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Remodelling Donor Behaviour
Get PDFIn this research, Abdulbaset Hamadi investigated faith-based donor behaviour in detail, remodelled it and proposed a new, practical model; generally applicable, though particularly suitable for Islamic institutions and donor circumstances specific to Muslim charitable giving. Additionally through his research into donor-recipient interaction, Abdulbaset has recognised significant issues with respect to donor retention and has proposed solutions for receiving organisations to address these problems. He has articulated the importance that charities need to place on donor behaviour; why donors give to specific causes and not to others; and understood the determinants driving decision-making in donating to humanitarian organisations and causes. Furthermore, Abdulbaset has identified that existing models fail to go far enough, in that they cannot be universally applied to all charities and contexts as they do not recognise major determinants in donor decision-making, for example donor decisions required for products such as Zakah or Waqf, or under specific circumstances, such as during the holy month of Ramadan, in which donors have a significantly greater propensity for donating, regardless of the presence of an expressed or advocated need
Urinary ATP as an indicator of infection and inflammation of the urinary tract in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms
Get PDFBackground: Adenosine-5′-triphosphate (ATP) is a neurotransmitter and inflammatory cytokine implicated in the
pathophysiology of lower urinary tract disease. ATP additionally reflects microbial biomass thus has potential as a surrogate marker of urinary tract infection (UTI). The optimum clinical sampling method for ATP urinalysis has not
been established. We tested the potential of urinary ATP in the assessment of lower urinary tract symptoms, infection and inflammation, and validated sampling methods for clinical practice.
Methods: A prospective, blinded, cross-sectional observational study of adult patients presenting with lower urinary
tract symptoms (LUTS) and asymptomatic controls, was conducted between October 2009 and October 2012. Urinary ATP was assayed by a luciferin-luciferase method, pyuria counted by microscopy of fresh unspun urine and symptoms assessed using validated questionnaires. The sample collection, storage and processing methods were also validated.
Results: 75 controls and 340 patients with LUTS were grouped as without pyuria (n = 100), pyuria 1-9 wbc μl -1(n = 120) and pyuria ≥10 wbc μl-1 (n = 120). Urinary ATP was higher in association with female gender, voiding symptoms, pyuria greater than 10 wbc μl-1 and negative MSU culture. ROC curve analysis showed no evidence of diagnostic test potential. The urinary ATP signal decayed with storage at 23°C but was prevented by immediate freezing at ≤ -20°C, without boric acid preservative and without the need to centrifuge urine prior to freezing.
Conclusions: Urinary ATP may have a role as a research tool but is unconvincing as a surrogate, clinical diagnostic
marker.
Keywords: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), Adenosine-5′-triphosphate (ATP), Urinary tract infection (UTI
Diversification versus Specialization in Complex Ecosystems
No full textBy analyzing the distribution of revenues across the production sectors of quoted firms we suggest a novel dimension that drives the firms diversification process at country level. Data show a non trivial macro regional clustering of the diversification process, which underlines the relevance of geopolitical environments in determining the microscopic dynamics of economic entities. These findings demonstrate the possibility of singling out in complex ecosystems those micro-features that emerge at macro-levels, which could be of particular relevance for decision-makers in selecting the appropriate parameters to be acted upon in order to achieve desirable results. The understanding of this micro-macro information exchange is further deepened through the introduction of a simplified dynamic model
Curious Beasts: Animal Prints from the British Museum
Get PDFOnline review of a stunning exhibition held at different locations in the UK (Compton Verney, Warwickshire; National Museum of Northern Ireland, Belfast; Ferens Art Gallery, Hull. The sixty-three ‘animal prints’ are on loan from the British Museum and have been selected to illustrate the variety of ways in which animals were depicted in print during the early modern period, c.1450-1820. A key aim is to show us the ‘crucial’ ways in which animal prints have shaped ideas about the natural world
