Incorporation Of Deepwater Horizon Oil In A Terrestrial Bird

Carbon isotopic evidence revealed Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil entering coastal planktonic and lower terrestrial food webs. The integration of spilled oil into higher terrestrial trophic levels, however, remains uncertain. Wemeasured radiocarbon (C-14) and stable carbon (C-13) in seaside sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus) feathers and crop contents. Lower C-14 and C-13 values in feathers and crop contents of birds from contaminated areas indicated incorporation of carbon from oil. Our results, although based on a small sample of birds, thus reveal a food-web link between oil exposure and a terrestrial ecosystem. They also suggest that the reduction in reproductive success previously documented in the same population might be due to the (direct) toxic effect of oil exposure, rather than to (indirect) ecological effects. Werecommend future studies test our results by using larger samples of birds from a wider area in order to assess the extent and implications ofDWHoil incorporation into the terrestrial food web

The role of the neutrophil and formed elements of the blood in an in vitro model of reperfusion injury

Using The globally ischaemic isolated guinea-pig heart we conducted studies to assess the role of activated neutrophils (PMNs) and the role of the endothelium in reperfusion injury. Reperfusion injury was induced by a 20 min period of global ischaemia followed by a 30 min reperfusion with Krebs' buffer supplemented with f-Met–Leu–Phe (fMLP) and heparinized blood. Ischaemia alone or blood alone resulted in a complete recovery in contractile function measured by developed pressure, fMLP (500 μM) and blood, administered to normoxic hearts did not affect contractile function. The combination of 100 μM fMLP and blood beginning at reperfusion and continuing for 30 min decreased the recovery in contractile function (max. 33 ± 6% reovery) while buffer and 100 pM fMLP resulted in a complete recovery in function. In hearts infused with buffer and neutropenic blood incubated with 100 μM fMLP a complete recovery in function was observed. Isolated peritoneal neutrophils, 7–70 × 105 PMN/ min, incubated with 100 μM fMLP and Krebs' solution decreased contractile function in a concentration-related manner (max. 44 ± 11% recovery). Platelets, plasma or red blood cells alone incubated with fMLP did not decrease recovery in developed pressure. Platelets and PMN incubated with 100 μM fMLP did not, while red blood cells and PMN did, elicit a reduction in recovery in contractile function (34 ± 4% recovery). A 20 min period of global ischaemia destroys the functional integrity of the endothelium (response to Ach). Pre-treatment of the heart with sufficient H2O2 to functionally damage the endothelium, followed by infusion of Krebs' solution supplemented with blood and 100 μM fMLP also elicited a reduction in recovery of contractile function (42 ± 15% recovery). In summary, partially activated neutrophils play a major role in reperfusion injury and there exists a cooperativity between the RBC and PMN in this model

Quantum test of the Universality of Free Fall using rubidium and potassium

We report on an improved test of the Universality of Free Fall using a rubidium-potassium dual-species matter wave interferometer. We describe our apparatus and detail challenges and solutions relevant when operating a potassium interferometer, as well as systematic effects affecting our measurement. Our determination of the E\"otv\"os ratio yields $\eta_{\,\text{Rb,K}}=-1.9\times10^{-7}$ with a combined standard uncertainty of $\sigma_\eta=3.2\times10^{-7}$

Using A Pharmacy-Based Intervention To Improve Antipsychotic Adherence Among Patients With Serious Mental Illness

Background: Similar to patients with other chronic disorders, patients with serious mental illness (SMI) are often poorly adherent with prescribed medications. Objective: We conducted a randomized controlled trial examining the effectiveness of a pharmacy-based intervention (Meds-Help) in increasing antipsychotic medication adherence among Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) patients with SMI. We also examined the impact of Meds-Help on psychiatric symptoms, quality of life, and satisfaction with care. Methods: We enrolled 118 patients from 4 VA facilities with schizophrenia, schizoaffective, or bipolar disorder who were on long-term antipsychotics but had antipsychotic medication possession ratios (MPRs) Results: Prior to enrollment, Meds-Help and UC patients had mean antipsychotic MPRs of 0.54 and 0.55, respectively. At 6 months, mean MPRs were 0.91 for Meds-Help and 0.64 for UC patients; at 12 months, they were 0.86 for Meds-Help and 0.62 for UC patients. In multivariate analyses adjusting for patient factors, Meds-Help patients had significantly higher MPRs at 6 and 12 months (P \u3c .0001). There were no significant differences between groups in PANSS, QWB, or CSQ-8 scores, but power to detect small effects was limited. Conclusions: Congruent with prior studies of patients with other disorders, a practical pharmacy-based intervention increased antipsychotic adherence among patients with SMI. However, SMI patients may require additional care management components to improve outcomes

