Grades do have a bearing

I am afraid that I need to challenge the assertion made by Rachel Airley in her letter (PJ, 10 March 2012, p308) that “there is no clear cut evidence that UCAS points obtained at school have any bearing on final degree performance”. Research from the Higher Education Funding Council for England — the body responsible for the distribution of funding to universities in England — shows that educational attainment before entry to higher education (ie, A-level grades) is the most important factor in determining academic success on undergraduate degree programmes.1,2 Indeed, research I have recently conducted on a cohort of MPharm students at Aston University (which will hopefully be published in a peer-reviewed academic journal shortly) demonstrates a strong positive correlation between UCAS Tariff points per A-level and final degree classification. As Dr Airley highlights in her letter, competition for places on MPharm programmes remains fierce and, in response to high levels of demand, her own institution has increased its standard entry offer. If UCAS Tariff points have little predictive ability of performance on the MPharm programme then, aside from minimising the administrative burden that the admissions process places on an institution, what is the logic behind increasing standard entry offers?

Lumbar estrecho: experiencia de 10 años en la fundación santa fé de Bogotá

El canal lumbar estrecho de tipo degenerativo, es una enfermedad que se presenta en pacientes entre la quinta y la sexta década de vida; es la causa más común de cirugía lumbar después de los 65 años. Este trabajo busca determinar cuáles son los factores asociados a la presentación de eventos adversos o re-intervención en cirugía de canal lumbar estrecho en la Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá en los años comprendidos entre 2003 y 2013. Métodos: se realizó un estudio de prevalencia de tipo analítico, en donde se analizaron 249 pacientes sometidos a intervención quirúrgica por cirugía de canal lumbar estrecho.

Studies of pure rotational spectra of isolated molecules and molecular adducts using pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave (PJ-FTM) spectroscopy

This thesis focuses on studying molecular structure and internal dynamics by using pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave (PJ-FTMW) spectroscopy combined with theoretical calculations. Several kinds of interesting chemical problems are investigated by analyzing the MW spectra of the corresponding molecular systems. First, the general aspects of rotational spectroscopy are summarized, and then the basic theory on molecular rotation and experimental method are described briefly. ab initio and density function theory (DFT) calculations that used in this thesis to assist the assignment of rotational spectrum are also included. From chapter 3 to chapter 8, several molecular systems concerning different kind of general chemical problems are presented. In chapter 3, the conformation and internal motions of dimethyl sulfate are reported. The internal rotations of the two methyl groups split each rotational transition into several components line, allowing for the determination of accurate values of the V3 barrier height to internal rotation and of the orientation of the methyl groups with respect to the principal axis system. In chapter 4 and 5, the results concerning two kinds of carboxylic acid bi-molecules, formed via two strong hydrogen bonds, are presented. This kind of adduct is interesting also because a double proton transfer can easily take place, connecting either two equivalent or two non-equivalent molecular conformations. Chapter 6 concerns a medium strong hydrogen bonded molecular complex of alcohol with ether. The dimer of ethanol-dimethylether was chosen as the model system for this purpose. Chapter 7 focuses on weak halogen…H hydrogen bond interaction. The nature of O-H…F and C-H…Cl interaction has been discussed through analyzing the rotational spectra of CH3CHClF/H2O. In chapter 8, two molecular complexes concerning the halogen bond interaction are presented.

Clay mineral assemblages for the last 10 Ma off northeastern Australia

Clay mineral assemblages for the last 10 m.y. are described for Site 823, at 16°S in the Queensland Trough, to the northeast of Australia. Largely unaffected by diagenetic influences, these mostly express the evolution of northeastern Australian continental environments during the late Neogene: (1) beginning during the late Miocene at about 7.0 Ma is an increase of illite derived from rocky substrates at the expense of smectite from deeply weathered soils; this increase was the result of increasing aridity in the Australian interior and globally cooler temperatures, associated with increases in Antarctic glaciation; (2) concomitant and further increases of kaolinite fluxes to the Queensland Trough during the late Miocene-early Pliocene largely reflect an increase in rainfall in northeastern Australia; (3) increases in both soil- and rock-derived minerals probably intensified as a result of late Neogene uplift of the eastern highlands; (4) clay-mineral associations during the Pliocene and Pleistocene display minor variations only and probably resulted in part from differential settling and sea-level changes; (5) similar trends of clay-mineral variations occur at both ODP Site 823 and DSDP Site 588 (Lord Howe Rise). Less abundant kaolinite relative to illite at Site 588 nevertheless suggests a southward decrease of continental humidity and/or of the eastern highlands uplift; (6) influences of global climate and oceanic and atmospheric circulations on clay-mineral associations dominated during the late Miocene and were progressively replaced by influences of more regional environmental variations during the Pliocene and especially the Pleistocene.

