Minister\u27s attacks on gays result in radio show exit

A Bangor minister has accused a Bangor radio station, WLBZ, of dropping his program, In Times Like These, because of his attacks on the Wilde-Stein Club at UMO. The Rev. Herman C. Frankland was notified last Friday that his program was being dropped and he was not to present the program he had scheduled for Saturday\u27s airing which was a second affront to the homosexual group. His previous broadcast criticized the university\u27s condoning of the group\u27s existence on campus and the trustees\u27 decision to allow the gay group to hold a conference on campus in April

Utility of two novel multiplexing assays for the detection of gastrointestinal pathogens – a first experience

BACKGROUND: Cause for gastroenteritis range from viral, bacterial to parasitic pathogens. Rapid Multiplexing techniques like ProGastro_SSCS and xTAG_GPP can detect broad panels of pathogens simultaneously. We performed a field test with a total number of 347 stool samples from adult hospitalized patients that were tested with the Luminex xTAG GPP assay; of the 157 samples positively tested for at least one pathogen by xTAG GPP a total number of 30 samples was retested with the ProGastro SSCS assay. Assays were compared to standard routine diagnostics. FINDINGS: Multiplexing significantly reduced the time to the initial identification of a pathogen. Moreover, multiplexing detected pathogens for which a diagnostic assays was not requested by the physician and thus may be an important tool for avoiding nosocomial outbreaks. CONCLUSION: This first frontline approach with these assays approves their utility compared to conventional microbiological methods

Why Am I Still Here, You Ask? A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experience of Nurse Managers

Fewer people are entering the profession of nursing. There is already a shortage of nurses, yet, many abandon the bedside for lucrative ways to practice their art and for respected positions less inhibited by bureaucratic initiatives. A significant percentage of nurses will soon retire, further diminishing the number of experienced caregivers. Good nurses require great leaders. A primary goal of organizations is to retain and recruit effective nurse managers. This study provides insight to the needs of nurse managers and aspects that keep them from leaving their jobs. The purpose of this study was to gain a differentiated understanding of the nurse manager role, one that is multifaceted and challenging. Some might consider management as prestigious, even powerful, yet nurse managers reveal the contrary. They speak of frustration and job barriers. They feel isolated in an unsupportive work environment and overwhelmed by pressures of administration and demands of staff and patients. During this study, they ask, \u27Why am I still here? and provide the answer. A phenomenological approach was used to interview eight nurse managers. From their language emerged a five-category thematic structure against a bureaucracy unconcerned with their challenges. The five categories included Organization, Administration, Nurse Manager, Nursing Staff, and Patients. The top category, Organization, had one major theme, Outdated Norms: A Good Old Boys\u27 System. Administration also had one major theme, They: An Unsupportive Entity. The middle category, Nurse Manager, had four themes: (1) In the Middle: Bosses on Top and Bosses on the Bottom, (2) Being Separate: Feeling Alone, (3) So Unprepared: Forging My Own Trail, and (4) Why Am I Still Here, You Ask? The fourth category, Nursing Staff, consisted of three themes: (1) The Part I Like the Least: Counseling, (2) Bent Over Backwards: Staffing & Scheduling, and (3) Clock In, Clock Out: A Lack of Professionalism. At the bottom of the structure, Patients had one major theme, I Never Forget What It\u27s Like to be a Nurse. In the midst of describing endless challenges, nurse managers unveiled their dedication to nursing and an undying commitment to their profession

Characterisation of material property variation across an inertia friction welded CrMoV steel component using the inverse analysis of nanoindentation data

