Development and Preliminary Evaluation of a Rapid Oligochromatographic Assay for Specific Detection of New Human Influenza A H1N1 Virus

A new oligochromatographic assay, Speed-Oligo Novel Influenza A H1N1, was designed and optimized for the specific detection of the 2009 influenza A H1N1 virus. The assay is based on a PCR method coupled to detection of PCR products by means of a dipstick device. The target sequence is a 103-bp fragment within the hemagglutinin gene. The analytical sensitivity of the new assay was measured with serial dilutions of a plasmid that contained the target sequence, and we determined that down to one copy per reaction of the plasmid was reliably detected. Diagnostic performance was assessed with 103 RNAs from suspected cases (40 positive and 63 negative results) previously analyzed with a reference real-time PCR technique. All positive cases were confirmed, and no false-positive results were detected with the new assay. No cross-reactions were observed when other viral strains or clinical samples with other respiratory viruses were tested. According to these results, this new assay has 100% sensitivity and specificity. The turnaround time for the whole procedure was 140 min. The assay may be especially useful for the specific detection of 2009 H1N1 virus in laboratories not equipped with real-time PCR instruments

Development and validation of a risk score predicting substantial weight gain over 5 years in middle-aged European men and women.

BACKGROUND Identifying individuals at high risk of excess weight gain may help targeting prevention efforts at those at risk of various metabolic diseases associated with weight gain. Our aim was to develop a risk score to identify these individuals and validate it in an external population. METHODS We used lifestyle and nutritional data from 53°758 individuals followed for a median of 5.4 years from six centers of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) to develop a risk score to predict substantial weight gain (SWG) for the next 5 years (derivation sample). Assuming linear weight gain, SWG was defined as gaining ≥ 10% of baseline weight during follow-up. Proportional hazards models were used to identify significant predictors of SWG separately by EPIC center. Regression coefficients of predictors were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Pooled coefficients were used to assign weights to each predictor. The risk score was calculated as a linear combination of the predictors. External validity of the score was evaluated in nine other centers of the EPIC study (validation sample). RESULTS Our final model included age, sex, baseline weight, level of education, baseline smoking, sports activity, alcohol use, and intake of six food groups. The model's discriminatory ability measured by the area under a receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.64 (95% CI = 0.63-0.65) in the derivation sample and 0.57 (95% CI = 0.56-0.58) in the validation sample, with variation between centers. Positive and negative predictive values for the optimal cut-off value of ≥ 200 points were 9% and 96%, respectively. CONCLUSION The present risk score confidently excluded a large proportion of individuals from being at any appreciable risk to develop SWG within the next 5 years. Future studies, however, may attempt to further refine the positive prediction of the score.

New perspectives in the use of ink evidence in forensic science: Part II. Development and testing of mathematical algorithms for the automatic comparison of ink samples analysed by HPTLC

In the first part of this research, three stages were stated for a program to increase the information extracted from ink evidence and maximise its usefulness to the criminal and civil justice system. These stages are (a) develop a standard methodology for analysing ink samples by high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) in reproducible way, when ink samples are analysed at different time, locations and by different examiners; (b) compare automatically and objectively ink samples; and (c) define and evaluate theoretical framework for the use of ink evidence in forensic context. This report focuses on the second of the three stages. Using the calibration and acquisition process described in the previous report, mathematical algorithms are proposed to automatically and objectively compare ink samples. The performances of these algorithms are systematically studied for various chemical and forensic conditions using standard performance tests commonly used in biometrics studies. The results show that different algorithms are best suited for different tasks. Finally, this report demonstrates how modern analytical and computer technology can be used in the field of ink examination and how tools developed and successfully applied in other fields of forensic science can help maximising its impact within the field of questioned documents.

