17 research outputs found
Legal English and the 'modal revolution'
No full textIn this paper the author discusses the present status of shall in legal English. Although it has been by far the most common modal in legal English for at least 600 years, its use is currently in decline, especially in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. The author identifies the structures that take up the place left by shall in shall-free texts, such as the present simple, may and be to. He focuses in particular on the South Africa Constitution where the definitive version currently in force is completely devoid of shall, unlike the Interim version which was drafted only two or three years earlier. The data relating to such shall-free texts as the South Africa Constitution are compared to ‘World data’ relating to the situation in English-speaking countries in general. He also speculates as to what will happen with shall in legal language in the US and the UK
Treating a case of Savant syndrome
No full textMemory and artistic prodigies among the population at large are uncommon; among the mentally retarded, they are rarer still. This article describes the treatment of such a case, technically known as the Savant Syndrome, seen by occupational therapists at Mount Carmel Psychiatric Hospital and treated over a period of 18 years.peer-reviewe
Evaluating burnout in an institutional setting
No full textIn a research project, 183 medical and paramedical staff, each with at least 5 years of service in a large psychiatric hospital in Malta, were interviewed to find out any burnout effects. It was found that the longer the years of service, the more staff felt they were taking their work problems home. Nevertheless irrespective of length of employment, 78% considered their objectives at work fulfilled. Only 22% gave importance to improved salaries, while 77% opted for more staff meetings and in-service training.peer-reviewe
Awareness, knowledge and behaviour of the Maltese population in relation to the global solar ultraviolet index (UVI)
No full textAIM OF STUDY: To assess social trends on the awareness of UVI, sun protection and behaviour amongst the Maltese population. 400 randomly selected persons were interviewed by phone (margin of error-5%). Sample was stratified by gender and age according to the 2011 Census. A modified multistage random sampling method was used. Method: • This study has demonstrated that the observed high awareness of the UVI is not being translated into beneficial sun protection practices. • The use of sun screen and hats, which are the most promoted sun protective mechanisms in local sun protection campaigns is significantly low. • Males use more head gear and wear a shirt when they are at the beach significantly more than women do. Females use significantly sunscreen and sunglasses more than males. • There is a lack of exploitation of the UVI concept in local health awareness campaigns related to protection against UVR. • There is lack of use of modern media sources in the daily communication of UVI (including UVI forecasts). • More focused and targeted sun protection campaigns are needed aimed at converting the sun protection awareness into action so as to address the worrying situation of an ever increasing trend in local skin cancer incidence. Discussion and Conclusions: Results: Awareness of the UVI Attitudes in relation to sun exposure is summer •79% claimed sun exposure in sun peak hours in summer •57% of these at least once a week •Only 26% claimed that UVI forecasts impacted on their work/ leisure activitiespeer-reviewe
A window on exoplanet dynamical histories: Rossiter-McLaughlin observations of WASP-13b and WASP-32b
No full textWe present Rossiter-McLaughlin observations of WASP-13b and WASP-32b and determine the sky-projected angle between the normal of the planetary orbit and the stellar rotation axis (λ). WASP-13b and WASP-32b both have prograde orbits and are consistent with alignment with measured sky-projected angles of λ =8°^{+13}_{-12} and λ =-2°^{+17}_{-19}, respectively. Both WASP-13 and WASP-32 have Teff < 6250 K, and therefore, these systems support the general trend that aligned planetary systems are preferentially found orbiting cool host stars. A Lomb-Scargle periodogram analysis was carried out on archival SuperWASP data for both systems. A statistically significant stellar rotation period detection (above 99.9 per cent confidence) was identified for the WASP-32 system with Prot =11.6 ± 1.0 days. This rotation period is in agreement with the predicted stellar rotation period calculated from the stellar radius, R*, and vsin i if a stellar inclination of i* =90° is assumed. With the determined rotation period, the true 3D angle between the stellar rotation axis and the planetary orbit, ψ, was found to be ψ = 11° ± 14°. We conclude with a discussion on the alignment of systems around cool host stars with Teff < 6150 K by calculating the tidal dissipation time-scale. We find that systems with short tidal dissipation time-scales are preferentially aligned and systems with long tidal dissipation time-scales have a broad range of obliquities
Papel del factor de transcripción Kruppel-like factor 2 en la disfunción endotelial hepática asociada a la hipertensión portal y al daño por isquemia y reperfusión
No full textEl endotelio disfuncional presenta, entre otras caracteristicas, alteración en los mecanismos de vasodilatación, complicaciones trombóticas, disminución de la resistencia al estrés oxidativo, aumento de la expresión de moléculas de adhesión y de la secreción de moléculas proinflamatorias. El factor de transcripción endotelial KLF2 juega un importante papel en la regulación del fenotipo protector endotelial y su expresión depende de las fuerza hemodinámicas generadas por el flujo sanguíneo y de la administración exógena de estatinas.
