Time-dependent variation of ionized calcium in serum samples

Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare ionized calcium (iCa) concentrations in arterial heparinized blood and venous serum and to investigate time-dependent variation of iCa in serum samples centrifuged and analysed at different times. Materials and methods: Ionized calcium was measured (N = 25) in arterial blood within 20 min after puncture, and in serum within 10 min after centrifugation conducted 30 min after sampling. Effect of time between sampling and centrifugation was examined in three tubes (N = 30) centrifuged 15, 30 and 60 min after sampling, and analysed within 10 min. Effect of time between centrifugation and analysis was investigated in three tubes (N = 31) centrifuged 30 min after sampling and analysed: 0-10, 30-40 and 90-100 min after centrifugation. Ionized calcium was measured on the Siemens RapidLab 348EX analysers. Statistical significance was tested using Wilcoxon test and ANOVA analysis. Clinical significance was judged against reference change values (RCV). Results: No statistically significant difference was found between iCa in arterial blood and serum (P = 0.274). A statistically significant decrease was found: in tubes centrifuged 60 and 15 min after sampling versus 30 min (P = 0.005, P = 0.003); and in tubes analysed 30-40 and 90-100 min after centrifugation versus 0-10 min (P = 0.021, P = 0.027). Clinically significant changes were observed: 60 versus 30 min (centrifugation) and 90-100 versus 0-10 and 30-40 min (analysis). Conclusions: Timely analysed arterial blood and serum samples can be used interchangeably. To avoid clinically significant variations, serum tubes should be centrifuged within 30 min after sampling, and analysis should be performed within 30 min after centrifugation

Antimicrobial activity of Warbugia ugandensis against gramnegative multi‐drug resistant bacteria

The rise in antibiotic resistance has resulted in decreasing numbers of effective antimicrobial agents available to treat infections caused by multi‐drug resistant (MDR) bacteria. This has necessitated a search for new antimicrobial agents. Herbal remedies may offer alternative treatment options especially because they elicit little or no transferable resistance if used in optimal concentrations. This study evaluated the antimicrobial properties of W. ugandensis against eight multi drug resistant (MDR) Gram‐negative bacterial isolates. The herbal extracts were obtained using methanol as an organic solvent and water as an inorganic solvent. Determination of the Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) and the sub‐lethal concentrations of the effective extracts was done using broth inoculation method followed by colony count. The test isolates were habituated in sub‐lethal extract concentrations (SLC) for 72 h to investigate effect on their sensitivity to conventional antibiotics. Methanol extracts from the root and stem‐bark of W. ugandensis were active against the test strains and their inhibitory effect was significantly different (p<0.05) from that of other extracts. We determined that the extracts had an inhibitory rather than a lytic (cidal) mode of action. The extracts from this plant had an effective MIC of 42 μg/ml and exhibited an inhibitory mode of action and did not elicit resistance to conventional antibiotics. Methanol extracts from the root and bark of this plant may provide potential sources for further development of alternative antimicrobial agents for the treatment of MDR infections.Key words: multi‐drug resistant (MDR) bacteria, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), sub‐lethal concentration (SLC

Factors influencing the Vision Delivery Board in coordinating the implementation of Kenya vision 2030

