Secondary resurfacing of the patella in total knee arthroplasty

Anterior knee pain following primary total knee arthroplasty is common and can be difficult to treat satisfactorily. We reviewed 28 consecutive patients (29 knees) who underwent secondary resurfacing of the patella for persistent anterior knee pain and report on the results. Mean follow-up was 28 months (range12-61) with no cases lost to follow-up. Oxford knee scores, range of motion, the patient's assessment of outcome and overall satisfaction were recorded. Seventeen out of 19 (59%) felt their knee was better following patellar resurfacing, 10 out of 29 (34%) felt it was the same and two out of 29 (7%) felt it was worse. There was a significant improvement in Oxford knee scores (p < 0.001) and significant increase in patient satisfaction (p < 0.001) following secondary resurfacing. While secondary resurfacing of the patella does not provide the solution for every case of anterior knee pain following total knee joint replacement, in greater than 50% of cases it can be effective at relieving symptoms and in this series carries a low risk of worsening symptoms or complications

An Integrated Tracker for STAR

The STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider RHIC studies the new state of matter produced in relativistic heavy ion collisions and the spin structure of the nucleon in collisions of polarized protons. In order to improve the capabilities for heavy flavor measurements and the reconstruction of charged vector bosons an upgrade of the tracking system both in the central and the forward region is pursued. The integrated system providing high resolution tracking and secondary vertex reconstruction capabilities will use silicon pixel, strip and GEM technology.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to be published in the Proceedings of the 9th Conference on the Intersections of Particle and Nuclear Physics (CIPANP 2006), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, May 30 - June 3, 200

Inclusive Hadron Production in p+p Collisions at STAR

The STAR experiment at RHIC has measured a variety of inclusive hadron cross sections in $p+p$ collisions at Sqrt(s) = 200 GeV. Measurements of the differential cross section for inclusive charged pion production at mid rapidity and for inclusive neutral pion production at forward rapidity (3.0 < eta < 4.2) as well as the first preliminary result from STAR for the differential cross section for inclusive neutral pion production near mid rapidity are presented. These cross sections are compared to next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations and can provide constraints on the pion fragmentation functions. Good agreement between data and pQCD has been found for all three cross sections.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to be published in the Proceedings of the 9th Conference on the Intersections of Particle and Nuclear Physics (CIPANP 2006), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, May 30 - June 3, 2006, v2 with updated reference

Using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy to predict the digestible protein and digestible energy values of diets when fed to barramundi, Lates calcarifer

This study examined the potential of using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to predict nutrient digestibility parameters (digestible protein and digestible energy) of compound diets when fed to barramundi. A series of 60 diets were assessed for their protein and energy digestibilities in a series of five experiments over a 5-year period from 2009 to 2014. Considerable variance was observed in the digestibility parameters of diets across the experiments, providing a suitable range in diet digestible protein and digestible energy values from which to develop a NIRS calibration. Samples of the same diets were also scanned using a diode array near-infrared spectrophotometer (DA-NIRS). The spectra were obtained by the DA-NIRS and were chemometrically calibrated against the digestible value data using multivariate analysis software. The results in terms of standard error of cross-validation (SECV), residual prediction deviation (RPD) and correlation coefficient (R2) show good relationships (R2 &gt; 0.8) between the predicted and observed parameters for both the digestible protein and digestible energy parameters assessed. This study therefore demonstrates that it is possible to use NIRS technology to provide rapid estimates of the digestible protein and digestible energy values of compound diets for barramundi in near real time.&nbsp

A study of the discrete and interactive effects of different polysaccharides on the digestibility of diets fed to barramundi (Lates calcarifer)

This study examined the single, paired and combined inclusion effect of a range of different polysaccharide types on the dry matter, protein and energy digestibility of diets fed to barramundi (Lates calcarifer). The different polysaccharides included pregelled starch, cellulose, lignin and pectin. There were significant differences among the digestibility parameters of the diets with the different inclusion levels of each of the different polysaccharide types. Using a manova analysis, effects were noted for polysaccharide type, inclusion level and interaction terms on the digestibilities of dry matter, protein and energy. Cellulose addition resulted in a reduction in both dry matter and energy that was largely commensurate with its inclusion level, but its effect on protein digestibility was marginal. Starch had the least effect on any of the digestibility parameters of all the polysaccharide types examined. Pectin had the largest effect on dry matter, while lignin had the greatest impact on diet protein and energy digestion. In the diets with paired combinations of polysaccharides, lignin and pectin were responsible for negatively synergistic interactions in all digestibility parameters. These results show that different polysaccharide classes can have distinctly different effects on diet digestibility parameters. &copy; 2015 John Wiley &amp; Sons Ltd

Expectations and experiences of gamete donors and donor-conceived adults searching for genetics relatives using DNA linking through a voluntary register