Malignant Transformation Of An Odontogenic Cyst In A Period Of 10 Years.

Primary intraosseous carcinoma of the jaws (PIOSCC) might arise from odontogenic epithelium, more commonly from a previous odontogenic cyst. The aim of this case is to illustrate that the clinician should consider that an apparent benign dentigerous cyst can suffer malignant transformation and that all material removed from a patient must be evaluated histologically. A 44-year-old man presented in a routine periapical X-ray an impacted lower left third molar with radiolucency over its crown. Ten years later, the patient complained of pain in the same region and the tooth was extracted. After one month, the patient still complained of pain and suffered a fracture of the mandible. A biopsy was performed and carcinoma was diagnosed. The patient was treated surgically with adjuvant radio- and chemotherapy and after 8 years, he is well without signs of recurrences. This report describes a central mandibular carcinoma probably developed from a previous dentigerous cyst.

Frequency Of The Allelic Variant C.1150t > C In Exon 10 Of The Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 3 (fgfr3) Gene Is Not Increased In Patients With Pathogenic Mutations And Related Chondrodysplasia Phenotypes.

Mutations in the FGFR3 gene cause the phenotypic spectrum of FGFR3 chondrodysplasias ranging from lethal forms to the milder phenotype seen in hypochondroplasia (Hch). The p.N540K mutation in the FGFR3 gene occurs in ∼70% of individuals with Hch, and nearly 30% of individuals with the Hch phenotype have no mutations in the FGFR3, which suggests genetic heterogeneity. The identification of a severe case of Hch associated with the typical mutation c.1620C > A and the occurrence of a c.1150T > C change that resulted in a p.F384L in exon 10, together with the suspicion that this second change could be a modulator of the phenotype, prompted us to investigate this hypothesis in a cohort of patients. An analysis of 48 patients with FGFR3 chondrodysplasia phenotypes and 330 healthy (control) individuals revealed no significant difference in the frequency of the C allele at the c.1150 position (p = 0.34). One patient carrying the combination `pathogenic mutation plus the allelic variant c.1150T > C' had a typical achondroplasia (Ach) phenotype. In addition, three other patients with atypical phenotypes showed no association with the allelic variant. Together, these results do not support the hypothesis of a modulatory role for the c.1150T > C change in the FGFR3 gene.

[factors Impacting The Growth And Nutritional Status Of Cystic Fibrosis Patients Younger Than 10 Years Of Age Who Did Not Undergo Neonatal Screening.]

The aim of this study was to evaluate by clinical and laboratory parameters how cystic fibrosis (CF) affects growth and nutritional status of children who were undergoing CF treatment but did not receive newborn screening. A historical cohort study of 52 CF patients younger than 10 years of age were followed in a reference center in Campinas, Southeast Brazil. Anthropometric measurements were abstracted from medical records until March/2010, when neonatal screening program was implemented. Between September/2009 and March/2010, parental height of the 52 CF patients were also measured. Regarding nutritional status, four patients had Z-scores ≤ -2 for height/age (H/A) and body mass index/age (BMI/A). The following variables were associated with improved H/A ratio: fewer hospitalizations, longer time from first appointment to diagnosis, longer time from birth to diagnosis and later onset of respiratory disease. Forced vital capacity [FVC(%)], forced expiratory flow between 25-75% of FVC [FEF25-75(%)], forced expiratory volume in the first second [FEV1(%)], gestational age, birth weight and early respiratory symptoms were associated with IMC/A. Greater number of hospitalizations, diagnosis delay and early onset of respiratory disease had a negative impact on growth. Lower spirometric values, lower gestational age, lower birth weight, and early onset of respiratory symptoms had negative impact on nutritional status. Malnutrition was observed in 7.7% of cases, but 23% of children had nutritional risk.

Limiar anaerobio (4 mM de lactato sanguineo), velocidade critica determinada a partir de diferentes distancias e performance aerobia em nadadores e nadadoras de 10 a 15 anos

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Crescimento, composição corporal, desempenho motor de escolares de 07a 10 de idade do municipio de Cascavel-Parana

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física

Estado nutricional e qualidade de vida de escolares de 7 a 10 anos de idade de municípios da Região Metropolitana de Campinas

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física