A Thesis submitted in Partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master Degree of Public Policy and Management (MPPM) at Strathmore University.Kenya Vision 2030 is a long-term national development blueprint whose overarching goal is to transform the country into a newly industrializing, globally competitive and prosperous economy with a high quality of life for all its citizens by the year 2030. In February 2009, the government of Kenya established the Vision Delivery Board as a special purpose vehicle to coordinate the implementation of the Vision 2030. Whereas Vision 2030 has been fully adopted as the basis of development planning in Kenya for over a decade now, evidence available does not show the existence of an incisive study that assesses the performance of the Vision Delivery Board in supporting the realization of the Vision. This study is intended to fill this knowledge gap by examining the factors that influence the performance of the Vision Delivery Board in coordinating the implementation of Kenya Vision 2030 plans, projects and programmes. Insights gained from such a study are of critical importance to the government, citizens and all stakeholders because of the Vision’s promise to all citizens of a high quality of life in a clean and secure environment. The study focused on stakeholders who, on account of their position, are deemed to have a close association and knowledge of the Vision Delivery Board and Vision 2030. The research employed a qualitative approach using a questionnaire as the primary data collection instrument on the target population comprising the Board members and senior Staff in the public sector. A structured questionnaire was administered to the selected sample of 51 subjects where 40 responses were received attaining a 78% response rate. The study found that the Vision Delivery Board continues to successfully provide strategic leadership and coordination in the implementation of Kenya’s vision 2030. It also identified gaps in the constitution of the Board with the key finding being that private sector ought to be more involved in the Board. A large proportion, 93 percent, of the respondents indicated that the composition of the Board had a greater impact on the Board’s ability to influence the achievement of Vision 2030 goals. In addition, the study established that there is a need for more involvement of government ministries, implementing agencies and private sector participants in the entire Vision 2030 process from preparation of documents and schedules to implementation of the Vision 2030 projects. Further research should be conducted on the key factors that have enabled achievement of similar development plans in other jurisdictions

Fan mussel Pinna nobilis Linneaus, 1758 spat collection on \u27\u27Christmas tree\u27\u27 rope in the Mali Ston Bay area (South Adriatic Sea)

During November 2006 on a 500 m long experimentally placed \u27\u27Christmas tree\u27\u27 rope collector for juvenile mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819) placed the previous year a significant number of juvenile fan mussels (Pina nobilis Linnaeus, 1758) were observed. Live juvenile individuals (N=322) of P. nobilis with shell length from 17 to 93 mm were found in two sampling events. All juvenile fan mussels were found exclusively on deeper parts of the mussel rope. Observed population density was from 6 to 43 individuals per meter of the rope collector. The 120 smallest juveniles of P. nobilis were separated for the purpose of monitoring the growth rate in suspension, and the remaining juveniles were placed in the natural environment

Title does matter: a cross-sectional study of 30 journals in the Medical Laboratory Technology category

Introduction: First impression on potential readers is created by the title; therefore, authors should give importance to the title structure. The aim of this study was to establish whether articles created by a smaller number of authors and with shorter, descriptive or declarative titles gain more citations and whether article title length and number of authors correlate to the number of citations. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study on article citation data for 30 scientific journals published in 2016 in Medical Laboratory Technology field according to Web of Science database was conducted. The type of article, type of title, as well as number of words in the title and number of authors was recorded. Results: In the group of original articles (N = 2623), articles with declarative titles (N = 336, 13%) showed statistically higher number of citations in multiple comparison analysis when compared to descriptive titles (P < 0.001). No correlation was found between number of citations and title word count (r = 0.07, P < 0.001) nor between number of citations and number of authors in group of original articles (r = 0.09, P < 0.001). Original articles with descriptive titles longer than 15 words or with more than six authors are cited more (P = 0.005 and P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Based on results of our study, titles do matter. Therefore, authors of original articles might want to consider including their findings in the title and having longer titles

Epiplanktonske zajednice u južnom Jadranu: višestruke trofičke razine na transektima jug – sjever i obala-otvoreno more

