The lens as a model for fibrotic disease

Fibrosis affects multiple organs and is associated with hyperproliferation, cell transdifferentiation, matrix modification and contraction. It is therefore essential to discover the key drivers of fibrotic events, which in turn will facilitate the development of appropriate therapeutic strategies. The lens is an elegant experimental model to study the processes that give rise to fibrosis. The molecular and cellular organization of the lens is well defined and consequently modifications associated with fibrosis can be clearly assessed. Moreover, the avascular and non-innervated properties of the lens allow effective in vitro studies to be employed that complement in vivo systems and relate to clinical data. Using the lens as a model for fibrosis has direct relevance to millions affected by lens disorders, but also serves as a valuable experimental tool to understand fibrosis per se

Localised states in an extended Swift-Hohenberg equation

Recent work on the behaviour of localised states in pattern forming partial differential equations has focused on the traditional model Swift-Hohenberg equation which, as a result of its simplicity, has additional structure --- it is variational in time and conservative in space. In this paper we investigate an extended Swift-Hohenberg equation in which non-variational and non-conservative effects play a key role. Our work concentrates on aspects of this much more complicated problem. Firstly we carry out the normal form analysis of the initial pattern forming instability that leads to small-amplitude localised states. Next we examine the bifurcation structure of the large-amplitude localised states. Finally we investigate the temporal stability of one-peak localised states. Throughout, we compare the localised states in the extended Swift-Hohenberg equation with the analogous solutions to the usual Swift-Hohenberg equation

Association of circulating levels of MMP-8 with mortality from respiratory disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are implicated in the destruction of the joint and have been shown to be strongly associated with inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Circulating MMPs have also been associated with cardiovascular disease in the general population, and are predictive of cardiovascular mortality. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether circulating levels of MMPs are predictive of mortality in RA

Middle school students' perceptions of engineering

This paper focuses on implementing engineering education in middle school classrooms (grade levels 7-9). One of the aims of the study was to foster students’ and teachers’ knowledge and understanding of engineering in society. Given the increasing importance of engineering in shaping our daily lives, it is imperative that we foster in students an interest and drive to participate in engineering education, increase their awareness of engineering as a career path, and inform them of the links between engineering and the enabling subjects, mathematics, science, and technology. Data for the study are drawn from five classes across three schools. Grade 7 students’ responded to initial whole class discussions on what is an engineer, what is engineering, what characteristics engineers require, engineers (family/friends) that they know, and subjects that may facilitate an engineering career. Students generally viewed engineers as creative, future-oriented, and artistic problem finders and solvers; planners and designers; “seekers” and inventors; and builders of constructions. Students also viewed engineers as adventurous, decisive, community-minded, reliable, and “smart.” In addition to a range of mathematics and science topics, students identified business studies, ICT, graphics, art, and history as facilitating careers in engineering. Although students displayed a broadened awareness of engineering than the existing research suggests, there was limited knowledge of various engineering fields and a strong perception of engineering as large construction

The Swift-Hohenberg equation with a nonlocal nonlinearity

It is well known that aspects of the formation of localised states in a one-dimensional Swift--Hohenberg equation can be described by Ginzburg--Landau-type envelope equations. This paper extends these multiple scales analyses to cases where an additional nonlinear integral term, in the form of a convolution, is present. The presence of a kernel function introduces a new lengthscale into the problem, and this results in additional complexity in both the derivation of envelope equations and in the bifurcation structure. When the kernel is short-range, weakly nonlinear analysis results in envelope equations of standard type but whose coefficients are modified in complicated ways by the nonlinear nonlocal term. Nevertheless, these computations can be formulated quite generally in terms of properties of the Fourier transform of the kernel function. When the lengthscale associated with the kernel is longer, our method leads naturally to the derivation of two different, novel, envelope equations that describe aspects of the dynamics in these new regimes. The first of these contains additional bifurcations, and unexpected loops in the bifurcation diagram. The second of these captures the stretched-out nature of the homoclinic snaking curves that arises due to the nonlocal term.Comment: 28 pages, 14 figures. To appear in Physica

A Qualitative Analysis of Medical Students' Views of Their First Psychiatry Rotation

Objective: The importance of student’s perspectives in informing curricula and pedagogy has long been recognised. However, student’s perspectives are rarely reported in the academic literature. Therefore this study explores and reports on medical student’s perspectives of their first psychiatry clinical rotation in a ‘new’ era medical school in Australia. Method: Seventy-three graduate entry medical students completed a semi-structured questionnaire about their experiences during a mental health rotation. The responses were analysed and coded into thematic categories. Results: The following thematic categories were evident; staff, breadth of experience, attitudes towards mental health, course materials and structure, and professional development. Conclusion: The results are discussed in the context of the current academic recommendations for the teaching of psychiatry and behavioural science to medical students. Although the use of student feedback is recommended by the literature, pragmatically it is rarely utilised and if it is utilised it is not reported in the academic literature. It is recommended that educators embrace the use of student’s perspectives to evaluate and inform their teaching

Dimensions of web site credibility and their relation to active trust and behavioural impact

This paper discusses two trends that threaten to undermine the effectiveness of online social marketing interventions: growing mistrust and competition. As a solution, this paper examines the relationships between Web site credibility, target audiences’ active trust and behaviour. Using structural equation modelling to evaluate two credibility models, this study concludes that Web site credibility is best considered a three-dimensional construct composed of expertise, trustworthiness and visual appeal, and that trust plays a partial mediating role between Web site credibility and behavioural impacts. The paper examines theoretical implications of conceptualizing Web sites according to a human credibility model, and factoring trust into Internet-based behavioural change interventions. Practical guidelines suggest ways to address these findings when planning online social marketing interventions