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Floc formation reduces the pH stress experienced by microorganisms living in alkaline environments
No full textThe survival of microorganisms within a cementitious geological disposal facility for radioactive wastes is heavily dependent on their ability to survive the calcium dominated, hyper-alkaline conditions resulting from the dissolution of the cementitious materials. The present study shows that the formation of flocs, composed of a complex mixture of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), provides protection against alkaline pH values up to pH 13.0. The flocs were dominated by Alishewanella and Dietzia sp, producing a mannose rich carbohydrate fraction incorporating extracellular DNA, resulting in Ca2+ sequestration. EPS provided a ~10 µm thick layer around the cells within the centre of the flocs, which were capable of growth at pH 11.0 and 11.5, maintaining internal pH values of pH 10.4 and 10.7 respectively. Survival was observed at pH 12.0, where an internal floc pH of 11.6 was observed alongside a reduced associated biomass. Limited floc survival (<2 weeks) was observed at pH 13.0.This study demonstrates that flocs are able to maintain a lower internal pH in response to the hyperalkaline conditions expected to occur within a cementitious, geological disposal facility for radioactive wastes and indicates that floc communities within such a facility would be capable of survival up to a pH of 12.0
The Mini Book of Teaching Tips for Librarians
No full textWelcome to this mini book! When I started this, I had in mind a set of Tarot sized cards with about 50(ish) cards of teaching tips for librarians – a mix of general tips and actual interventions that could be dropped into a teaching session.
I thought people could dip into the deck, or perhaps pull their favourite few to the front to refer to again.
After writing a (rather expensive) book in the past of Active Learning ideas, I was concerned that these cards should not only be easy to dip into and pull out your favourites, but as affordable as possible too! Unfortunately at the sort of volumes I was expecting to sell, large playing cards seemed more expensive than I’d like to pass onto you, the reader.
Hence this little book! The pages are roughly the same size as the cards would have been, but cost a fraction of the amount to print.
I hope that explains the layout! I’ve pretty much kept to the restrictions of one small page per tip (with very few exceptions) and resisted the urge to waffle and expand unnecessarily! I hope everything is still clear despite the briefness, or at least clear enough to encourage further reading and idea generation of your own.
So dip into the following pages to find about half the pages containing general tips and definitions, and half the pages giving brief descriptions of ideas you could use in your own teaching. Some are old favourites, some you might not have seen before, but hopefully all useful to some of you
Suspended manufacture of biological structures
No full textA method for the production of complex cell-laden structures is reported, which allows high-levels of spatial control over mechanical and chemical properties. The potential of this method for producing complicated tissues is demonstrated by manufacturing a complex hard/soft tissue interface and demonstrating that cell phenotype can be maintained over four weeks of culture
Improving the cost estimates of complex projects in the project based industries
No full textPurpose: Project-based industries face major challenges in controlling project cost and completing within the budget. This is a critical issue as it often connects to the main objectives of any project. However, accurate estimation at the beginning of the project is difficult. Scholars argue that project complexity is a major contributor to cost estimation inaccuracies. Therefore, recognising the priorities of acknowledging complexity dimensions in cost estimation across similar industries is beneficial in identifying effective practices to reduce cost implications. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to identify the level of importance given to different complexity dimensions in cost estimation and to recognise best practices to improve cost estimation accuracy.
Design/Methodology/Approach: An online questionnaire survey was conducted among professionals including estimators, project managers, and quantity surveyors to rank the identified complexity dimensions based on their impacts in cost estimation accuracy. Besides, in-depth interviews were conducted among experts and practitioners from different industries, in order to extract effective practices to improve the cost estimation process of complex projects.
Findings: Study results show that risk, project and product size, and time frame are the high-impact complexity dimensions on cost estimation, which need more attention in reducing unforeseen cost implications. Moreover, study suggests that, implementing a knowledge sharing system will be beneficial to acquire reliable and adequate information for cost estimation. Further, appropriate staffing, network enhancement, risk management, and circumspect estimation are some of the suggestions to improve cost estimation of complex projects.
Originality/Value: The study finally provides suggestions to improve cost estimation in complex projects. Further, the results are expected to be beneficial to learn lessons from different industries and to exchange best practices
An evaluation of polypharmacy medication reviews in GP practices
No full textPolypharmacy, defined as the concurrent use of four or more medications by a single patient, is ever-increasing. It enhances the risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and can represent a huge burden to patients. Medication reviews are the proposed panacea for reducing such problematic polypharmacy. These reviews conducted on patients aged 65 years or over can be aided by activation of the STOPP/START toolkit, an electronic tool that gives alerts, specific to a patient’s current medication regime, to recommend that GPs stop and/or start certain medications. Unique to this toolkit, the alerts are significantly associated with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) prescribing safety indicators – indicators designed to reduce ADRs – and, thus, the toolkit attempts to enhance patient safety. The aim of this study was to determine whether the STOPP/START toolkit improves medication reviews conducted on elderly polypharmacy patients.
