116 research outputs found
Methodological considerations for the use of stable isotope probing in microbial ecology
No full textStable isotope probing (SIP) is a method used for labeling uncultivated microorganisms in environmental samples or directly in field studies using substrate enriched with stable isotope (e.g., 13C). After consumption of the substrate, the cells of microorganisms that consumed the substrate become enriched in the isotope. Labeled biomarkers, such as phospholipid-derived fatty acid (PLFA), ribosomal RNA, and DNA can be analyzed with a range of molecular and analytical techniques, and used to identify and characterize the organisms that incorporated the substrate. The advantages and disadvantages of PLFA-SIP, RNA-SIP, and DNA-SIP are presented. Using examples from our laboratory and from the literature, we discuss important methodological considerations for a successful SIP experiment
The frequency and content of discussions about alcohol use in primary care and application of the Chief Medical Officer’s Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines: A cross-sectional survey of general practitioners and practice nurses in the UK
No full textAims
To examine how often general practitioners (GPs) and practice nurses (PNs) working in primary care discuss alcohol with patients, what factors prompt discussions, how they approach patient discussions and whether the Chief Medical Officers’ (CMO) revised low-risk drinking guidelines are appropriately advised.
Methods
Cross-sectional survey with GPs and PNs working in primary care in the UK, conducted January–March 2017 (n = 2020). A vignette exercise examined what factors would prompt a discussion about alcohol, whether they would discuss before or after a patient reported exceeded the revised CMO guidelines (14 units per week) and whether the CMO drinking guidelines were appropriately advised. For all patients, participants were asked how often they discussed alcohol and how they approached the discussion (e.g. used screening tool).
Results
The most common prompts to discuss alcohol in the vignette exercise were physical cues (44.7% of participants) or alcohol-related symptoms (23.8%). Most practitioners (70.1%) said they would wait until a patient was exceeding CMO guidelines before instigating discussion. Two-fifths (38.1%) appropriately advised the CMO guidelines in the vignette exercise, with PNs less likely to do so than GPs (odds ratio [OR] = 0.77, P = 0.03). Less than half (44.7%) reportedly asked about alcohol always/often with all patients, with PNs more likely to ask always/often than GPs (OR = 2.22, P < 0.001). Almost three-quarters said they would enquire by asking about units (70.3%), compared to using screening tools.
Conclusion
Further research is required to identify mechanisms to increase the frequency of discussions about alcohol and appropriate recommendation of the CMO drinking guidelines to patients
DNA stable-isotope probing
No full textStable-isotope probing is a method used in microbial ecology that provides a means by which specific functional groups of organisms that incorporate particular substrates are identified without the prerequisite of cultivation. Stable-isotope-labeled carbon (C-13) or nitrogen (N-15) sources are assimilated into microbial biomass of environmental samples. Separation and molecular analysis of labeled nucleic acids ( DNA or RNA) reveals phylogenetic and functional information about the microorganisms responsible for the metabolism of a particular substrate. Here, we highlight general guidelines for incubating environmental samples with labeled substrate and provide a detailed protocol for separating labeled DNA from unlabeled community DNA. The protocol includes a modification of existing published methods, which maximizes the recovery of labeled DNA from CsCl gradients. The separation of DNA and retrieval of unlabeled and labeled fractions can be performed in 4-5 days, with much of the time being committed to the ultracentrifugation step
Stable isotope probing : a tool in molecular microbial ecology
No full textEThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
Development Of Nutritious Pizza Base.
No full textThis Dissertation / Report is the outcome of investigation carried out by the creator(s) / author(s) at the department/division of Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore mentioned below in this page
YOPS Poster
No full textBackground: Marketing for food and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) are known to negatively influence dietary-related knowledge, attitudes and health outcomes such as overweight and obesity. It is crucial to address the alarming UK childhood obesity rates; a child with obesity is five times more likely to become an adult with obesity, and overweight and obesity causes 13 types of cancer. Digital marketing is now as, or more, prevalent in young people’s lives than TV advertising. More evidence is needed to understand the mechanisms by which the influence of HFSS marketing occurs, and to underpin policy action to ensure marketing regulation is fit for purpose in the current marketing landscape. Aims: To explore trends over time in children and young people’s dietary perceptions and attitudes and behaviours across all forms of HFSS marketing, particularly digital. Methods: A nationally representative online cross-sectional UK survey of 11–19 year olds (n=3286), is being performed. This survey builds on the first wave of the YOPS (conducted in 2017), updated to reflect the 2019 policy context and to focus specifically on digital HFSS marketing. A qualitative scoping study of focus groups with 11–19 year olds was conducted by ScotCen to inform survey design for the digital HFSS marketing component. Survey recruitment is being conducted by YouGov through their online panel. Linear regression will be performed, controlling for demographic factors, to test for associations between different forms of HFSS marketing exposure and HFSS consumption. Data collection will be complete by August 2019. Results: Data will give self-reported consumption of HFSS products, HFSS marketing exposure across platforms, and digital media use and engagement. Results will provide insight into whether the impact of HFSS marketing has changed over the past two years, and build the evidence on the impact of digital HFSS marketing. Discussion: This study builds a picture of how the impact that HFSS marketing has on children and young people’s dietary-related behaviours and health outcomes may have changed over time. It will explore the link between digital marketing and young people’s dietary behaviours, and support policy-making around HFSS marketing regulation
Problems in Task Scheduling in Multiprocessor System