'Objects in transition: the puppet and the autistic child'

Abstract Although claims for the efficacy of puppetry in therapeutic contexts lack extensive academic research, some published evidence does exist. A phenomenological and embodied approach is used here beginning with the writer’s own experience as a mother to theorize on the puppet’s role as a surrogate communicator and facilitator with children who lack communication skills. Instead of foregrounding language difficulties (as is often the case in writings on autism), this article focuses on the physical reality of a puppet. The writer explores notions of embodiment where neurological patterns are established through physical interaction with the world, and suggests ways in which this patterning may be interrupted or disturbed, and how puppets, as safe and to some extent controllable physical objects, may act therapeutically to re-establish some of these patterns. It is further suggested that puppets may work in similar ways to Winnicott’s ‘transitional objects’ in babyhood, operating in a ‘transitional space’. Winnicott claims that in a psychologically healthy adult, the comfort of infantile transitional objects and phenomena is transferred to religion, art and creativity – activities that provide a bridge between the inner world that we totally control and the external world, which we do not. Such activities are linked to a creative ‘space’ of mind and are psychologically necessary. Puppets operate in this space. Overall, stress is laid on the importance of the material reality of the puppet and its ‘objectness’ to help explain its particular efficacy

Reviewing The Benefits of Health Workforce Stability

This paper examines the issue of workforce stability and turnover in the context of policy attempts to improve retention of health workers. The paper argues that there are significant benefits to supporting policy makers and managers to develop a broader perspective of workforce stability and methods of monitoring it. The objective of the paper is to contribute to developing a better understanding of workforce stability as a major aspect of the overall policy goal of improved retention of health workers. The paper examines some of the limited research on the complex interaction between staff turnover and organisational performance or quality of care in the health sector, provides details and examples of the measurement of staff turnover and stability, and illustrates an approach to costing staff turnover. The paper concludes by advocating that these types of assessment can be valuable to managers and policy makers as they examine which policies may be effective in improving stability and retention, by reducing turnover. They can also be used as part of advocacy for the use of new retention measures. The very action of setting up a local working group to assess the costs of turnover can in itself give managers and staff a greater insight into the negative impacts of turnover, and can encourage them to work together to identify and implement stability measures

Discovery and validation of a personalized risk predictor for incident tuberculosis in low transmission settings

The risk of tuberculosis (TB) is variable among individuals with latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (LTBI), but validated estimates of personalized risk are lacking. In pooled data from 18 systematically identified cohort studies from 20 countries, including 80,468 individuals tested for LTBI, 5-year cumulative incident TB risk among people with untreated LTBI was 15.6% (95% confidence interval (CI), 8.0–29.2%) among child contacts, 4.8% (95% CI, 3.0–7.7%) among adult contacts, 5.0% (95% CI, 1.6–14.5%) among migrants and 4.8% (95% CI, 1.5–14.3%) among immunocompromised groups. We confirmed highly variable estimates within risk groups, necessitating an individualized approach to risk stratification. Therefore, we developed a personalized risk predictor for incident TB (PERISKOPE-TB) that combines a quantitative measure of T cell sensitization and clinical covariates. Internal–external cross-validation of the model demonstrated a random effects meta-analysis C-statistic of 0.88 (95% CI, 0.82–0.93) for incident TB. In decision curve analysis, the model demonstrated clinical utility for targeting preventative treatment, compared to treating all, or no, people with LTBI. We challenge the current crude approach to TB risk estimation among people with LTBI in favor of our evidence-based and patient-centered method, in settings aiming for pre-elimination worldwide