STUDY QUESTION: What are the experiences of donor-conceived adults and donors who are searching for a genetic link through the use of a DNA-based voluntary register service? SUMMARY ANSWER: Donor-conceived adults and donors held positive beliefs about their search and although some concerns in relation to finding a genetically linked relative were reported, these were not a barrier to searching. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Research with donor-conceived people has consistently identified their interest in learning about-and in some cases making contact with-their donor and other genetic relatives. However, donor-conceived individuals or donors rarely have the opportunity to act on these desires. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, AND DURATION: A questionnaire was administered for online completion using Bristol Online Surveys. The survey was live for 3 months and responses were collected anonymously. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, AND METHODS: The survey was completed by 65 donor-conceived adults, 21 sperm donors and 5 oocyte donors who had registered with a DNA-based voluntary contact register in the UK. The questionnaire included socio-demographic questions, questions specifically developed for the purposes of this study and the standardized Aspects of Identity Questionnaire (AIQ). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Motivations for searching for genetic relatives were varied, with the most common reasons being curiosity and passing on information. Overall, participants who were already linked and those awaiting a link were positive about being linked and valued access to a DNA-based register. Collective identity (reflecting self-defining feelings of continuity and uniqueness), as assessed by the AIQ, was significantly lower for donor-conceived adults when compared with the donor groups (P 0.05) for donor-conceived adults. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Participants were members of a UK DNA-based registry which is unique. It was therefore not possible to determine how representative participants were of those who did not register for the service, those in other countries or of those who do not seek information exchange or contact. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: This is the first survey exploring the experiences of donor-conceived adults and donors using a DNA-based voluntary register to seek information about and contact with genetic relatives and the first to measure aspects of identity using standardized measures. Findings provide valuable information about patterns of expectations and experiences of searching through DNA linking, identity and of having contact in the context of donor conception that will inform future research, practice and policy development

The Third Way for the Third Sector: Using Design to Transfer Knowledge and Improve Service in a Voluntary Community Sector Organisation

This paper describes a two-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership that concluded in September 2011. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) is a UK-wide activity that helps organisations to improve their competitiveness and productivity by making better use of knowledge, technology and skills within universities, colleges and research organisations. This paper details the outcome of a KTP between Age UK Newcastle and Northumbria University’s School of Design that aimed to use Design approaches to improve the charity’s services. This paper will describe the recent context for organisations operating in the Voluntary Community Sector and discuss the relevance of a Design approach to both the improvement of customer services in this circumstance, as well as the transfer of knowledge to a capacity-starved organisation. It will also document how Design was used to achieve both of these aims, and the resulting impact of this engagement on the organisation and stakeholders

Comparison of faecal collection methods and diet acclimation times for the measurement of digestibility coefficients in barramundi (Lates calcarifer)

This study aimed to investigate the effects of two faecal collection methods (stripping and settlement) on the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of dry matter, protein and energy of three different diets fed to barramundi. In a second experiment, the effect of acclimation time (i.e. number of days fed the diet) on the calculation of ADCs was also investigated. Each tank of fish was fed one of three diets for 12 days. Faeces were collected by both stripping and settlement, although only settlement was used prior to day seven of the acclimation period. Faeces were collected using the settlement method at regular intervals from day 1 to day 12. Comparisons between faecal collection methods were only made based on faecal material collected over a similar acclimation period. The collection of faeces by stripping produced more conservative ADCs, which were also more consistent than those obtained using the settlement technique. The calculated ADCs typically fluctuated for the first 3 days of collection before the variability diminished. Barramundi should be acclimated to diets for a minimum of 4 days before collection of faecal material, and collection by stripping is recommended to obtain the most reliable digestibility data

Where are the major gaps in the reserve network for Africa's mammals?

The original publication is available from http://www.cambridge.org/The establishment of protected areas for wildlife conservation in Africa was motivated by a number of different reasons (including hunting, recreation and wildlife conservation). The current reserve network provides good coverage of the distributions of the 194 species of larger mammals (> 3 kg) and 51 species of threatened larger mammals. However, it is less effective in covering the distribution of all 197 of Africa's threatened mammal species, which includes >140 smaller bodied species ( <3 kg) often restricted to habitat patches. A fully comprehensive network of areas for the conservation of African mammals, especially those facing extinction, is not yet in place, and further reserves may be needed in the Horn of Africa (Somalia in particular), the Cameroon Highlands, parts of the eastern African coastal forests and Eastern Arc Mountains, and parts of the Albertine Rift Mountains. More and larger reserve areas are also required to adequately cover all the species of South Africa. Parts of these gaps are already covered by government forest reserves, and the importance of this reserve category for the conservation of African mammals, especially threatened species, needs to be better recognized. As many of the gaps in reserve coverage are in areas of high human population and good agricultural potential, conservation goals may be difficult to achieve unless we supplement traditional reserves with novel approaches to maintain natural habitats and wildlife outside reserves.Postprint versio

Effect of ration level and dietary docosahexaenoic acid content on the requirements for long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids by juvenile barramundi (Lates calcarifer)

Juvenile barramundi were fed one of six diets containing differing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) levels. Fish were restricted fed on a pair-fed feeding regime to eliminate variability in feed intake, with two diets fed to satiety to examine the effects of fixed or variable feed rations on EFA requirements. Weight gain, feed intake, feed utilisation, and physical clinical signs were monitored. No effect of dietary DHA and EPA concentration, DHA:EPA ratio or total LC-PUFA level was observed on weight gain, growth rate, feed conversion ratio (FCR), survival or physical clinical health signs (P&gt;0.05). Satiety fed fish had higher feed intake, final weight, weight gain and growth rate compared to their respective restrictively fed treatments (P&lt;0.05). No effect of ration level on the responses to DHA concentration was observed. Body fatty acid composition was affected by diet, increasing dietary DHA resulted in higher body tissue DHA concentration, and a similar relationship was observed for EPA. Plasma haemoglobin increased with increasing DHA+EPA levels (P&lt;0.05) while glutamate dehydrogenase increased for fish fed DHA+EPA in a 1:1 ratio, regardless of total dietary LC-PUFA (P&lt;0.05). Juvenile barramundi may be fed diets containing as low as 1gkg-1 DHA without compromising growth or health status.&nbsp