Genome scan meta-analysis of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, part II: Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a common disorder with high heritability and a 10-fold increase in risk to siblings of probands. Replication has been inconsistent for reports of significant genetic linkage. To assess evidence for linkage across studies, rank-based genome scan meta-analysis (GSMA) was applied to data from 20 schizophrenia genome scans. Each marker for each scan was assigned to 1 of 120 30-cM bins, with the bins ranked by linkage scores (1 = most significant) and the ranks averaged across studies (R-avg) and then weighted for sample size (rootN[affected cases]). A permutation test was used to compute the probability of observing, by chance, each bin's average rank (P-AvgRnk) or of observing it for a bin with the same place (first, second, etc.) in the order of average ranks in each permutation (P-ord). The GSMA produced significant genomewide evidence for linkage on chromosome 2q (P-AvgRnk

Practical assessment of neural network applications

This paper reports the initial results of a joint research project carried out by Aston University and Lloyd's Register to develop a practical method of assessing neural network applications. A set of assessment guidelines for neural network applications were developed and tested on two applications. These case studies showed that it is practical to assess neural networks in a statistical pattern recognition framework. However there is need for more standardisation in neural network technology and a wider takeup of good development practice amongst the neural network community.

A prosodic mistake in the Latin of the Diccionario de la Lengua Espa��ola: Astur, -uris

In this paper we point out a prosodic mistake in the Latin etymology Astur, -uris, which is found in the two last editions of the Diccionario de la Lengua Espa��ola (twenty-second and twentythird ��� Edici��n del Tricentenario) and put forward its correction. We also analyse the entry astur in the prior editions of the Diccionario in order to recognise the changes undergone by the Latin term.

Dynamic control of laser driven proton beams by exploiting self-generated, ultrashort electromagnetic pulses

As part of the ultrafast charge dynamics initiated by high intensity laser irradiations of solid targets,high amplitude EM pulses propagate away from the interaction point and are transported along anystalks and wires attached to the target. The propagation of these high amplitude pulses along a thinwire connected to a laser irradiated target was diagnosed via the proton radiography technique,measuring a pulse duration of 20 ps and a pulse velocity close to the speed of light. The strongelectric field associated with the EM pulse can be exploited for controlling dynamically the protonbeams produced from a laser-driven source. Chromatic divergence control of broadband laser drivenprotons (upto 75% reduction in divergence of >5 MeV protons) was obtained by winding the supportingwire around the proton beam axis to create a helical coil structure. In addition to providingfocussing and energy selection, the technique has the potential to post-accelerate the transiting protonsby the longitudinal component of the curved electric field lines produced by the helical coil lens.

The impact of a simulated intervention on attitudes of undergraduate nursing and medical students towards end of life care provision

Background: The concerns of undergraduate nursing and medical students��� regarding end of life care are well documented. Many report feelings of emotional distress, anxiety and a lack of preparation to provide care to patients at end of life and their families. Evidence suggests that increased exposure to patients who are dying and their families can improve attitudes toward end of life care. In the absence of such clinical exposure, simulation provides experiential learning with outcomes comparable to that of clinical practice. The aim of this study was therefore to assess the impact of a simulated intervention on the attitudes of undergraduate nursing and medical students towards end of life care.<br/>Methods: A pilot quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design. Attitudes towards end of life care were measured using the Frommelt Attitudes Towards Care of the Dying Part B Scale which was administered pre and post a simulated clinical scenario. 19 undergraduate nursing and medical students were recruited from one large Higher Education Institution in the United Kingdom.<br/>Results: The results of this pilot study confirm that a simulated end of life care intervention has a positive impact on the attitudes of undergraduate nursing and medical students towards end of life care (p���&lt;���0.001).<br/>Conclusions: Active, experiential learning in the form of simulation teaching helps improve attitudes of undergraduate nursing and medical students towards end of life. In the absence of clinical exposure, simulation is a viable alternative to help prepare students for their professional role regarding end of life care.

