English: Language of hope or broken dream?

In this chapter, the ESL approaches adopted by seven different literacy organisations in South Africa are described and analysed. The approaches are identified in relation to developments in the field of applied linguistics and language teaching. The methods include formalist, functional/communicative approach, competency-based approach, natural growth approach, task-based process approach, popular education and ESL approach. The chapter concludes with principles for adult, popular second language learning curriculum and training

Treatment of type 2 diabetes: future approaches

Introduction or background Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for ~90% of all diabetes, is a heterogeneous and progressive disease with a variety of causative and potentiating factors. The hyperglycaemia of type 2 diabetes is often inadequately controlled, hence the need for a wider selection of glucose-lowering treatments. Sources of data Medline, PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Areas of agreement Early, effective and sustained control of blood glucose defers the onset and reduces the severity of microvascular and neuropathic complications of type 2 diabetes and helps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular (CV) complications. Areas of controversy Newer glucose-lowering agents require extensive long-term studies to confirm CV safety. The positioning of newer agents within therapeutic algorithms varies. Growing points In addition to their glucose-lowering efficacy, some new glucose-lowering agents may act independently to reduce CV and renal complications. Areas timely for developing research Studies of potential new glucose-lowering agents offer the opportunity to safely improve glycaemic control with prolonged efficacy and greater opportunity for therapeutic individualisation

Induced Defects in Carbonaceous Materials for Hydrogen Storage

The induced defects in carbonaceous materials for hydrogen storage were studied. The effect of exfoliation was studied and the graphite nanofibers (GNF) diameter before and after exfoliation was quantified. Thermal decomposition of the GNF before and after sulfuric/nitric acid exfoliation indicated a clear loss of thermal stability. GNF exfoliation enhanced the hydrogen uptake by a factor of five compared to the untreated GNF. The amorphous carbon was reactive than GNF, and decomposed before the GNF. The higher pretreatment temperature was intended to preferentially remove amorphous carbon leaving a higher purity of exfoliated GNF

Depressive symptoms are associated with visceral adiposity in a community-based sample of middle-aged women and men

To examine the relation between measures of adiposity and depressive symptoms in a large well characterized community-based sample, we examined the relations of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) to depressive symptoms in 1581 women (mean age 52.2 years) and 1718 men (mean age 49.8 years) in the Framingham Heart Study. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. Regression models were created to examine the association between each fat depot (exposure) and depressive symptoms (outcome). Sex specific models were adjusted for age, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes, hypertension, total and HDL cholesterol, lipid lowering treatment, CVD, menopause, C-reactive protein, and physical activity. Mean CES-D scores were 6.8 and 5.6 in women and men. High levels of depressive symptoms were present in 22.5% of women and 12.3% of men. In women, one standard deviation increase in VAT was associated with a 1.3 point higher CES-D score after adjusting for age and BMI (p<0.01) and remained significant in the fully adjusted model (p=0.03). The odds ratio of depressive symptoms per 1 standard deviation increase in VAT in women was 1.33 (p=0.015); results were attenuated in fully adjusted models (OR 1.29, p=0.055). In men, the association between VAT and CES-D score and depressive symptoms was not significant. SAT was not associated with CES-D score or depressive symptoms. This study supports an association between VAT and depressive symptoms in women. Further work is needed to uncover the complex biologic mechanisms mediating the association

Renal Protection with SGLT2 Inhibitors: Effects in Acute and Chronic Kidney Disease

