The effect of suspended sentences on imprisonment

This study finds that although suspended sentences were introduced as an alternative to prison, in New South Wales they appear to have had the opposite effect. Abstract Aim: To see whether the introduction of suspended sentences reduced the number of offenders receiving a fulltime sentence of imprisonment. Method: The number of persons receiving a prison sentence was regressed against the number receiving a suspended sentence while controlling for changes in the total number of proven offenders and the monthly variability using multiple linear regression with ARIMA errors. The data set used for the analysis consisted of the monthly number of persons imprisoned, persons given a suspended sentence and proven offenders from January 2002 to December 2013. Results: Every 10 additional offenders given suspended sentences was associated with an extra 3-4 offenders sent to prison. Conclusion: Although suspended sentences were introduced as an alternative to prison, they appear to have had the opposite effect

The effect of liquor licence concentrations in local areas on rates of assault in New South Wales

This paper argues that regulatory authorities should be concerned about increases in liquor outlet density. Abstract Aim: To investigate the relationship between liquor licence concentrations and assault rates in Local Government Areas (LGAs) in New South Wales. Method: Police, liquor licensing and socio-demographic data were analysed. Spatial regression analyses were conducted to measure associations between liquor licence concentrations and domestic violence (DV) and non-domestic violence (non-DV) assault rates. Results: The concentration of hotel licences in an LGA, particularly at higher density levels, was strongly predictive of both DV and non-DV assault rates. A similar, but slightly weaker, association was found for the concentration of packaged licences and DV and non-DV assault rates. On-premises concentrations also predicted DV and non-DV assault rates at the LGA level but, unlike hotel concentration effects, in this case there was no evidence of stronger effects at higher density levels. A significant relationship between DV assault rates and the concentration of clubs was also found, but the association between the concentration of clubs and the non-DV assault rate was not as strong. Conclusion: Regulatory authorities should be concerned about increases in liquor outlet density. In particular, increases in the density of hotels above 2 per 1,000 residents are of greater concern than increases in the density of premises with other types of liquor licenc

Cryopreservation of zebrafish (Danio rerio) blastomeres using controlled slow cooling

A thesis submitted for the degree of Master by Research of the University of Bedfordshire.Cryopreservation of aquatic species has been widely studied especially zebrafish gametes, embryos and larvae. Cryopreservation of blastomeres has the advantage of preserving both paternal and maternal genetic information. The research work presented in this thesis investigated the toxicity of cryoprotectants to 75% epiboly stage blastomeres of zebrafish (Danio rerio) before cryopreservation. DMSO was found to be the least toxic cryoprotectant for blastomeres, after 30 min incubated in PBS at room temperature, with 97.8% survivaL Cryopreservation of zebrafish blastomeres was carried out using controlled slow cooling. In addition to cryoprotectant, the cryoprotective properties of other compounds were also investigated including NaHC03, coffee and honey, and their solutions were used as cryopreservation media. Comparison of blastomere survival in different media after freezing showed honey to be the most effective, with 98.1 % survival immediately after freeze thawing. Comparison of blastomers cryopreserved in honey and DMSO, after 60 min incubation in PBS at room temperature following freeze-thawing and cryoprotectant removal, showed honey to be the more effective cryoprotectant for controlled slow cooling of zebrafish blastomeres with 97.2% survival. Results from the 'present study showed honey to have properties that protect the blastomere from freezing injury

Factores asociados al riesgo de morbilidad y mortalidad por sepsis materna en un hospital público de Ecuador, periodo 2020-2021

El estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar los factores asociados al riesgo de morbilidad y mortalidad por sepsis materna en un hospital público de Ecuador, en el período 2020-2021. La investigación fue de enfoque cuantitativo, con finalidad básica y modelo descriptivo con diseño no experimental, transversal y retrospectivo. Se trabajó con una población de 150 pacientes gestantes que desarrollaron sepsis materna, atendidas durante el periodo 2020-2021, la muestra fue censal conformada por el total de la población. Para la recolección de datos se utilizó la observación por medio del registro de datos de historias clínicas. Se encontró que los factores asociados a la morbilidad y mortalidad por sepsis materna son zonas rural o marginal, ser primigesta o secundigesta, haber tenido un aborto/legrado o parto por cesárea durante la complicación; padecer anemia, obesidad, enfermedades renales y hepáticas, cáncer; y las complicaciones obstétricas como alumbramiento incompleto, rotura de membranas y perforación uterina, lo que conlleva a la hemorragia

