy spectrum of candidate neutral-current reactions in the MINOS far detector is reconstructed. Comparison of this spectrum to that inferred from a similarly selected near-detector sample shows that of the portion of the ¿µ flux observed to disappear in charged-current interaction data, the fraction that could be converting to a sterile state is less than 52% at 90% confidence level (C.L.). The hypothesis that active neutrinos mix with a single sterile neutrino via oscillations is tested by fitting the data to various models. In the particular four-neutrino models considered, the mixing angles ¿24 and ¿34 are constrained to be less than 11° and 56° at 90% C.L., respectively. The possibility that active neutrinos may decay to sterile neutrinos is also investigated. Pure neutrino decay without oscillations is ruled out at 5.4 standard deviations. For the scenario in which active neutrinos decay into sterile states concurrently with neutrino oscillations, a lower limit is established for the neutrino decay lifetime t3/m3&gt;2.1×10-12¿¿s/eV at 90% C.L

Physicochemical conditions and timing of rodingite formation: evidence from rodingite-hosted fluid inclusions in the JM Asbestos mine, Asbestos, Québec

Fluid inclusions and geological relationships indicate that rodingite formation in the Asbestos ophiolite, Québec, occurred in two, or possibly three, separate episodes during thrusting of the ophiolite onto the Laurentian margin, and that it involved three fluids. The first episode of rodingitization, which affected diorite, occurred at temperatures of between 290 and 360°C and pressures of 2.5 to 4.5 kbar, and the second episode, which affected granite and slate, occurred at temperatures of between 325 and 400°C and pressures less than 3 kbar. The fluids responsible for these episodes of alteration were moderately to strongly saline (~1.5 to 6.3 m eq. NaCl), rich in divalent cations and contained appreciable methane. A possible third episode of alteration is suggested by primary fluid inclusions in vesuvianite-rich bodies and secondary inclusions in other types of rodingite, with significantly lower trapping temperatures, salinity and methane content. The association of the aqueous fluids with hydrocarbon-rich fluids containing CH4 and higher order alkanes, but no CO2, suggests strongly that the former originated from the serpentinites. The similarities in the composition of the fluids in all rock types indicate that the ophiolite had already been thrust onto the slates when rodingitization occurred

A phase II irinotecan–cisplatin combination in advanced pancreatic cancer

We report a cisplatin and irinotecan combination in patients with biopsy-proven advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Patients were selected from a specialist centre and required good performance status (KPS&gt;70%), measurable disease on CT scan, and biochemical and haematological parameters within normal limits. Based on a two-stage phase II design, we aimed to treat 22 patients initially. The study was stopped because of the death of the 19th patient during the first treatment cycle, with neutropenic sepsis and multiorgan failure. A total of 89 treatments were administered to 17 patients. Serious grade 3/4 toxicities were haematological (neutropenia) 6%, diarrhoea 6%, nausea 7% and vomiting 6%. Using the clinical benefit response (CBR) criteria, no patients had an overall CBR. For responses confirmed by CT examination, there was one partial response (5%), three stable diseases lasting greater than 6 weeks (16%), with an overall 22% with disease control (PR+SD). The median progression-free and overall survival was 3.1 months (95% CI: 1.3-3.7) and 5.0 (95% CI: 3.9-10.1) months, respectively. Although this synergistic combination has improved the response rates and survival of other solid tumours, we recommend caution when using this combination in the palliation of advanced pancreatic cancer, because of unexpected toxicity

A combination of gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil in advanced pancreatic cancer, a report from the Italian Group for the Study of Digestive Tract Cancer (GISCAD)

In a randomized clinical trial, gemcitabine (GEM) was more effective than 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in advanced pancreatic cancer patients. GEM and 5-FU have different mechanisms of action and their combination, from a theoretical point of view, could result in a higher activity. To test activity and feasibility of such a combination, a multi-institutional phase II study was initiated in November 1996 by the Italian Group for the study of Digestive Tract Cancer (GISCAD). Primary objectives of this study were to determine the activity in terms of response rate and clinical benefit, while the secondary objective was toxicity. According to the optimal two-stage phase II design, 54 patients were enrolled. Schedule was: GEM 1000 mg m(-2) intravenous (i.v.), and 5-FU 600 mg m(-2) bolus i.v. weekly for 3 weeks out of every 4. All the 54 patients were symptomatic (pain, weight loss, dyspepsia). A clinical benefit was obtained in 28 patients (51\%) (95\% confidence interval (CI) 38-64\%). Two patients achieved a partial response and 34 a stable disease. Median survival for all the patients was 7 months. Side-effects were mild: no gastrointestinal or haematological grade 3-4 toxicity (WHO) were recorded. We observed only six episodes of grade 2 (WHO) leukopenia and seven episodes of thrombocytopenia. Although the non-randomized design of this study suggests caution in the interpretation of these data, in consideration of the low incidence of toxicity and the favourable results obtained in terms of clinical benefit, it may be worthwhile to test more active schedules of 5-FU (continuous infusion) in combination with gemcitabine

Using the Technology Acceptance Model to conceptualise experiences of the usability and acceptability of a self-management app (COPD.Pal®) for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a long-term progressive inflammatory lung disease causing chronic breathlessness and many hospital admissions. It affects up to 1.2 million people in the UK. To help people with COPD self-manage their condition we developed, in partnership with healthcare users, a digital mobile phone app called COPD.Pal®. We report the first user feedback of COPD.Pal®, applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) theoretical framework. 11 participants engaged with a click dummy version of COPD.Pal® before being asked questions relating to their experiences. A deductive, semantic, reflexive thematic analysis was conducted to analyse their individual and collective experiences. The study was registered at Clinical Trials.gov (NCT04142957). Two overarching themes resulted: Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness. Within the former, participants discussed how they wanted flexibility and choice in how they engaged with the app; including how often they used it. Additionally, they discussed how the app layout should make it straightforward to use, whilst unanimously agreeing that COPD.Pal® provided this. Within Perceived Usefulness, participants discussed how they wanted the information they entered into the app to be useful, in addition to the app providing resources regarding COPD. Lastly, there was disagreement regarding preferences for further app development. We found that COPD.Pal® was usable and acceptable by people with COPD and TAM provided a useful theoretical framework for both structuring discussions with users and analysing their comments