Purpose of Review: This review offers a critical narrative evaluation of emerging evidence that sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors exert nephroprotective effects in people with type 2 diabetes. Recent Findings: The SGLT2 inhibitor class of glucose-lowering agents has recently shown beneficial effects to reduce the onset and progression of renal complications in people with and without diabetes. Randomised clinical trials and ‘real world’ observational studies, mostly involving type 2 diabetes patients, have noted that use of an SGLT2 inhibitor can slow the decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR), reduce the onset of microalbuminuria and slow or reverse the progression of proteinuria. Summary: The nephroprotective effects of SGLT2 inhibitors are class effects observed with each of the approved agents in people with a normal or impaired GFR. These effects are also observed in non-diabetic, lean and normotensive individuals suggesting that the mechanisms extend beyond the glucose-lowering, weight-lowering and blood pressure-lowering effects that accompany their glucosuric action in diabetes patients. A key mechanism is tubuloglomerular feedback in which SGLT2 inhibitors cause more sodium to pass along the nephron: the sodium is sensed by macula cells which act via adenosine to constrict afferent glomerular arterioles, thereby protecting glomeruli by reducing intraglomerular pressure. Other effects of SGLT2 inhibitors improve tubular oxygenation and metabolism and reduce renal inflammation and fibrosis. SGLT2 inhibitors have not increased the risk of urinary tract infections or the risk of acute kidney injury. However, introduction of an SGLT2 inhibitor in patients with a very low GFR is not encouraged due to an initial dip in GFR, and it is prudent to discontinue therapy if there is an acute renal event, hypovolaemia or hypotension

Predicting the Distribution of High Nature Value farmland in Ireland: IDEAL-HNV

Conference presentation outlining the IDEAL-HNV projec

Endotoxin levels and contribution factors of endotoxins in resident, school, and office environments - A review

As endotoxin exposure has known effects on human health, it is important to know the generally existing levels of endotoxins as well as their contributing factors. This work reviews current knowledge on the endotoxin loads in settled floor dust, concentrations of endotoxins in indoor air, and different environmental factors potentially affecting endotoxin levels. The literature review consists of peer-reviewed manuscripts located using Google and PubMed, with search terms based on individual words and combinations. References from relevant articles have also been searched. Analysis of the data showed that in residential, school, and office environments, the mean endotoxin loads in settled floor dust varied between 660 and 107,000 EU/m(2), 2180 and 48,000 EU/m(2), and 2700 and 12,890 EU/m(2), respectively. Correspondingly, the mean endotoxin concentrations in indoor air varied between 0.04 and 1610 EU/m(3) in residences, and 0.07 and 9.30 EU/m(3) in schools and offices. There is strong scientific evidence indicating that age of houses (or housing unit year category), cleaning, farm or rural living, flooring materials (the presence of carpets), number of occupants, the presence of dogs or cats indoors, and relative humidity affect endotoxin loads in settled floor dust. The presence of pets (especially dogs) was extremely strongly associated with endotoxin concentrations in indoor air. However, as reviewed articles show inconsistency, additional studies on these and other possible predicting factors are needed. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Carotid approach to anterior circulation thromboembolectomy in an adult with failing fontan physiology: a case report

Background Anesthetic management of an adult with failing Fontan physiology is complicated given inherent anatomical and physiological alterations. Neurosurgical interventions including thromboembolectomy may be particularly challenging given importance of blood pressure control and cerebral perfusion. Case Presentation We describe a 29 year old patient born with double outlet right ventricle (DORV) with mitral valve atresia who after multi-staged surgeries earlier in life, presented with failing Fontan physiology. She was admitted to the hospital almost 29 years after her initial surgeries to undergo workup for a dual heart and liver transplant in the context of a failing Fontan with elevated end diastolic pressures, NYHA III heart failure symptoms, and liver cirrhosis from congestive hepatopathy. During the workup in the context of holding anticoagulation for invasive procedures, she developed a middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke requiring a thromboembolectomy via left carotid artery approach. Discussion and Conclusions This case posed many challenges to the anesthesiologist including airway control, hemodynamic and cardiopulmonary monitoring, evaluation of perfusion, vascular access, and management of anticoagulation in an adult patient in heart and liver failure with Fontan physiology undergoing thromboembolectomy for MCA embolic stroke