Assessment of airborne microorganisms by real-time PCR: optimistic findings and research challenges

Most airborne microorganisms are natural components of our ecosystem. Soil, vegetation and animals, including humans, are sources for aerial release of these living or dead cells. In the past, assessment of airborne microorganisms was mainly restricted to occupational health concerns. Indeed, in several occupations, exposure to very high concentrations of non-infectious airborne bacteria and fungi, result in allergenic, toxic or irritant reactions. Recently, the threat of bioterrorism and pandemics have highlighted the urgent need to increase knowledge of bioaerosol ecology. More fundamentally, airborne bacterial and fungal communities begin to draw much more consideration from environmental microbiologists, who have neglected this area for a long time. This increased interest of scientists is to a great part due to the development and use of real-time PCR techniques to identify and quantify airborne microorganisms. Even if the advantages of the PCR technology are obvious, researchers are confronted with new problems. This review describes the methodological state of the art in bioaerosols field and emphasizes the future challenges and perspectives of the real-time PCR-based methods for airborne microorganism studies.

Effect of Temperature on the Development and Survival of the Argentine Ant, Linepithema humile

The influence of temperature on the developmental times and survival of insects can largely determine their distribution. For invasive species, like the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), these data are essential for predicting their potential range based on mechanistic models. In the case of this species, such data are too scarce and incomplete to make accurate predictions based on its physiological needs. This research provides comprehensive new data about brood survival and developmental times at a wide range of temperatures under laboratory conditions. Temperature affected both the complete brood development from egg to adult worker and each of the immature stages separately. The higher the temperature, the shorter the development times. Brood survival from egg to adult was low, with the maximum survival rate being only 16% at 26° C. Temperature also affected survival of each of the immature stages differently: eggs were negatively affected by high temperatures, while larvae were negatively affected by low temperatures, and the survival of pupae was apparently independent of environmental temperature. At 32° C no eggs survived, while at 18° C less than 2% of the eggs hatched into larva. The data from the present study are essential for developing prediction models about the distribution range of this tramp species based on its physiological needs in relation to temperature

Development and validation of the Transition to Retirement Questionnaire

The aim of this study was to present the initial validation of a new questionnaire, the Transition to Retirement Questionnaire (TRQ) and to study its relationship with resistance to change and personality dimensions. Based on Schlossberg's typology of the retired, the TRQ is designed to assess five dimensions related to personal perceptions of transition to retirement, retirement, and personal plans and activities. The sample consisted of 1,054 professionally active or retired adults from the Swiss French-speaking Canton of Vaud. Exploratory principal components and confirmatory factor analyses highlighted a five-factor solution that fit coherently with Schlossberg's typology. Moreover, TRQ dimensions were related to resistance to change tendencies and personality dimensions. The TRQ seems to be an interesting tool for use in research but also for interventions with young retirees or people preparing for retirement.

Bridging the Gap: establishing the necessary infrastructure and knowledge for teaching and research in neuroscience in Africa.

Advances in neuroscience research over the last few decades have increased our understanding of how individual neurons acquire their specific properties and assemble into complex circuits, and how these circuits are affected in disease. One of the important motives driving neuroscience research is the development of new scientific techniques and interdisciplinary cooperation. Compared to developed countries, many countries on the African continent are confronted with poor facilities, lack of funding or career development programs for neuroscientists, all of which deter young scientists from taking up neuroscience as a career choice. This article highlights some steps that are being taken to promote neuroscience education and research in Africa.

Development and evaluation of a shaken baby syndrome prevention program.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate parents' and nurses' opinions regarding the adequacy of an educational program on shaken baby syndrome: the Perinatal Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Program (PSBSPP). DESIGN: Qualitative and quantitative assessments in the form of interviews and questionnaires administered in French. SETTING: Two birthing institutions in Montréal, QC, Canada: a university hospital and a regional center. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and sixty-three parents (73.8% mothers, 26.2% fathers) received the intervention after the birth of their child, and 69 nurses administered it. METHODS: Parents' and nurses' assessments of the adequacy and relevance of the program and nurses' assessments of the training they received to administer the program were evaluated. RESULTS: Both parents and nurses supported this initiative. Most parents appreciated the usefulness of the information. Nurses believed the program was adequate, and their training to deliver the program was satisfactory. All participants reported that the program was highly relevant, especially for new parents. CONCLUSION: The Perinatal Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Program achieves the goals of (a) increasing parents' knowledge about infant crying, anger, and shaken baby syndrome and (b) helping parents identify coping strategies. The relevance of introducing the PSBSPP in all birthing institutions is supported. Future studies should focus on vulnerable and culturally diverse populations, and longitudinal follow-up could help determine if the PSBSPP reduces the incidence of shaken baby syndrome.