No full textThis Contemporary computer systems are multiprocessor or multicomputer machines. Their efficiency depends on good methods of administering the executed works. Fast processing of a parallel application is possible only when its parts are appropriately ordered in time and space. This calls for efficient scheduling policies in parallel computer systems. In this work deterministic problems of scheduling are considered. The classical scheduling theory assumed that the application in any moment of time is executed by only one processor. This assumption has been weakened recently, especially in the context of parallel and distributed computer systems. This monograph is devoted to problems of deterministic scheduling applications or tasks according to the scheduling terminology requiring more than one processor simultaneously. We name such applications multiprocessor tasks. In this work the complexity of open multiprocessor task scheduling problems has been established. Algorithms for scheduling multiprocessor tasks on parallel and dedicated processors are proposed. For a special case of applications with regular structure which allow for dividing it into parts of arbitrary size processed independently in parallel, a method of finding optimal scattering of work in a distributed computer system is proposed. The applications with such regular characteristics are called divisible tasks. The concept of a divisible task enables creation of tractable computation models in a wide class of computer architectures such as chains, stars, meshes, hypercubes, multistage networks. Divisible task method gives rise to the evaluation of computer system performance. Examples of such performance evaluation are presented. This work summarizes earlier works of the author as well as contains new original results. Mukul Varshney | Jyotsna | Abhakiran Rajpoot | Shivani Garg "Problems in Task Scheduling in Multiprocessor System" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-1 | Issue-4 , June 2017, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd2198.pd
Weight management assessment and advice in primary care
No full textBackground: Although primary care settings provide a large-scale and high-reach opportunity for weight management and obesity prevention, the proportion of adults in the United Kingdom (UK) who report receiving weight management advice is limited. This study examines the self-reported frequency of assessing weight and providing weight management advice by General Practitioners (GPs) and Practice Nurses (PNs) working in primary care in the UK, and differences by practitioner characteristics. Methods: Cross-sectional survey with GPs and PNs in the UK (n = 2020), conducted January–March 2017. A mock consultation exercise assessed what factors led to calculating a patient’s Body Mass Index (BMI) and whether weight management advice was given after determining the patient had an obese BMI. For all patients, practitioners were asked how often they calculated BMI, how often they gave weight management advice to patients with an obese BMI, and how often they utilised different advice or referral options (each: Always/Often vs. Less often/Never). Binary logistic regressions examined whether frequency of assessing weight and providing advice was associated with practitioner characteristics. Results: In the mock consultation, physical cues (40%) were most likely to prompt calculation of BMI, and half of practitioners (56%) provided weight management advice after determining the patient had an obese BMI, with GPs less likely to do so than PNs (Odds Ratio [OR] = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.47–0.75). Half of practitioners (58%) said they calculated the BMI of all patients Always/Often, with GPs less likely to do so than PNs (OR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.21–0.34). Three quarters (78%) said they provided weight management advice to patients with an obese BMI Always/Often, with GPs less likely to do so than PNs (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.47–0.85). Weight management advice was provided more frequently than referrals, particularly suggesting increased physical activity (93%) and diet modification (89%). Conclusions: Consistent with previous research, the findings suggest that opportunities to provide weight management advice in primary care, including to patients with an obese BMI, are potentially missed. Future research should test alternative mechanisms to increase weight assessment and advice provision, examine the effectiveness of advice frequently given, and seek solutions to reported barriers for providing weight management advice
Applications of DNA-Stable Isotope Probing in Bioremediation Studies
No full textDNA-stable isotope probing, a method to identify active microorganisms without the prerequisite of cultivation, has been widely applied in the study of microorganisms involved in the degradation of environmental pollutants. Recent advances and technique considerations in applying DNA-SIP in bioremediation are highlighted. A detailed protocol of a DNA-SIP experiment is provided
Pension reform in Latin America : quick fixes or sustainable reform?
No full textBecause of better health and higher standards of living, people are living longer. By 2030, more than 16 percent of the world's population will be older than 60, compared with 9 percent today. As a result, pension systems will need reform. Most current systems have substantial unfunded liabilities that will impose significant financial burdens onfuture generations without providing adequate protection for older individuals and lower-income workers. Pension reform is inevitable because of demographic imperatives and because many pension systems are financially unsustainable. Unfunded public pension systems pose political risk if promises to future retirees cannot be met. Pension reform is both technically and politically complex but more and more countries are beginning to address the problem. The question is whether to adopt quick fixes or sustainable changes that will benefit the macroeconomy and protect elderly and lower-income citizens. Quick fixes--typical in many economies--generally involve changes in eligibility (such as retirement age), changes in the rate of contribution or the population of workers on which contributions are calculated, or changes in the structure of benefits. Countries in Latin America have been ahead of other regions in undertaking major reform from pay-as-you-go defined-benefit pension plans to fully funded, defined-contribution pension plans. Because of the successful Chilean pension model, a notable number of Latin American countries have undertaken deep pension reform. The author highlights reform efforts in a sample of countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Peru. Vigilance is still needed, says the author. Effective oversight is essential, and so is complementary reform in the banking, insurance, and securities markets. In capital markets, for example, regulation must be strengthened and the requirement that pension fund investments be made only in government-related securities must be eliminated. New types of insurance must be made available and there must be increased competition among insurance providers. More work must be done but the region's pension systems have started on the right course.Banks&Banking Reform,Payment Systems&Infrastructure,Public Health Promotion,Pensions&Retirement Systems,Environmental Economics&Policies,Pensions&Retirement Systems,Economic Stabilization,Banks&Banking Reform,Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research
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