Refinery Integration of By-Products from Coal-Derived Jet Fuels

The final report summarizes the accomplishments toward project goals during length of the project. The goal of this project was to integrate coal into a refinery in order to produce coal-based jet fuel, with the major goal to examine the products other than jet fuel. These products are in the gasoline, diesel and fuel oil range and result from coal-based jet fuel production from an Air Force funded program. The main goal of Task 1 was the production of coal-based jet fuel and other products that would need to be utilized in other fuels or for non-fuel sources, using known refining technology. The gasoline, diesel fuel, and fuel oil were tested in other aspects of the project. Light cycle oil (LCO) and refined chemical oil (RCO) were blended, hydrotreated to removed sulfur, and hydrogenated, then fractionated in the original production of jet fuel. Two main approaches, taken during the project period, varied where the fractionation took place, in order to preserve the life of catalysts used, which includes (1) fractionation of the hydrotreated blend to remove sulfur and nitrogen, followed by a hydrogenation step of the lighter fraction, and (2) fractionation of the LCO and RCO before any hydrotreatment. Task 2 involved assessment of the impact of refinery integration of JP-900 production on gasoline and diesel fuel. Fuel properties, ignition characteristics and engine combustion of model fuels and fuel samples from pilot-scale production runs were characterized. The model fuels used to represent the coal-based fuel streams were blended into full-boiling range fuels to simulate the mixing of fuel streams within the refinery to create potential 'finished' fuels. The representative compounds of the coal-based gasoline were cyclohexane and methyl cyclohexane, and for the coal-base diesel fuel they were fluorine and phenanthrene. Both the octane number (ON) of the coal-based gasoline and the cetane number (CN) of the coal-based diesel were low, relative to commercial fuels ({approx}60 ON for coal-based gasoline and {approx}20 CN for coal-based diesel fuel). Therefore, the allowable range of blending levels was studied where the blend would achieve acceptable performance. However, in both cases of the coal-based fuels, their ignition characteristics may make them ideal fuels for advanced combustion strategies where lower ON and CN are desirable. Task 3 was designed to develop new approaches for producing ultra clean fuels and value-added chemicals from refinery streams involving coal as a part of the feedstock. It consisted of the following three parts: (1) desulfurization and denitrogenation which involves both new adsorption approach for selective removal of nitrogen and sulfur and new catalysts for more effective hydrotreating and the combination of adsorption denitrogenation with hydrodesulfurization; (2) saturation of two-ring aromatics that included new design of sulfur resistant noble-metal catalysts for hydrogenation of naphthalene and tetralin in middle distillate fuels, and (3) value-added chemicals from naphthalene and biphenyl, which aimed at developing value-added organic chemicals from refinery streams such as 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene and 4,4{prime}-dimethylbiphenyl as precursors to advanced polymer materials. Major advances were achieved in this project in designing the catalysts and sorbent materials, and in developing fundamental understanding. The objective of Task 4 was to evaluate the effect of introducing coal into an existing petroleum refinery on the fuel oil product, specifically trace element emissions. Activities performed to accomplish this objective included analyzing two petroleum-based commercial heavy fuel oils (i.e., No. 6 fuel oils) as baseline fuels and three co-processed fuel oils, characterizing the atomization performance of a No. 6 fuel oil, measuring the combustion performance and emissions of the five fuels, specifically major, minor, and trace elements when fired in a watertube boiler designed for natural gas/fuel oil, and determining the boiler performance when firing the five fuels. Two different co-processed fuel oils were tested: one that had been partially hydrotreated, and the other a product of fractionation before hydrotreating. Task 5 focused on examining refining methods that would utilize coal and produce thermally stable jet fuel, included delayed coking and solvent extraction. Delayed coking was done on blends of decant oil and coal, with the goal to produce a premium carbon product and liquid fuels. Coking was done on bench scale and large laboratory scale cokers. Two coals were examined for co-coking, using Pittsburgh seam coal and Marfork coal product. Reactions in the large, laboratory scaled coker were reproducible in yields of products and in quality of products. While the co-coke produced from both coals was of sponge coke quality, minerals left in the coke made it unacceptable for use as anode or graphite grade filler

Face-to-face: Social work and evil

The concept of evil continues to feature in public discourses and has been reinvigorated in some academic disciplines and caring professions. This article navigates social workers through the controversy surrounding evil so that they are better equipped to acknowledge, reframe or repudiate attributions of evil in respect of themselves, their service users or the societal contexts impinging upon both. A tour of the landscape of evil brings us face-to-face with moral, administrative, societal and metaphysical evils, although it terminates in an exhortation to cultivate a more metaphorical language. The implications for social work ethics, practice and education are also discussed