MMed cohort supervision: A path out of the swamp?

The authors present the case for collaborative cohort supervision (CCM), including both master’s students and novice supervisors, as a possible way to rapidly increase the number of supervisors needed to address the recent implementation of a compulsory research component to specialist registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Different models of CCM are discussed and possible pitfalls highlighted

Determining the Critical Window of Influence of PCB Perinatally on Behavioral and Hormonal Development in Sprague-Dawley Rat Pups

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) had widespread use in the United States in commercial manufacturing in the United States until the late 1970s. Even though they were banned, measurable amounts can still be found in the environment and food sources. PCB has known effects on altering hormone development and behavior in the species Rattus norvegicus. To determine the most crucial developmental time of exposure to PCB in Sprague-Dawley rat pups, rat pups were exposed to PCB at differing weeks of either gestation period or the first postnatal week. Behavioral tests were performed for the different rat pups, as well as blood serum was analyzed for the concentration of thyroid hormone. This paper presents data for PCB exposed pups that were tested for play behavior on PND 22. Statistical tests were used to determine the week of PCB exposure with the greatest effects on the rat pups. The results are that exposure of PCB led to a significant increase in the play behavior of the pups. The dorsal contact play behavior was significantly altered by PCB, while the pin behavior was not significantly altered. The critical window for PCB exposure was not identified, but it can be seen that PCB alters dorsal contact behavior in exposed rat pups

Systems development methods and usability in Norway: An industrial perspective

This is the post-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2007 Springer Berlin HeidelbergThis paper investigates the relationship between traditional systems development methodologies and usability, through a survey of 78 Norwegian IT companies. Building on previous research we proposed two hypotheses; (1) that software companies will generally pay lip service to usability, but do not prioritize it in industrial projects, and (2) that systems development methods and usability are perceived as not being integrated. We find support for both hypotheses. Thus, the use of systems development methods is fairly stable, confirming earlier research. Most companies do not use a formal method, and of those who do, the majority use their own method. Generally, the use of methods is rather pragmatic: Companies that do not use formal methods report that they use elements from such methods. Further, companies that use their own method import elements from standardised methods into their own

Responsibility modelling for civil emergency planning

This paper presents a new approach to analysing and understanding civil emergency planning based on the notion of responsibility modelling combined with HAZOPS-style analysis of information requirements. Our goal is to represent complex contingency plans so that they can be more readily understood, so that inconsistencies can be highlighted and vulnerabilities discovered. In this paper, we outline the framework for contingency planning in the United Kingdom and introduce the notion of responsibility models as a means of representing the key features of contingency plans. Using a case study of a flooding emergency, we illustrate our approach to responsibility modelling and suggest how it adds value to current textual contingency plans

Teenage dogs? Evidence for adolescent-phase conflict behaviour and an association between attachment to humans and pubertal timing in the domestic dog

The relationship between parent and child changes around adolescence, with children believed to have: (i) an earlier puberty if they have less secure attachments to their carer; (ii) a phase of increased conflict behaviour toward their carer; and (iii) heightened conflict behaviour when carer attachments are less secure. We find support for analogous associations in adolescent dogs based on behaviour and reproductive timing of potential guide dogs. Bitches with behaviour indicative of insecure attachments pre-adolescence became reproductively capable earlier. Providing the first empirical evidence to our knowledge in support of adolescent-phase behaviour in dogs, we found a passing phase of carer-specific conflict-like behaviour during adolescence (reduced trainability and responsiveness to commands), an effect that was more pronounced in dogs with behaviour indicative of less secure attachments. These results indicate a possibility for cross-species influence on reproductive development and highlight adolescence as a vulnerable time for dog–owner relationships

Floral biology, pollination vectors and breeding system of Zieria granulata (Rutaceae), an endangered shrub endemic to eastern Australia

Context: Understanding the factors that influence viable-seed production is crucial in the conservation of threatened plant species, yet these factors are often poorly understood. Aims: We investigated the reproductive biology of Zieria granulata C.Moore ex Benth., an endangered Australian endemic with a limited distribution, with the intent of improving conservation and restoration outcomes. Methods: Components of floral biology, including floral ontogeny and nectar production, were quantified to determine the pollination syndrome and the likely breeding system. Flower-visitor surveys (using both digital video recordings and human observations), a manipulative wind-pollination experiment and hand-pollination experiments were conducted to investigate pollination vectors and confirm the breeding system. Key results: Z. granulata flowers were small, white, protandrous and produced highly ornamented pollen grains and small quantities of nectar; these characteristics suggest that the species fits the general entomophily syndrome. All floral visitors were arthropod species and of the 72 visitors observed, predominantly from the Dipteran and Hymenopteran families, 18 could be regarded as potential pollinators. Failure of simulated wind gusts (40 km h-1) to transport pollen ≥5 cm indicated that anemophily is unlikely for this species. Autonomous and manipulative selfing did not result in viable seed set, indicating that this is an obligate outcrossing species. However, fruit and viable-seed production was highly variable within and among some other treatments. Pre-dispersal seed predation was recorded at all study sites. Conclusions: Pre-dispersal seed predation was recorded at all study sites and is a likely factor inhibiting viable-seed production. Implications: This knowledge will be used to improve seed yield for collections used for ex situ conservation and restoration programs for the endangered Z. granulata

Contralateral Total Hip Arthroplasty After Hindquarter Amputation

We describe the management and outcome of a 62-year old lady who developed severe osteoarthritis of the hip, nine years after a hindquarter amputation for radiation-induced sarcoma of the contralateral pelvis. The difficulties of stabilising the pelvis intraoperatively and the problems of postoperative rehabilitation are outlined. The operation successfully relieved her pain and restored limited mobility

Black holes and a scalar field in an expanding universe

We consider a model of an inhomogeneous universe including a massless scalar field, where the inhomogeneity is assumed to consist of many black holes. This model can be constructed by following Lindquist and Wheeler, which has already been investigated without including scalar field to show that an averaged scale factor coincides with that of the Friedmann model. In this work we construct the inhomogeneous universe with an massless scalar field, where we assume that the averaged scale factor and scalar field are given by those of the Friedmann model including a scalar field. All of our calculations are carried out in the framework of Brans-Dicke gravity. In constructing the model of an inhomogeneous universe, we define the mass of a black hole in the Brans-Dicke expanding universe which is equivalent to ADM mass if the mass evolves adiabatically, and obtain an equation relating our mass to the averaged scalar field and scale factor. As the results we find that the mass has an adiabatic time dependence in a sufficiently late stage of the expansion of the universe, and that the time dependence is qualitatively diffenrent according to the sign of the curvature of the universe: the mass increases decelerating in the closed universe case, is constant in the flat case and decreases decelerating in the open case. It is also noted that the mass in the Einstein frame depends on time. Our results that the mass has a time dependence should be retained even in the general scalar-tensor gravitiy with a scalar field potential. Furthermore, we discuss the relation of our results to the uniqueness theorem of black hole spacetime and gravitational memory effect.Comment: 16 pages, 3 tables, 5 figure