In this study, a new application of the inverse analysis of the depth-sensing indentation technique based on the optimization theory has been satisfactorily demonstrated. The novel approach for determining the mechanical properties from experimental nanoindentation curves has been applied in order to generate the elastic–plastic stress–strain curves of three phases located across the joint of a like-to-like inertia friction weld of a CrMoV steel, i.e. the parent phase of tempered martensite and two child phases formed during the IFW process, martensite in the quenched and over-tempered condition. The inverse analysis carried out in this study consists of an optimization algorithm implemented in MATLAB, which compares an experimental nanoindentation curve with a predicted indentation curve generated by a 3D finite element model developed using the ABAQUS software; the optimization algorithm modifies the predicted curve by changing the material properties until the best fit to the experimental nanoindentation curve is found. The optimized parameters (mechanical properties) have been used to generate the stress–strain relationships in the elastic–plastic regime that can be used to simulate numerically the effects of the variation in material properties arising from phase transformations occurring across the joint during the IFW process of a CrMoV steel. The proposed inverse analysis was capable of fitting experimental load–depth (P–h) curves produced with a Nanoindentation Nanotest NTX unit from three characteristic regions located across the joint where the above mentioned phases are known to exist. The capability of the inverse analysis to build the stress–strain relationship in the elastic–plastic regime using the optimized mechanical properties of the parent metal has been validated using experimental data extracted from the compressive test of an axisymmetric sample of tempered martensite [1]. According to previous experimental studies, the presence of martensite in the quenched and over-tempered condition formed during the IFW of shaft sections of CrMoV steel are responsible of the 1.52:1 harder and 0.75:1 softer regions, compared to the region where the tempered martensite is located [2], [3] and [4]. These ratios are in very good agreement with the optimized magnitudes of yield stress provided by the inverse analysis, that is, 1.54:1 for the quenched martensite and 0.68:1 for the over-tempered martensite, compared to the optimized value of yield stress of the tempered martensite. Moreover, a relative difference of less than 1.5% between the experimental and predicted maximum depth (hmax) supports the capability of the method for extracting the elastic–plastic mechanical properties defining each of the indented regions

Spinning, Spooning and the Seductions of Flirtatious Masculinity in Contemporary Politics

This paper explores the relationships between masculinity, flirtation and fantasy within the promotional arena of politics and PR. Flirtation is associated with coquetry and play, connoting a lack of seriousness, and in political flirtation, the desire to move between different opinions and ideas. Flirtation is often linked with femininity. Yet against a backdrop of masculinity in crisis, the study of flirtation, with its connotations of ambiguity and frustrated desire, is useful to explore the uncertainties of masculinities today. Dilemmas about flirtation as a tantalising performance resonate with misgivings about the seductive nature of political spin and the desire of politicians to woo audiences by flirting to the camera. Taking examples of politicians such as Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Barack Obama, this paper discusses the possibilities of flirtatious masculinity as a counter-hegemonic strategy within the symbolic battleground of Western politics, a struggle largely played out in print and digital media

A set of novel multiplex Taqman real-time PCRs for the detection of diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli and its use in determining the prevalence of EPEC and EAEC in a university hospital

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Accurate measurement of the incidence of diarrhoeagenic <it>E. coli </it>in patients with diarrhoea is hindered by the current methods of detection and varies from country to country. In order to improve the diagnosis of diarrhoeagenic <it>E. coli </it>(DEC), we developed a set of multiplex TaqMan real-time PCRs designed to detect the respective pathogens from an overnight stool culture.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Over the period Jan. 2006 to Dec. 2006 all stool specimens (n = 1981) received were investigated for EPEC and EAEC.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of these, 371 specimens had no growth of <it>Enterobacteriaceae</it>. Of the remaining 1610 specimens 144 (8,9%) were positive for EPEC and 78 (4,8%) positive for EAEC. Among the EPEC positive stool specimens 28 (19,4%) were received from the tropical diseases unit, 49 (34%) from the paediatric dept. and 67 (46,5%) from the remainder of the wards. The EAEC were distributed as follows: 39 (50%) - tropical diseases, 19 (24,4%) -paediatrics and 20 (25,6%) other wards. Proportionately more EAEC and EPEC were found in children less than 3 years of age than other age groups. In only 22,2% of the detected EPEC and 23% of EAEC was the investigation requested by hospital staff.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This is, to our knowledge, the first study using a multiplex TaqMan PCR for the successful detection of diarrhoeagenic <it>E. coli</it>. In conclusion, due to the high prevalence of DEC detected, investigation of EPEC and EAEC should be recommended as a routine diagnostic test for patients with infectious diarrhoea.</p

Antimicrobial consumption and resistance in adult hospital inpatients in 53 countries:results of an internet-based global point prevalence survey