Development and validation of AMANDA, a new algorithm for selecting highly relevant regions in Molecular Interaction Fields

Descriptors based on Molecular Interaction Fields (MIF) are highly suitable for drug discovery, but their size (thousands of variables) often limits their application in practice. Here we describe a simple and fast computational method that extracts from a MIF a handful of highly informative points (hot spots) which summarize the most relevant information. The method was specifically developed for drug discovery, is fast, and does not require human supervision, being suitable for its application on very large series of compounds. The quality of the results has been tested by running the method on the ligand structure of a large number of ligand-receptor complexes and then comparing the position of the selected hot spots with actual atoms of the receptor. As an additional test, the hot spots obtained with the novel method were used to obtain GRIND-like molecular descriptors which were compared with the original GRIND. In both cases the results show that the novel method is highly suitable for describing ligand-receptor interactions and compares favorably with other state-of-the-art methods.

Sustainable Development and Concrete Technology, May 2004

For a variety of reasons, the concrete construction industry is not sustainable. First, it consumes huge quantities of virgin materials. Second, the principal binder in concrete is portland cement, the production of which is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions that are implicated in global warming and climate change. Third, many concrete structures suffer from lack of durability which has an adverse effect on the resource productivity of the industry. Because the high-volume fly ash concrete system addresses all three sustainability issues, its adoption will enable the concrete construction industry to become more sustainable. In this paper, a brief review is presented of the theory and construction practice with concrete mixtures containing more than 50% fly ash by mass of the cementitious material. Mechanisms are discussed by which the incorporation of high volume of fly ash in concrete reduces the water demand, improves the workability, minimizes cracking due to thermal and drying shrinkage, and enhances durability to reinforcement corrosion, sulfate attack, and alkali-silica expansion. For countries like China and India, this technology can play an important role in meeting the huge demand for infrastructure in a sustainable manner.

Development and validation of a postmortem radiological alteration index: the RA-Index.

This study aimed to derive an index quantifying the state of alteration of cadavers by quantifying the presence of gas in the body using postmortem multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) imaging, and to validate the index by defining its sensitivity and specificity. The RA (radiological alteration)-index was derived from postmortem MDCT data from 118 nontraumatically deceased people. To validate the index, 100 additional scanned bodies (50 % traumatically deceased) were retrospectively examined by two independent observers. Presence of gas at 82 sites was assessed by a radiologist, whereas a forensic pathologist only investigated the seven sites used for the RA-index. The RA-index was highly correlated to the overall presence of gas in all 82 sites (R(2) = 0.98 in the derivation set and 0.85 in the validation set). Semiquantitative evaluation of gas presence in each site showed moderate reliability (Cohen's kappa range, 0.41-0.78); nevertheless, the overall RA-index was very reliable (ICC(2,1) = 0.95; 95 % CI 0.92-0.96). Examiner using the RA-index detected heart cavities full of gas with a sensitivity of 100 % (95 % CI 51.7-100) and a specificity of 98.8 % (92.6-99.9). We conclude that determining the presence of gas at seven sites is a valid means to measure the distribution of gas due to cadaveric alteration in the entire body. The RA-index is rapid, easy-to-use, and reliable for nonexperienced users, and it is a valid method to suspect the normal presence of gas from cadaveric alteration. MDCT can be used to screen for gas embolism and to give indications for gas composition analysis (gas chromatography).