Forty patients aged 75 years or over, all of whom were registered with a North Kirklees commissioned GP practice, were currently prescribed ten or more medications, and had received a STOPP/START medication review, formed the study’s participant cohort. Recruited patients were asked a series of questions via a retrospective telephone interview to help determine the patient-perceived usefulness of, and satisfaction with, the medication review. Data regarding the number of alerts identical or similar to the RCGP prescribing safety indicators of defined ‘high’ (level 3) or ‘extreme’ (level 4) risk that were triggered and resolved during the North Kirklees commissioned STOPP/START medication reviews was also accessed and analysed. This helped to determine whether improved patient safety could be deemed an attribute of STOPP/START.
It was found that 75% of patients believed their medication review was useful, regardless of whether any medications were stopped and/or started. If medications were stopped and/or started, patients felt greater involvement in and heightened satisfaction with the change(s) made if change(s) were based on STOPP/START recommendations (p<0.1). Furthermore, in North Kirklees, 388 STOPP/START alerts linked to level 3/4 RCGP indicators were resolved; these resolutions potentially prevented 78 hospital admissions.
This study suggests that the stopping and/or starting of medications is not crucial in establishing overall patient satisfaction in medication reviews. Instead, it would seem that elderly patients merely desire the opportunity to discuss their medications with a healthcare professional. However, the STOPP/START toolkit can help to improve patient safety, and can better engage patients in decisions for medication change(s), heightening patient satisfaction with the change(s). This suggests that activation of the STOPP/START toolkit in polypharmacy medication reviews conducted on the elderly would be beneficial
Assessment of retinopathy
No full textThis chapter concerns diabetic retinopathy – a serious microvascular
complication of diabetes, which can have severe debilitating effects on lifestyle,
work and relationships. In the UK, diabetic retinopathy remains a major cause
of visual impairment and registered blindness in people under 65 years of age,
but following the successful implementation of a national screening programme,
it is no longer the main cause of blindness (Liew et al, 2014; Public Health
England, 2014a).
To be effective, treatment for retinopathy needs to be given at the
appropriate stage of the disease; usually before symptoms have developed.
Hence, it is important to screen for the signs of retinopathy before they
progress and at the correct annual or bi-annual interval (see case study 17.1)
(Scanlon et al, 2015)
Capital liberalisation and economic instability
No full textThis study intends to examine the larger issues related to capital liberalisation and also to analyse the reasons for recent support of capital mobility and its repercussions for the future prospects of the economies of developing countries. The objective is to critically examine relevant empirical and theoretical studies in order to answer these questions and address the objectives of this study. The methodology adopted in this study relies on secondary information, reports and published studies to address the research questions. The study finds that following the adoption of capital liberalisation and neoliberalism, the economies of most developing countries have become more vulnerable. If China is excluded, we find that most developing economies have been unable to expand employment opportunities or reduce levels of poverty. In recent years capital liberalisation policy has encouraged capital flight from their economies
A survey of people with foot problems related to rheumatoid arthritis and their educational needs
No full textBackground
Up to 50% of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have foot symptoms at diagnosis, hence early foot health intervention is recommended and this should include patient education. This study identifies, for the first time, the foot health education (FHE) needs of people with RA.
Methods
An online survey of people with RA (n = 543) captured quantitative data in relation to the aims, methods of delivery, content, timing and accessibility of FHE.
Results
The majority concurred about the aims of FHE. Verbal delivery and websites were the most common methods. Written and verbal FHE were perceived to be the most effective methods. The point of diagnosis was the preferred time to receive it. Lack of access to FHE included minimal focus on foot health during consultations by both health practitioners and patients with RA. Participant gender, age, disease duration and living situation had a statistically significant influence on the results.
Conclusion
Foot health education is rarely considered within the medical consultation. There is a lack of patient and/or health professional awareness of this need with a detrimental impact on foot health. Patients require health professionals to identify their foot education health needs. Tailored foot health education should begin at initial diagnosis
Energy Intake and Expenditure of Professional Soccer Players of the English Premier League: Evidence of Carbohydrate Periodization
No full textIn an attempt to better identify and inform the energy requirements of elite soccer players, we quantified the energy expenditure (EE) of players from the English Premier League (n=6) via the doubly labeled water method (DLW) over a 7-day in-season period. Energy intake (EI) was also assessed using food diaries, supported by the remote food photographic method and 24 h recalls. The 7-day period consisted of 5 training days (TD) and 2 match days (MD). Although mean daily EI (3186 ± 367 kcals) was not different from (P>0.05) daily EE (3566 ± 585 kcals), EI was greater (P<0.05) on MD (3789 ± 532 kcal; 61.1 ± 11.4 kcal.kg-1 LBM) compared with TD (2956 ± 374 kcal; 45.2 ± 9.3 kcal.kg-1 LBM, respectively). Differences in EI were reflective of greater (P<0.05) daily CHO intake on MD (6.4 ± 2.2 g.kg-1) compared with TD (4.2 ± 1.4 g.kg-1). Exogenous CHO intake was also different (P<0.01) during training sessions (3.1 ± 4.4 g.h-1) versus matches (32.3 ± 21.9 g.h-1). In contrast, daily protein (205 ± 30 g.kg-1, P=0.29) and fat intake (101 ± 20 g.kg-1, P=0.16) did not display any evidence of daily periodization. Although players readily achieve current guidelines for daily protein and fat intake, data suggest that CHO intake on the day prior to and in recovery from match play was not in accordance with guidelines to promote muscle glycogen storage
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