Summary: Background: The Global Point Prevalence Survey (Global-PPS) established an international network of hospitals to measure antimicrobial prescribing and resistance worldwide. We aimed to assess antimicrobial prescribing and resistance in hospital inpatients. Methods: We used a standardised surveillance method to collect detailed data about antimicrobial prescribing and resistance from hospitals worldwide, which were grouped by UN region. The internet-based survey included all inpatients (adults, children, and neonates) receiving an antimicrobial who were on the ward at 0800 h on one specific day between January and September, 2015. Hospitals were classified as primary, secondary, tertiary (including infectious diseases hospitals), and paediatric hospitals. Five main ward types were defined: medical wards, surgical wards, intensive-care units, haematology oncology wards, and medical transplantation (bone marrow or solid transplants) wards. Data recorded included patient characteristics, antimicrobials received, diagnosis, therapeutic indication according to predefined lists, and markers of prescribing quality (eg, whether a stop or review date were recorded, and whether local prescribing guidelines existed and were adhered to). We report findings for adult inpatients. Findings: The Global-PPS for 2015 included adult data from 303 hospitals in 53 countries, including eight lower-middle-income and 17 upper-middle-income countries. 86 776 inpatients were admitted to 3315 adult wards, of whom 29 891 (34·4%) received at least one antimicrobial. 41 213 antimicrobial prescriptions were issued, of which 36 792 (89·3%) were antibacterial agents for systemic use. The top three antibiotics prescribed worldwide were penicillins with β-lactamase inhibitors, third-generation cephalosporins, and fluoroquinolones. Carbapenems were most frequently prescribed in Latin America and west and central Asia. Of patients who received at least one antimicrobial, 5926 (19·8%) received a targeted antibacterial treatment for systemic use, and 1769 (5·9%) received a treatment targeting at least one multidrug-resistant organism. The frequency of health-care-associated infections was highest in Latin America (1518 [11·9%]) and east and south Asia (5363 [10·1%]). Overall, the reason for treatment was recorded in 31 694 (76·9%) of antimicrobial prescriptions, and a stop or review date in 15 778 (38·3%). Local antibiotic guidelines were missing for 7050 (19·2%) of the 36 792 antibiotic prescriptions, and guideline compliance was 77·4%. Interpretation: The Global-PPS showed that worldwide surveillance can be accomplished with voluntary participation. It provided quantifiable measures to assess and compare the quantity and quality of antibiotic prescribing and resistance in hospital patients worldwide. These data will help to improve the quality of antibiotic prescribing through education and practice changes, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries that have no tools to monitor antibiotic prescribing in hospitals. Funding: bioMérieux

Effects of ω-3 PUFA-enriched diet on growth parameters in a syngenic murine model of breast adenocarcinoma: a possible role for estrogen receptor alpha

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common tumour among women and 75% of BC are estrogen receptor (ER)dependent. In particular, ERα promotes tumour growth, while ERβ has an anti-proliferative effect [1]. Epidemiological data have linked ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) consumption to lower incidence of BC and several experimental studies showed the anti-proliferative effects of ω-3 fish oil in different tumour models [2,3]. Chia seed oil is rich in α-linolenic acid (ALA 18:3 ω-3), while corn oil is rich in linoleic acid (LA 18:2 ω-6), precursors of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and arachidonic acid (AA), respectively. Based on substrate availability, these FAs give rise to different eicosanoid signatures with opposite effects in cancer [4]. ω-3 PUFAs generate both anti-inflammatory prostanoids and reactive oxygen species (ROS), which in turn could affect NF-κB. Indeed, NF-κB belongs to a family of transcription factors with a key role in inflammation and oxidative stress, but its role in tumour development is still controversial [5]. The aim of the study was to determine possible processes that are activated by dietary lipids regulating BC growth and metastasis.Fil: Vara Messler, Marianela. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Biología Celular; Argentina.Fil: Vara Messler, Marianela. Universidad de Padova. Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas y Farmacológicas; Italia.Fil: Pasqualini, María Eugenia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Biología Celular; Argentina.Fil: Comba, Andrea. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Biología Celular. Cátedra de Biología, Histología y Embriología; Argentina.Fil:Comba, Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud; Argentina.Fil: Toniolo, Alicia. Universidad de Padova. Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas y Farmacológicas; Italia.Fil: Trenti, Annalisa. Universidad de Padova. Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas y Farmacológicas; Italia.Fil: Quiroga, Patricia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Biología Celular; Argentina.Fil: Valentich, Mirta Ana. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Biología Celular; Argentina.Fil: Valentich, Mirta Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud; Argentina.Fil: Bolego, Chiara. Universidad de Padova. Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas y Farmacológicas; Italia.Otras Ciencias de la Salu