Expression of p53 tumor suppressor protein in sun-exposed skin and associations with sunscreen use and time spent outdoors: A community-based study

The p53 gene is a tumor suppressor gene that is commonly mutated in skin cancer and sun-exposed skin, and this can be detected through immunohistochemical expression of the p53 protein. The authors hypothesized that time spent outdoors is associated with p53 protein expression in human skin and that sunscreen use counteracts the association. In 1996, they investigated this in a community-based cross-sectional study in Australia. Detailed information about skin type, time spent outdoors, and sunscreen use was collected from 139 residents of a subtropical township who also provided a skin biopsy from the back of the hand for measurement of p53 expression. Increasing time spent outdoors was positively associated with immuno reactivity in the whole epidermis and in the basal layer of the epidermis. After adjustment for confounders, p53 immunoreactivity was twice as high for people who used sunscreen 1 or 2 days per week as for those who used sunscreen daily (whole epidermis: ratio estimate = 2.0, 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 3.6; basal layer: ratio estimate = 1.7, 95% confidence interval: 0.9, 3.1). The authors conclude that p53 immunoreactivity in the skin is a marker of exposure to ultraviolet light in the past 6 months, but this may be mitigated by regular application of sunscreen.

The valuation of travel time savings in least developed countries:theoretical and empirical challenges and results from a field study

In developed countries travel time savings can account for as much as 80% of the overall benefits arising from transport infrastructure and service improvements. In developing countries they are generally ignored in transport project appraisals, notwithstanding their importance. One of the reasons for ignoring these benefits in the developing countries is that there is insufficient empirical evidence to support the conventional models for valuing travel time where work patterns, particularly of the poor, are diverse and it is difficult to distinguish between work and non-work activities. The exclusion of time saving benefits may lead to a bias against investment decisions that benefit the poor and understate the poverty reduction potential of transport investments in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). This is because the poor undertake most travel and transport by walking and headloading on local roads, tracks and paths and improvements of local infrastructure and services bring large time saving benefits for them through modal shifts. The paper reports on an empirical study to develop a methodology for valuing rural travel time savings in the LDCs. Apart from identifying the theoretical and empirical issues in valuing travel time savings in the LDCs, the paper presents and discusses the results of an analysis of data from Bangladesh. Some of the study findings challenge the conventional wisdom concerning the time saving values. The Bangladesh study suggests that the western concept of dividing travel time savings into working and non-working time savings is broadly valid in the developing country context. The study validates the use of preference methods in valuing non-working time saving values. However, stated preference (SP) method is more appropriate than revealed preference (RP) method.

Teacher logs and interactive decision-making:a case study of contingencies in an EFL organizational culture and the implications for teacher development for part-time teachers

This is a case study of a program of native speaker part-time EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers in a junior college in Japan. It has grown out of a curiosity to ascertain how the teachers have formed and continue to maintain a coordinated program in what would seem to be a disadvantageous national context where as part-time foreign teachers they are expected to do little more than just teach a few classes of mainly oral English. This study investigates the organizational culture the teachers have formed for themselves within their staffroom, and looks at the implications of this for part-time teachers in such an environment. More specifically, the study highlights that central to the program is an interactive decision-making function engaged in by all the teachers which has not only created but also continually enables an identifiable staffroom culture. This organizational culture is contingent on college and staffroom conditions, program affordances such as shared class logs and curriculum sharing, and on the interactive decision-making itself. It is postulated that the contingencies formed in this created and continually creating shared world not only offer the teachers a proficient way to work in their severely time-constricted environment, but also provide them with fertile ground for the self-regulation of a thus created zone of covert staffroom ‘on-the-job’ teacher development.

Impact of just-in-time on job content, employee attitudes and well-being:a longitudinal study

Just-in-time (JIT) production systems are increasingly being seen as a vital way for manufacturing organizations to enhance their competitiveness. A number of commentators have suggested that this will simplify jobs and reduce employee well-being. This paper presents a conceptual framework for interpreting the effects of JIT and reports findings from a study of the impact of JIT on the content of workers'jobs and on job satisfaction and psychological strain. The introduction of JIT led to a reduction in control over work timing, an increase in production pressure, and a drop in job satisfaction. Contrary to claims in the literature, no changes were found in control over work methods, other aspects of cognitive demands and skill use, and in psychological strain. The study shows that JIT can be implemented without radical changes in job content or adverse impact in terms of employee strain, and the implications of these findings are discussed.

Benefits of retailer-supplier partnership initiatives under time-varying demand:a comparative analytical study

This paper aims to help supply chain managers to determine the value of retailer-supplier partnership initiatives beyond information sharing (IS) according to their specific business environment under time-varying demand conditions. For this purpose, we use integer linear programming models to quantify the benefits that can be accrued by a retailer, a supplier and system as a whole from shift in inventory ownership and shift in decision-making power with that of IS. The results of a detailed numerical study pertaining to static time horizon reveal that the shift in inventory ownership provides system-wide cost benefits in specific settings. Particularly, when it induces the retailer to order larger quantities and the supplier also prefers such orders due to significantly high setup and shipment costs. We observe that the relative benefits of shift in decision-making power are always higher than the shift in inventory ownership under all the conditions. The value of the shift in decision-making power is greater than IS particularly when the variability of underlying demand is low and time-dependent variation in production cost is high. However, when the shipment cost is negligible and order issuing efficiency of the supplier is low, the cost benefits of shift in decision-making power beyond IS are not significant. © 2012 Taylor & Francis.