The epiplankton community was investigated during Meduza cruises along south - north and offshore – inshore transects in the middle and southern Adriatic in spring 2002. The diel and vertical distribution of heterotrophic bacteria, phytoplankton pigment composition, micro- and mesozooplankton were assessed. At most stations we observed a thermocline at approximately 20 m and a prominent chlorophyll a peak at about 70 m depth. The integrated phytoplankton and bacterial biomass were lower at the station in the central part of the southern Adriatic, and increased gradually towards middle Adriatic and towards coastal stations. Vertical profiles of both bacterial abundance and production showed a distinct peak in the surface layer. Bacterial abundance was high also in the layer of the deep chlorophyll a maximum. Higher bacterial production was associated with elevated abundance of pico- and nanoplankton feeding zooplankton indicating that bacterial populations were generally controlled by predation.Istraživanje površinskih zajednica planktona obavljena su u proljeće 2002. godine tijekom “Meduza” krstarenja srednjim i južnim Jadranom na transektima “jug-sjever” i “obala-otvoreno more”. Utvrđena je dnevna vertikalna raspodjela heterotrofnih bakterija, sastava pigmenata fitoplanktona, te mikrozooplanktona i mezozooplanktona. Na glavnini postaja nađena je termoklina na oko 20 m i izraženo visoke vrijednosti klorofila a na oko 70 m dubine. Intergrirana bakterijska i fitoplanktonska biomasa bila je manja na središnjoj postaji južnoga Jadrana, a postupno se povećavala prema postajama Palagruža i Jabučka kotlina kao i prema obalnim postajama. Vertikalna raspodjela bakterijske brojnosti i produkcije pokazala je izraziti maksimum u površinskom sloju. Bakterijska brojnost bila je velika u sloju dubokog maksimuma klorofila a. Veća bakterijska produkcija bila je u svezi s povišenom brojnošću zooplanktona koji se hrani piko i nanoplanktonom, što ukazuje da su veličine bakterijskih populacija generalno kontrolirane predacijom

Ingresija hidromeduse Neotima lucullana (della chiaje, 1822) u ekosustavu estuarija rijeke Neretve (jugoistočni Jadran, Hrvatska)

Hydromedusa Neotima lucullana is an endemic species of the Mediterranean Sea. In this study we document the first numerous and permanent occurrence of N. lucullana in the estuary of the Neretva River, an unusual habitat for this typical marine species. We provide COI barcode sequence of this species, which is also first genetic sequence ever published of N. lucullana. Weekly data on the occurrence and abundance of N. lucullana were obtained from reports and records of autonomous divers and local fishermen in the area from Opuzen to Metković from mid-June to the end of October 2021. The individuals were always located in the layer above the bottom with salinity between 35.2 and 38.2. The diameters of the jellyfish bells ranged from 15 mm to 72 mm, most of them between 40 mm and 58 mm. Differential development of the gonads was observed in all specimens larger than 25 mm. In mid-June, the specimens were common but solitary. A week later, the jellyfish were more frequent and in smaller aggregations. From late June to mid-September, the jellyfish were constantly observed in larger aggregations. Toward the autumn, the number of individuals gradually decreased, and by the last week of October, only single individuals were observed. Our results indicate significant changes in the ecosystem of the Neretva estuary and confirm the observed composition of zooplankton communities dominated by marine species in summer and autumn.Hidromeduza Neotima lucullana je endemska vrsta Sredozemnog mora. Ovim istraživanjem dokumentiramo prve zapise o brojnoj i dugotrajnoj pojavi meduze N. lucullana u estuariju rijeke Neretve, neobičnom staništu za ovu tipično morsku vrstu. U sklopu ovog istraživanja dobivena je sekvenca podjedinice i citokrom oksidaze (COI), što je ujedno i prva genetička sekvenca ikad objavljena vrste N. lucullana. Tjedni podaci o pojavi i brojnosti N. lucullana dobiveni su na osnovi izvještaja i zapisa autonomnih ronilaca i lokalnih ribara na području od Opuzena do Metkovića od sredine lipnja do kraja listopada 2021. Jedinke meduza su uvijek bile u sloju iznad dna unutar vrijednosti saliniteta između 35,2 i 38,2. Promjer zvona meduza kretao se od 15 mm do 72 mm, glavnina između 40 mm i 58 mm. Diferencijalni razvoj spolnih žlijezda uočen je kod svih primjeraka većih od 25 mm. Sredinom lipnja jedinke su bile uobičajene, ali prisutne pojedinačno. Tjedan dana kasnije, meduze su bile često viđene i u manjim skupinama. Od kraja lipnja do sredine rujna, meduze su bile prisutne u većim agregacijama. Broj jedinki postupno se smanjivao prema jeseni i samo pojedinačni primjerci bili su uočeni tijekom posljednjeg tjedna listopada. Naši rezultati ukazuju na znatne promjene ekosustava donjeg toka rijeke Neretve što potvrđuje zabilježen sastav zooplanktonskih zajednica u kojima dominiraju morske vrste tijekom ljeti i jeseni