Comparison of different methodologies for obtaining nickel nanoferrites

Nickel nanoferrites were obtained by means of four different synthetic wet-routes: co-precipitation (CP), sonochemistry (SC), sonoelectrochemistry (SE) and electrochemistry (E). The influence of the synthesis method on the structural and magnetic properties of nickel ferrite nanoparticles is studied. Although similar experimental conditions such as temperature, pH and time of synthesis were used, a strong dependence of composition and microstructure on the synthesis procedure is found, as electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy studies reveal. Whereas by means of the CP and SC methods particles of a small size around 5–10 nm, respectively, and composed by different phases are obtained, the electrochemical routes (E and SE) allow obtaining monodisperse nanoparticles, with sizes ranging from 30 to 40 nm, and very close to stoichiometry. Magnetic characterization evidences a superparamagnetic behavior for samples obtained by CP and SC methods, whereas the electrochemical route leads to ferromagnetic ferrite nanoparticles

Correlation between serum content of the main COPs (cholesterol oxidation products) from autoxidation and cardiovascular risk factors

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) have been proven to be associated with an increased oxidative stress. Several studies have considered cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) as specific in vivo markers of oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the levels of COPs derived from autoxidation processes and established cardiovascular risk factors, comparing the levels of serum COPs in subjects with or without showing values out of the reference ranges. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study in which 88 subjects were recruited and individual and total COPs from autoxidation origin was analyzed in serum by GC-MS. The simultaneous correlation of COPs with different CVD risk factors have been analyzed. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A great variability of total COPs concentrations were found. Subjects presented total COPs values from 0.091 to 2.052 μg/mL. Total COPs were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in patients with hypertriglycerolemia, hypertension, diabetes and overweight/ obesity status compared to those subjects who did not present those CVD risk factors. Moreover, 7α and 7β hydroxycholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in patients with hypertension and diabetes. No significant differences in total COPs were found between patients with and without hypercholesterolemia. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results showed that the analyzed COPs correlate well with at least 4 out of 6 risk factors of development of CVD

Plasmatic level of neurosin predicts outcome of mild cognitive impairment

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a disorder considered to be a transitional stage from health to dementia. Diagnosis of dementias at these early stages is always troublesome because the pathophysiologic events leading to dementia precede clinical symptoms. Thus, the development of biomarkers that can be used to support the diagnosis of dementias at early stages is rapidly becoming a high priority. We have recently reported the value of measuring plasmatic levels of neurosin in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of this study is to determine whether measuring plasmatic concentration of neurosin is a valuable test to predict progression of MCI.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Plasmatic neurosin concentrations were measured in 68 MCI patients and 70 controls subjects. Blood samples were obtained at the beginning of the study. Sixty six patients diagnosed with MCI were observed for 18 months. In 36 patients a second blood sample was obtained at the endpoint.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean value of plasmatic neurosin concentration differs significantly between MCI patients who converted to Dementia with vascular component, those who converted to AD, or those who remained at MCI stage. The relative risk of developing Dementia with vascular component when neurosin levels are higher than 5.25 ng/ml is 13 while the relative risk of developing mild AD when neurosin levels are lower than 5.25 ng/ml is 2. Increases in the levels of neurosin indicate progression to Dementia with vascular component.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The measurement of plasmatic neurosin level in patients diagnosed with MCI may predict conversion from MCI to Dementia with vascular component. A single measurement is also valuable to estimate the risk of developing AD and Dementia with vascular component. Finally, repeated measurement of plasmatic neurosin might be a useful test to predict outcome in patients with MCI.</p

Seasonal organic matter dynamics in the Great Barrier Reef lagoon: contribution of carbohydrates and proteins