Clinical Learning Environment and Supervision. Development and Validation of the CLES Evaluation Scale

The purpose of the study is: (1) to describe how nursing students' experienced their clinical learning environment and the supervision given by staff nurses working in hospital settings; and (2) to develop and test an evaluation scale of Clinical Learning Environment and Supervision (CLES). The study has been carried out in different phases. The pilot study (n=163) explored the association between the characteristics of a ward and its evaluation as a learning environment by students. The second version of research instrument (which was developed by the results of this pilot study) were tested by an expert panel (n=9 nurse teachers) and test-retest group formed by student nurses (n=38). After this evaluative phase, the CLES was formed as the basic research instrument for this study and it was tested with the Finnish main sample (n=416). In this phase, a concurrent validity instrument (Dunn & Burnett 1995) was used to confirm the validation process of CLES. The international comparative study was made by comparing the Finnish main sample with a British sample (n=142). The international comparative study was necessary for two reasons. In the instrument developing process, there is a need to test the new instrument in some other nursing culture. Other reason for comparative international study is the reflecting the impact of open employment markets in the European Union (EU) on the need to evaluate and to integrate EU health care educational systems. The results showed that the individualised supervision system is the most used supervision model and the supervisory relationship with personal mentor is the most meaningful single element of supervision evaluated by nursing students. The ward atmosphere and the management style of ward manager are the most important environmental factors of the clinical ward. The study integrates two theoretical elements - learning environment and supervision - in developing a preliminary theoretical model. The comparative international study showed that, Finnish students were more satisfied and evaluated their clinical placements and supervision with higher scores than students in the United Kingdom (UK). The difference between groups was statistical highly significant (p= 0.000). In the UK, clinical placements were longer but students met their nurse teachers less frequently than students in Finland. Arrangements for supervision were similar. This research process has produced the evaluation scale (CLES), which can be used in research and quality assessments of clinical learning environment and supervision in Finland and in the UK. CLES consists of 27 items and it is sub-divided into five sub-dimensions. Cronbach's alpha coefficient varied from high 0.94 to marginal 0.73. CLES is a compact evaluation scale and user-friendliness makes it suitable for continuing evaluation.

Dignity in care: where next for nursing ethics scholarship and research?

Dignity is recognised as both a central and also a contested value in bioethics discourse. The aim of this manuscript is to examine some of the key strands of the extensive body of dignity scholarship and research literature as it relates to nursing ethics and practice. The method is a critical appraisal of selected articles published in Nursing Ethics and other key manuscripts and texts identified by researchers in the UK and Brazil as influential. The results suggest a wide and rather confusing range of perspectives and findings albeit with some overall themes relating to objective and subjective features of dignity. In conclusion, the authors point to the need for more sustained philosophical engagement contextualising human dignity within a plurality of professional values. Future empirical work should explore what matters to patients, families, professionals and citizens in different cultural contexts rather than foregrounding qualitative research with such a contested concept.

Development and validating an educational booklet for childbirth companions

Objective The article describes the steps in producing and validating an educational booklet for childbirth companions. Method Methodological study conducted in 2011 consisting of the following steps: situational assessment; establishing brochure content; content selection and referencing; drafting the text; design of illustrations; layout; consultation of specialists; consultation of target audience; amendments; proofreading; evaluation using the Flesch Reading Ease Formula. The topics portrayed the sequence of events involving support from gestation to the postpartum period. Results The concordance rate among companions was greater than or equal to 81.8% for the topics organisation, writing style, presentation and motives. The overall Content Validity Index of the booklet was 0.94. The booklet was classified as easy reading or very easy reading according to the results of the Flesch Reading Ease Formula. Conclusion The presentation and content of the manual were validated for use with the target audience by the specialists and representatives of the target audience.

Development and validation of an instrument for evaluating the ludicity of games in health education

Abstract OBJECTIVE Developing and validating an instrument to evaluate the playfulness of games in health education contexts. METHODOLOGY A methodological, exploratory and descriptive research, developed in two stages: 1. Application of an open questionnaire to 50 graduate students, with content analysis of the answers and calculation of Kappa coefficient for defining items; 2. Procedures for construction of scales, with content validation by judges and analysis of the consensus estimate byContent Validity Index(CVI). RESULTS 53 items regarding the restless character of the games in the dimensions of playfulness, the formative components of learning and the profiles of the players. CONCLUSION Ludicity can be assessed by validated items related to the degree of involvement, immersion and reinvention of the subjects in the game along with the dynamics and playability of the game.