Building a 'Repository of Science': the importance of integrating Biobanks within molecular pathology programmes

Repositories containing high quality human biospecimens linked with robust and relevant clinical and pathological information are required for the discovery and validation of biomarkers for disease diagnosis, progression and response to treatment. Current molecular based discovery projects using either low or high throughput technologies rely heavily on ready access to such sample collections. It is imperative that modern biobanks align with molecular diagnostic pathology practices not only to provide the type of samples needed for discovery projects but also to ensure requirements for ongoing sample collections and the future needs of researchers are adequately addressed. Biobanks within comprehensive molecular pathology programmes are perfectly positioned to offer more than just tumour derived biospecimens; for example, they have the ability to facilitate researchers gaining access to sample metadata such as digitised scans of tissue samples annotated prior to macrodissection for molecular diagnostics or pseudoanonymised clinical outcome data or research results retrieved from other users utilising the same or overlapping cohorts of samples. Furthermore, biobanks can work with molecular diagnostic laboratories to develop standardized methodologies for the acquisition and storage of samples required for new approaches to research such as ���liquid biopsies��� which will ultimately feed into the test validations required in large prospective clinical studies in order to implement liquid biopsy approaches for routine clinical practice. We draw on our experience in Northern Ireland to discuss how this harmonised approach of biobanks working synergistically with molecular pathology programmes is key for the future success of precision medicine.

Experimental measurements of the collisional absorption of XUV radiation in warm dense aluminium

<p>The collisional (or free-free) absorption of soft x rays in warm dense aluminium remains an unsolved problem. Competing descriptions of the process exist, two of which we compare to our experimental data here. One of these is based on a weak scattering model, another uses a corrected classical approach. These two models show distinctly different behaviors with temperature. Here we describe experimental evidence for the absorption of 26-eV photons in solid density warm aluminium (Te���1 eV). Radiative x-ray heating from palladium-coated CH foils was used to create the warm dense aluminium samples and a laser-driven high-harmonic beam from an argon gas jet provided the probe. The results indicate little or no change in absorption upon heating. This behavior is in agreement with the prediction of the corrected classical approach, although there is not agreement in absolute absorption value. Verifying the correct absorption mechanism is decisive in providing a better understanding of the complex behavior of the warm dense state.</p>

Polygenic Interactions with Environmental Adversity in the Aetiology of Major Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and disabling condition with well-established heritability and environmental risk factors. Gene���environment interaction studies in MDD have typically investigated candidate genes, though the disorder is known to be highly polygenic. This study aims to test for interaction between polygenic risk and stressful life events (SLEs) or childhood trauma (CT) in the aetiology of MDD. The RADIANT UK sample consists of 1605 MDD cases and 1064 controls with SLE data, and a subset of 240 cases and 272 controls with CT data. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) were constructed using results from a mega-analysis on MDD by the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. PRS and environmental factors were tested for association with case/control status and for interaction between them. PRS significantly predicted depression, explaining 1.1% of variance in phenotype (p = 1.9 �� 10���6). SLEs and CT were also associated with MDD status (p = 2.19 �� 10���4 and p = 5.12 �� 10���20, respectively). No interactions were found between PRS and SLEs. Significant PRSxCT interactions were found (p = 0.002), but showed an inverse association with MDD status, as cases who experienced more severe CT tended to have a lower PRS than other cases or controls. This relationship between PRS and CT was not observed in independent replication samples. CT is a strong risk factor for MDD but may have greater effect in individuals with lower genetic liability for the disorder. Including environmental risk along with genetics is important in studying the aetiology of MDD and PRS provide a useful approach to investigating gene���environment interactions in complex traits.

Cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic risk factors in schoolchildren from Colombia: The FUPRECOL Study

The objectives of this study are to investigate the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular risk factors in schoolchildren and to evaluate the degree of association between overall and abdominal adiposity and cardiorespiratory fitness. A total of 1,875 children and adolescents attending public schools in Bogota, Colombia (56.2% girls; age range of 9���17.9 years). A cardiovascular risk score (Z-score) was calculated and participants were divided into tertiles according to low and high levels of overall (sum of the skinfold thicknesses) and abdominal adiposity. Schoolchildren with a high level of overall adiposity demonstrated significant differences in seven of the 10 variables analyzed (i.e. systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, triglycerides/HDL-c ratio, total cholesterol, glucose and cardiovascular risk score). Schoolchildren with high levels of both overall and abdominal adiposity and low cardiorespiratory fitness had the least favorable cardiovascular risk factors score. These findings may be relevant to health promotion in Colombian youth.