La hipertensión portal y el daño hepático por I/R son dos condiciones patológicas asociadas a disfunción endotelial. Los trastornos estructurales característicos de la cirrosis hepática, la mayor causa prevalente de hipertensión portal en nuestro entorno, se acompañan de variaciones en las fuerzas hemodinámicas que pueden modificar la expresión de KLF2 y su programa transcripcional vasoprotector. Asímismo, durante la isquemia asociada a la preservación de injertos hepáticos para transplante, la interrupción de las fuerzas hemodinámicas generadas por el flujo sanguíneo podría resultar en la reducción de los programas endoteliales vasoprotectores, que se debería en parte a la pérdida de expresión de KLF2.
Los trabajos de investigación de la presente tesis doctoral amplian el conocimiento de los mecanismos moleculares responsables de la disfunción endotelial hepática, demostrando:
1. Que KLF2 está muy expresado en los hígados cirróticos y que su expresión se induce en las fases tempranas de la progresión de la enfermedad, representando un mecanismo compensador para mejorar los desórdenes vasculares característicos de los hígados cirróticos.
2. Que los hígados preservados en condiciones de transplante muestran un descenso tiempo-dependiente de KLF2, acompañado de daño hepático y aumentada resistencia vascular.
Además, demostran que la modulación farmacologica de la expresión de KLF2 puede ser beneficiosa tanto en el tratamiento de la hipertensión portal como en la preservación de los injertos hepáticos para transplante
Author Correction: A dense ring of the trans-Neptunian object Quaoar outside its Roche limit.
No full textInternational audienc
Liver transplantation in Lebanon: A hard lesson to learn
No full textBackground: The aim of this study is to review all liver transplants performed at the American University of Beirut Medical Center from 1998 to present. Material-Methods: From 1998 to present, 15 liver transplants were performed in our institution. Of these, 10 were adults and 5 children. Indications for adult transplants were: 2 alcoholic liver cirrhosis, 2 cryptogenic, hepatitis B, hepatitis C with HCC, 1 subacute liver failure, 1 Budd Chiari syndrome, 1 biliary cirrhosis secondary to iatrogenic common bile duct injury, and 1 multiple hydatid disease of the liver. Pediatric transplant indications were: 2 cryptogenic liver cirrhosis, 1 extrahepatic biliary atresia, 1 familial hypercholesterolemia, and 1 congenital hepatic fibrosis. Of the 14 transplants, 4 were living related liver transplants. Results: Patient survival was 67percent at 1, 5 and 10 years. There were 5 deaths at a median of 9 days (range 1-56) post-transplantation. The causes of death were: 2 primary nonfunctions, 1 intraoperative cardiac arrest, 1 portal and hepatic artery thrombosis, and 1 severe cellular rejection. There were 2 biliary complications and 2 major vascular complications. All 9 survivors are well, with normal liver function tests at a median follow-up time of 70 months (range 13-131) after transplantation. Conclusions: Although our numbers are small, the 10-year survival rate is acceptable compared to other series. Cadaveric organ donations and transplantations should be encouraged so that more transplants can be performed. Living related liver transplant is an important alternative source of organs, but should not replace cadaveric donation. © Ann Transplant.Al-Sebayel M, 2007, ANN SAUDI MED, V27, P333; Bahador A, 2009, TRANSPL P, V41, P2864, DOI 10.1016-j.transproceed.2009.07.046; Bo WT, 2008, TRANSPL P, V40, P3507, DOI 10.1016-j.transproceed.2008.06.096; BUSUTTIL RW, 1994, ANN SURG, V219, P490, DOI 10.1097-00000658-199405000-00007; Daar AS, 1999, TRANSPLANT P, V31, P1070, DOI 10.1016-S0041-1345(98)01909-5; Faraj W, 2010, TRANSPL P, V42, P713, DOI 10.1016-j.transproceed.2010.02.058; Haberal M, 2006, TRANSPLANT P, V38, P2111, DOI 10.1016-j.transproceed.2006.06.035; Karakayali H, 2005, TRANSPLANT P, V37, P2905, DOI 10.1016-j.transproceed.2005.07.025; Kemmer NM, 2009, TRANSPLANTATION, V88, P392, DOI 10.1097-TP.0b013e3181aed68c; Malek-Hosseini SA, 2005, TRANSPLANT P, V37, P3157, DOI 10.1016-j.transproceed.2005.07.005; McBride Maureen A, 2003, Clin Transpl, P53; Saeed Bassam, 2007, Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl, V18, P270; Shaheen FAM, 2009, ETHNIC DIS, V19, P16; STARZL TE, 1968, SURGERY, V63, P549; van der Meulen JHP, 2007, TRANSPLANTATION, V84, P572, DOI 10.1097-01.tp.0000280540.76370.3722
Author Correction: A dense ring of the trans-Neptunian object Quaoar outside its Roche limit
No full textPeer reviewe
