Cysteine (C)-X-C Receptor 4 Undergoes Transportin 1-Dependent Nuclear Localization and Remains Functional at the Nucleus of Metastatic Prostate Cancer Cells

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Managing and Leveraging Workplace Use of Social Media at a South African Supply Chain Company

The rapid growth of social media has drastically changed the way people communicate in their private lives and at work. Social media has become a part of our daily lives in both environments and serve as an emotional outlet on various topics. Due to this, there are legal risks associated with the use of social media in the workplace and proper management of this risk is required. Alternatively, this rapid growth also brings about numerous advantages which may be leveraged by organisations. Social media is expected to continue to evolve and expand. In the process, it will become more integrated into both business and personal lives. A qualitative approach was adopted and primary data gathered by means of interviews with the supply chain’s employees. Content analysis methodology was chosen for the analysis of the qualitative data and themes were developed. These themes were also compared to theory and conclusions were made. The main finding of the study was that social media interaction is inevitable, whether the organisation denies access to this technology. Employees will find a way to communicate via social media.  The recommendations resulting from this study will enable the company to implement a proper social media policy whereby the employee will know the legalities of using social media and both the employee and the organisation covered against any probable legal risk. The company may also leverage the advantages of social media to the benefit of the organisation

A Study to Enhance Cellular Network Efficiency through Wi-Fi Offloading

Cellular network congestion is on the rise due to the fast increase in mobile data consumption caused by things like the proliferation of smartphones, streaming videos, cloud apps, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. In heavily crowded urban locations in particular, this congestion leads to worse service quality, slower data rates, higher latency, and an overall worse user experience. One important tactic for overcoming these issues is Wi-Fi offloading, which involves moving mobile data traffic from cellular networks to Wi-Fi infrastructure. This improves network efficiency. The study considers various city topologies, movement speeds, and Wi-Fi access point technical features to determine the fraction of street users that can be offloaded to Wi-Fi access points. We demonstrate that the number of users on the street that can be transferred to Wi-Fi is significantly impacted by how fast they move, the range of the access points, and the time it takes to connect to the access points. Several test runs have shown that more Wi-Fi access points greatly enhance offloading efficiency, which in turn reduces the stress on cellular networks. Wi-Fi range also matters a lot, albeit the benefits start to dwindle as coverage from several access points starts to blend. Offloading rates are unaffected by changes in urban density, however connectivity is severely affected by changes in user movement speed and login delays. Insights gained from these results might help telecom carriers optimize Wi-Fi offloading solutions for use in urban areas, which in turn improves network performance

Neurodevelopmental Basis of Autism Spectrum Disorder based on Age and Gender

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication, socialization, and restricted/repetitive behaviors. In 2012, one out of every 55 children (1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls) have been diagnosed with ASD in the United States. Only 30-40% of ASD has a known etiology (e.g., genetic predisposition) and the other 60-70% is unknown. Prior to this study, there was no known literature on age and gender differences related to neuro-developmental functioning of ASD. The purpose of this study was to examine how the differences in age and gender of people with ASD were related to total and domain scores, as measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2). This quantitative research study included a sample size of 80 and 2 independent variables: age groupings (ages 1-4, 5-8, 9-17, and 18-older), and gender (male and female). The 4 dependent variables were the total and domain scores measured by the ADOS-2. The statistical analyses included a multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) and a 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine age and gender differences in the ADOS-2 domain and total scores. There was a statistically signi�cant difference for age on the domain dependent variables, F(9, 171) = 2.64, p = .007; Wilks\u27 Lambda = .73; partial η2 = .10. However, there were no statistically significant differences for gender on domain scores and there were no statistically significant differences for age and gender on the overall scores. Those with ASD between ages 5-8 were more severely impaired for socialization when compared to other age groups and other domains. This research can be used for the improvement of intervention strategies for the diverse ASD population, and to improve the understanding of the neurodevelopmental functioning of individuals with ASD based on age and gender

Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure: An Investigation to Evaluate a Device to Measure Jugular Venous Pressure

Diagnosing and managing heart failure (HF) can be challenging as patients sometimes present atypically with non-specific signs and symptoms. Effective management hinges upon an accurate, timely diagnosis. An important component of physical examination, the assessment of jugular venous pressure (JVP), can assist in the diagnosis and management of HF. Clinical assessment of JVP can be performed at the bedside using the Lewis method whereby the height of the jugular venous pulse above the right atrium is measured. Reliability of the maneuver can be affected by variability related to the appropriate vein to use, reference points, and variable classification of normal versus abnormal. A non-invasive point of care device, the Mespere Venous 1000 Central Venous Pressure (CVP) System, can be used to measure JVP. It has been approved by Health Canada and the Food and Drug Agency for commercial use. The overall aim of this study was to conduct a preliminary evaluation of the feasibility of using the Mespere Venous 1000 CVP System to measure JVP for the diagnosis and management of HF in primary care and long term care (LTC). The study involved two projects: Project I and Project II. Project I was conducted in one primary care and four LTC settings. It sought to gather qualitative information from the physicians and nurses about their perceptions relating to: measurement of JVP, acceptability of the device, perceived ease of use, and perceived barriers of the device. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with six physicians and nine nurses in primary care, and four physicians and ten nurses in LTC. Findings showed that the device was more acceptable and feasible to use for LTC clinicians than it was for primary care clinicians, particularly if its reliability among LTC residents could be demonstrated. Project I revealed that the low acceptability of the device in primary care appears to stem in part from a lack of understanding of the importance of the JVP and patterns of practice that favor transfers of patients to emergency department (ED) for more definitive management. Project II of the study aimed to assess the reliability of the device in the LTC setting. Two LTC physicians, two nurses and thirty six LTC residents participated in the study. The findings showed that the reliability of the device, when used by LTC nurses, was greater than that of physicians’ measures obtained with the Lewis method. In conclusion, the study suggests that the use of the point of care (POC) Mespere Venous CVP 1000 System to measure JVP is acceptable and feasible in the LTC setting, but less so in primary care. In LTC, it provides more reliable measures of the JVP than does clinical assessment by physicians. Additional study is required to further improve the reliability of the device when used by LTC nurses. Further work is also required to develop primary care processes that promote HF management within primary care settings, and whether the device could have a role in such settings