Organic matter (OM) plays a fundamental role in sustaining the high productivity of coral reef ecosystems. Carbohydrates and proteins constitute two of the major chemical classes identified in the OM pool and are used as indicators of bioavailability due to their fast turn-over. We conducted three cruises across the southern shelf of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) during the early dry, late dry and wet seasons in 2009–2010 to 1) assess the relative bioavailability of particulate (POM) and dissolved (DOM) organic matter, 2) track the temporal and spatial variability in the carbohydrate and protein contribution to the OM pool, and 3) assess factors influencing protein and carbohydrate fractions of the OM pool. Generally, higher concentrations of particulate carbohydrates were found during the wet season, while similar concentrations of particulate protein were found during the three seasons. Both the dissolved carbohydrates and proteins had highest levels during the early dry season and lowest during the wet season, suggesting seasonal variations in the chemical composition of the DOM pool. Spatially, carbohydrates showed higher concentrations at the inshore stations, while no clear spatial pattern was found for the protein concentrations. On average carbohydrates and proteins accounted for a similar fraction (13±5 and 12±6% respectively) of POM, while carbohydrates accounted for a smaller fraction of the DOM than the proteins (6±3 and 13±10%). This suggests that the POM bioavailability was similar between seasons, while the DOM bioavailability varied seasonally with highest levels during the early dry season. This demonstrates that carbohydrates and proteins in the GBR have temporal and spatial variations. Our statistical analysis showed that 1) both carbohydrates and proteins were related with the POM and DOM C:N:P stoichiometry, demonstrating that both bulk estimates (stoichiometry) and specific compounds (CHO and Prot) provide useful measures of OM bioavailability in the GBR and 2) the carbohydrates and proteins levels were controlled by the amount of nutrients and POM, which in this system is mainly of plankton origin. Overall this study shows that the POM and DOM pools contain highly bioavailable compounds and that carbohydrate and proteins could play an important role in sustaining the productivity of the GBR

Clinical and Laboratory Development of Echinocandin Resistance in Candida glabrata: Molecular Characterization

The pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata has become a public health issue due to the increasing number of echinocandin resistant clinical strains reported. In this study, acquisition and development of resistance to this antifungal class were studied in serial C. glabrata isolates from five patients admitted in two Spanish hospitals with a resistant profile against echinocandins associated with different mutations in hot-spot 1 of FKS2 gene. For two of these patients susceptible FKS wild-type isolates obtained prior to resistant ones were also investigated. Isolates were genotyped using multilocus sequence typing and microsatellite length polymorphism techniques, which yielded comparable results. Susceptible and resistant isolates from the same patient had the same genotype, being sequence type (ST) 3 the most prevalent among them. Isolates with different FKS mutations but the same ST were present in the same patient. MSH2 gene alterations were also studied to investigate their correlation with antifungal resistance acquisition but no association was found with antifungal resistance nor with specific genotypes. In vitro exposure to increasing concentrations of micafungin to susceptible isolates developed colonies carrying FKS mutations in agar plates containing a minimum concentration of 0.06 mg/L of micafungin after less than 48 h of exposure. We investigated the correlation between development of resistance and genotype in a set of susceptible strains after being in vitro exposed to micafungin and anidulafungin but no correlation was found. Mutant prevention concentration values and spontaneous growth frequencies after selection with both echinocandins were statistically similar, although FKS mutant colonies were more abundant after micafungin exposure (p < 0.001). Mutation S663P and F659 deletion were the most common ones found after selection with both echinocandins.This work was supported by the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (Grant FI14CIII/00025 to OR-M and research projects PI13/02145 and PI16CIII/00035 to AA-I), and also supported by the Plan Nacional de I+D+i 2013–2016 and Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD16CIII/0004/0003) – co-financed by the European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe,” Operative Program Intelligent Growth 2014–2020.S

Atmosphere-ocean linkages in the eastern equatorial Pacific over the early Pleistocene

Here we present a new set of high-resolution early Pleistocene records from the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP). Sediment composition from Ocean Drilling Program Sites 1240 and 1238 is used to reconstruct past changes in the atmosphere-ocean system. Particularly remarkable is the presence of laminated diatom oozes (LDOs) during glacial periods between 1.85 and 2.25Ma coinciding with high fluxes of opal and total organic carbon. Relatively low lithic particles (coarse and poorly sorted) and iron fluxes during these glacial periods indicate that the increased diatom productivity did not result from dust-stimulated fertilization events. We argue that glacial fertilization occurred through the advection of nutrient-rich waters from the Southern Ocean. In contrast, glacial periods after 1.85Ma are characterized by enhanced dust transport of finer lithic particles acting as a new source of nutrients in the EEP. The benthic ecosystem shows dissimilar responses to the high productivity recorded during glacial periods before and after 1.85Ma, which suggests that the transport processes delivering organic matter to the deep sea also changed. Different depositional processes are interpreted to be the result of two distinct glacial positions of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Before 1.85Ma, the ITCZ was above the equator, with weak local winds and enhanced wet deposition of dust. After 1.85Ma, the glacial ITCZ was displaced northward, thus bringing stronger winds and stimulating upwelling in the EEP. The glacial period at 1.65Ma with the most intense LDOs supports a rapid southward migration of the ITCZ comparable to those glacial periods before 1.85Ma