A Study of Intercultural Adjustment Regarding Time Orientation of Russian Students in the U.S. Academic Environment

The study investigates intercultural adjustment (IA) of Russian students to the U.S. academic environment. IA is examined through the lens of the Time orientation (T orientation) of Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck’s (1961) theory of value orientations. The study reveals students’ T orientation and degrees, perceived difficulties, and strategies of adjustment.

Localized surface plasmon resonance biosensors for real-time biomolecular binding study

Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) biosensors have brought a revolutionary change to in vitro study of biological and biochemical processes due to its ability to measure extremely small changes in surface refractive index (RI), binding equilibrium and kinetics. Strategies based on LSPR have been employed to enhance the sensitivity for a variety of applications, such as diagnosis of diseases, environmental analysis, food safety, and chemical threat detection. In LSPR spectroscopy, absorption and scattering of light are greatly enhanced at frequencies that excite the LSPR, resulting in a characteristic extinction spectrum that depends on the RI of the surrounding medium. Compositional and conformational change within the surrounding medium near the sensing surface could therefore be detected as shifts in the extinction spectrum. This dissertation specifically focuses on the development and evaluation of highly sensitive LSPR biosensors for in situ study of biomolecular binding process by incorporating nanotechnology. Compared to traditional methods for biomolecular binding studies, LSPR-based biosensors offer real-time, label free detection. First, we modified the gold sensing surface of LSPR-based biosensors using nanomaterials such as gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and polymer to enhance surface absorption and sensitivity. The performance of this type of biosensors was evaluated on the application of small heavy metal molecule binding affinity study. This biosensor exhibited ∼7 fold sensitivity enhancement and binding kinetics measurement capability comparing to traditional biosensors. Second, a miniaturized cell culture system was integrated into the LSPR-based biosensor system for the purpose of real-time biomarker signaling pathway studies and drug efficacy studies with living cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first LSPR-based sensing platform with the capability of living cell studies. We demonstrated the living cell measurement ability by studying the VEGF signaling pathway in living SKOV-3 cells. Results have shown that the VEGF secretion level from SKOV-3 cells is 0.0137 ± 0.0012 pg per cell. Moreover, we have demonstrated bevacizumab drug regulation to the VEGF signaling pathway using this biosensor. This sensing platform could potentially help studying biomolecular binding kinetics which elucidates the underlying mechanisms of biotransportation and drug delivery.

A study of the perceived effectiveness of existing recruitment and general institution -wide practices used to enhance women and minority full -time faculty representation at Florida's public universities

As a federal contractor, the State University System of Florida (SUSF) has instituted a wide range of affirmative action practices to hire and promote women and minorities. Should affirmative action be abolished, universities valuing a diverse faculty will have to rely on voluntary practices to attract members of these groups. I explored the present use and perceived effectiveness of recruitment and institution-wide practices used to promote a diverse workforce and identified those practices considered very effective by informed respondents at the nine participating universities. ^ Two questionnaires were used for data collection. Selected recruitment and general institution-wide best practices found in previous studies were used as benchmarks for comparison with existing practices. The questionnaires also included an open-ended question to identify indigenous practices. A follow-up semi-structured interview was conducted to gather information regarding the background of identified practices. ^ Two overall themes emerged from the study. The first was the perception among respondents that women have made substantial gains in faculty representation. This perception is substantiated by actual percentage of women tenure-earning faculty. The second theme was that many of the practices considered very effective are affirmative action-driven, providing women and minorities considerations not afforded White males. These practices, because they single out members of one group over another based on gender and race/ethnicity may become illegal should affirmative action mandates be abolished. ^ Analysis of the data revealed that universities with the highest percentage of practices considered effective and universities located in the most urban areas of the state were the universities with the highest percentage of minority tenure-earning faculty. There appears to be no similar relationship between universities in urban areas and those with the highest percentage of practices considered effective and women tenure-earning faculty representation. The most frequently identified recruitment practice was the development of a receptive institutional image for women and minorities. The most frequently identified practice in promoting a receptive institutional climate was the use of conflict resolution processes and grievance procedures. Five themes also emerged from the 22 barriers in recruiting women and minority full-time faculty identified by the respondents. The most commonly identified barriers were related to a lack of financial resources to support effective practices. ^

Exploring individuals' experiences of time-sensitive practice in rural Newfoundland and Labrador: a qualitative study

Rural residents of NL face some of the most complex and challenging mental health issues including depression, schizophrenia, and risk of suicide with inadequate and hard to access treatment services. Due to the increasing demands for mental health services, government officials have been emphasizing the need for more responsive and person-centered services to meet client needs. Time-sensitive counselling, an alternative approach to long-term counselling, provides more timely and focused interventions. Mental Health services in Bonavista, a rural community in NL, recently began offering time-sensitive counselling services to its residents, entitled the “Change Clinic.” This phenomenological qualitative research study explored individuals’ experiences of time-sensitive counselling services as offered by mental health services in Bonavista. The results of this research study are detailed and suggest that time-sensitive counselling services can assist in meeting the service needs of rural residents of NL.

Study Of Water Flowrate Using Time Transient And Cross-Correlation Techniques With 82br Radiotracer

This paper aims to determinate the water flowrate using Time Transient and Cross-Correlation techniques. The detection system uses two NaI(Tl) detectors adequately positioned on the outside of pipe and a gamma-ray source (82Br radiotracer). The water flowrate measurements using Time Transient and Cross-Correlation techniques were compared to invasive conventional measurements of the flowmeter previously installed in pipeline. Discrepancies between Time Transient and Cross-Correlation techniques flowrate values were found to be less than 3% in relation to conventional ones.