Inhibiting ERK Activation with CI-1040 Leads to Compensatory Upregulation of Alternate MAPKs and Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 following Subtotal Nephrectomy with No Impact on Kidney Fibrosis

Extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK) activation by MEK plays a key role in many of the cellular processes that underlie progressive kidney fibrosis including cell proliferation, apoptosis and transforming growth factor β1-mediated epithelial to mesenchymal transition. We therefore assessed the therapeutic impact of ERK1/2 inhibition using a MEK inhibitor in the rat 5/6 subtotal nephrectomy (SNx) model of kidney fibrosis. There was a twentyfold upregulation in phospho-ERK1/2 expression in the kidney after SNx in Male Wistar rats. Rats undergoing SNx became hypertensive, proteinuric and developed progressive kidney failure with reduced creatinine clearance. Treatment with the MEK inhibitor, CI-1040 abolished phospho- ERK1/2 expression in kidney tissue and prevented phospho-ERK1/2 expression in peripheral lymphocytes during the entire course of therapy. CI-1040 had no impact on creatinine clearance, proteinuria, glomerular and tubular fibrosis, and α-smooth muscle actin expression. However, inhibition of ERK1/2 activation led to significant compensatory upregulation of the MAP kinases, p38 and JNK in kidney tissue. CI-1040 also increased the expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), a key inhibitor of plasmin-dependent matrix metalloproteinases. Thus inhibition of ERK1/2 activation has no therapeutic effect on kidney fibrosis in SNx possibly due to increased compensatory activation of the p38 and JNK signalling pathways with subsequent upregulation of PAI-1

Advance directives and euthenasia in frail care and the terminally ill.

Master of Law in Multidisciplinary. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College 2015.Abstract not availabl

The management of continuous professional development at a TVET college in Kwazulu Natal

This exploration investigates lecturers’ experiences of the role of professional development on TVET lecturers. Lecturers’ professional development is often viewed as the source to effective learning developments. Lecturer effectiveness at TVET Colleges depends on the constant professional development to avoid encounters that they face due to endless differences taking place in technology and national curriculum. The result of proper professional development of lecturers is that both students and the organisation benefit from it. Hence, lecturers are likely to be subjected to continuous professional development to be well informed with the constant adjustments taking place in the education system. This occurs as the lecturers are pressurised to participate in a variety of regular professional development programmes that are not designed to suit their specific requirements. This leads to, professional development becoming ineffective in assisting the lecturer developing their training in their specific areas of knowledge. A literature review was used to determine what other writers say about the concept of professional development. A qualitative study was employed and two research instruments were used: semi-structured interview sessions and document analysis.Information was collected through the interviews, centred on pre-planned interview questions. Purposive sampling was used and nine experienced participants were selected for this study. Lecturers’ were questioned about their experiences of professional development at a TVET College in the Kwazulu Natal district. The conversations were recorded, translated and scrutinised to discover lecturers’ opinions about professional development in their college. This investigation was guided by three important questions: How effective are staff development programmes managed for lecturers in their areas of specialisation? Secondly, How effective are the policies regarding staff development in TVET Colleges? Finally, what role does senior management play in CPD in Majuba TVET College? Findings indicate that the principals of the colleges are not managing the continuous professional development of lectures. It is left upon the lecturers themselves to manage their professional development. It is expected that this investigation and the literature review will influence the management of professional development for the advantage of lecturers and the college.M. Ed. (Education Management)Educational Leadership and Managemen

ASSESSMENT OF DENTAL FLUOROSIS IN CHILDREN OF JAIPUR DISTRICT, RAJASTHAN, INDIA

Objective: The objective of the present study was carried out to explore the potential association between fluoride concentration in drinking water and severity of dental fluorosis (DF) in the children.Methods: The study of dental fluorosis (DF) in the children (6-14 years old) was conducted in the two blocks (a) Jamwaramgarh block ;Heerawala, Palera ,Nayabas, Saipur and Birasana, (b) Amber block; Jugalpura, Chitanukalan, Sunder ka bas, Peelwa and Sirsali of Jaipur district, Rajasthan, India of the study villages. Total 150, children were surveyed. The role of fluoride (F) levels in drinking water in the etiology of dental fluorosis (DF) and the cases of dental fluorosis (DF) in both dentitions and teeth were also assessed using DEAN'S classification. The fluoride (F) concentration in source of drinking water was estimated by fluoride (F) ion specific electrode (Thermo Scientific Orion Star A329, USA).Results: The F concentration in (Tube well and Hand pump) water ranges from 0.7 to 15.0 parts per million (ppm) in Jamwaramgarh block and 1.40 to 5. 10 parts per million (ppm) in Amber block. Prevalence of dental fluorosis (DF) 27 (36%) in Jamwaramgar block and 26 (34.66%) in Amber block out of 75 children were examined in each block. Significantly increase in levels of F in drinking water is positively correlated with dental fluorosis.Conclusion: This study finding has shown the relation of dental fluorosis (DF) to high fluoride (F) levels in drinking water sources. A higher fluoride (F) levels in source of drinking water is a major risk factor for dental fluorosis. In view of the severity of the problem the intake of calcium rich foods and defluoridation techniques may help reducing risk of dental fluorosis (DF) in the children.Â