Del modelo extractivista a las din��micas de desarrollo local en contextos de conflicto: distrito minero litoral pac��fico (2008-2012)

La presente investigaci��n tiene como objetivo principal, analizar las din��micas de desarrollo local del distrito minero Litoral Pac��fico durante el periodo 2008-2012 a partir del modelo extractivista, con el fin de demostrar que, a pesar del auge minero durante estos gobiernos, el crecimiento de la actividad y la entrada de capital a estos municipios, el desarrollo local es escaso ante las din��micas del conflicto armado interno y el abandono estatal que ha existido por excelencia en esta zona. Por lo tanto, a partir de la utilizaci��n del m��todo cualitativo, se utilizar��n estudios e informes de las fuentes primarias y secundarias, que permitan un an��lisis explicativo de este fen��meno econ��mico y social.

Conceptos y pr��cticas de la actividad f��sica que se reproducen en las clases sociales: aproximaci��n desde el enfoque determinantes/ determinaci��n social de la salud

El concepto de actividad f��sica es concebido de diferentes formas. Mostrando que existen varios factores que afectan de manera directa e indirecta la percepci��n que los sujetos construyen entorno a ��l, generando as�� una aproximaci��n a diferentes definiciones de la actividad f��sica desde varias perspectivas y dimensiones, donde predomina una noci��n netamente biol��gica. Este estudio pretende analizar, como desde las clases sociales se concibe la actividad f��sica en sus conceptos y pr��cticas considerando los modelos de determinantes y determinaci��n social para la salud. Con fin de comprender como los autores de la literatura cient��fica conciben la actividad f��sica y la relaci��n con las clases sociales, desde una perspectiva te��rica de los determinantes sociales de la salud y la teor��a de la determinaci��n social, se realiz�� una revisi��n documental y an��lisis de contenido de los conceptos y pr��cticas de la actividad f��sica que se han considerado en los ��ltimos 10 a��os. Para ello se seleccionaron las bases de datos PubMed y BVS (Biblioteca Virtual de Salud) por sus ��nfasis en publicaciones de salud mundialmente. Mostrando que la actividad f��sica es concebida dominantemente desde una perspectiva biol��gica que ejerce una mirada reduccionista. Las relaciones entre actividad f��sica y las clases sociales est��n claramente establecidas, sin embargo, estas relaciones pueden discrepar teniendo en cuenta el concepto de clase social, el contexto y la orientaci��n de los autores y las poblaciones objetos de estudio. Obteniendo como resultado que los estudios documentados, revisados y analizados muestran una clara tendencia al modelo de determinantes; no obstante, algunos estudios en sus an��lisis se orientan hacia el modelo de determinaci��n social. En cuanto al concepto de clases sociales los autores consideran una combinaci��n de factores culturales y econ��micos sin atreverse a adoptar un concepto espec��fico.

Guerra, Legitima����o e Poder no norte da ��frica. As fontes portuguesas (1415-1471)

Neste texto, apresentado no I Congreso Internacional de J��venes Medievalistas Ciudad de C��ceres (2012), realizou-se a exposi����o de alguns fundos e cat��logos portugueses que possuem documentos referentes �� a����o lusitana no Norte da ��frica durante parte do s��culo XV. A ��nfase foi dada �� apresenta����o dos fundos encontrados no Arquivo Nacional Torre do Tombo (ANTT), aos documentos presentes na colet��nea documental intitulada Monumenta Henricina e, tamb��m, em alguns trechos da Cr��nica da Tomada de Ceuta de Gomes Eanes de Zurara (c.1410-1474). Assim, denota-se atrav��s da produ����o documental, tanto o interesse português nas terras em ��frica, como, principalmente, a pol��tica r��gia para a constru����o de um discurso legitimador das conquistas naquele espa��o.

C.R.A. being a digest of Pennsylvania decisions embracing all the reported cases on the subjects contained in the volume, 1898-1922 /

At head of title: Cross-reference annual series. "C.R.A."

The life and letters of Lewis Carroll (Rev. C.L. Dodgson) /

Includes bibliographical references (p. 431-443) and index.