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Primary Level (primary + level)
Selected AbstractsIntegrated regulation in response to aromatic compounds: from signal sensing to attractive behaviourENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 12 2003Victoria Shingler Summary Deciphering the complex interconnecting bacterial responses to the presence of aromatic compounds is required to gain an integrated understanding of how aromatic catabolic processes function in relation to their genome and environmental context. In addition to the properties of the catabolic enzymes themselves, regulatory responses on at least three different levels are important. At a primary level, aromatic compounds control the activity of specific members of many families of transcriptional regulators to direct the expression of the specialized enzymes for their own catabolism. At a second level, dominant global regulation in response to environmental and physiological cues is incorporated to subvert and couple transcription levels to the energy status of the bacteria. Mediators of these global regulatory responses include the alarmone (p)ppGpp, the DNA-bending protein IHF and less well-defined systems that probably sense the energy status through the activity of the electron transport chain. At a third level, aromatic compounds can also impact on catabolic performance by provoking behavioural responses that allow the bacteria to seek out aromatic growth substrates in their environment. [source] Contending with space,time interaction in the spatial prediction of pollution: Vancouver's hourly ambient PM10 fieldENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 5-6 2002Jim Zidek Abstract In this article we describe an approach for predicting average hourly concentrations of ambient PM10 in Vancouver. We know our solution also applies to hourly ozone fields and believe it may be quite generally applicable. We use a hierarchical Bayesian approach. At the primary level we model the logarithmic field as a trend model plus Gaussian stochastic residual. That trend model depends on hourly meteorological predictors and is common to all sites. The stochastic component consists of a 24-hour vector response that we model as a multivariate AR(3) temporal process with common spatial parameters. Removing the trend and AR structure leaves ,whitened' time series of vector series. With this approach (as opposed to using 24 separate univariate time series models), there is little loss of spatial correlation in these residuals compared with that in just the detrended residuals (prior to removing the AR component). Moreover our multivariate approach enables predictions for any given hour to ,borrow strength' through its correlation with adjoining hours. On this basis we develop a spatial predictive distribution for these residuals at unmonitored sites. By transforming the predicted residuals back to the original data scales we can impute Vancouver's hourly PM10 field. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Trait emotional intelligence: psychometric investigation with reference to established trait taxonomiesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 6 2001K V Petrides This paper sets out the theoretical foundation of emotional intelligence (EI) as a constellation of traits and self-perceived abilities. The discriminant validity of trait EI is explored in two studies. In study 1 (N,=,227), the psychometric properties of the BarOn Emotional Quotient inventory were scrutinized through confirmatory factor analysis and the measure was found to be unifactorial. When the EQ-i was examined concurrently with the Eysenck Personality Profiler, a clear trait EI factor emerged in Eysenckian factor space. In study 2 (N,=,166), a modified version of the EQ-i was examined concurrently with the NEO PI-R and a truncated trait EI factor was isolated within the Five-Factor Model. Results are discussed with explicit reference to established personality models and it is concluded that trait EI can be conceptualized as a distinct composite construct at the primary level of hierarchical trait structures. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Burden of stroke in SingaporeINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STROKE, Issue 1 2008N. Venketasubramanian Stroke is Singapore's fourth leading cause of death, with a crude death rate of 40·4/100 000 in 2006, a prevalence of 3·65% and an incidence of 1·8/1000, and is among the top 10 causes of hospitalization. Approximately one-quarter of strokes are hemorrhagic. Hospital care for acute stroke costs about US$5000. Subsidized healthcare is widely available for primary level and hospital care, as are rehabilitative services. A national stroke support group has been established. With our rapidly aging population, coupled with the high prevalence of stroke risk factors in the community, the burden of stroke is expected to increase dramatically in the years to come, posing challenges to the healthcare system and society. A national disease management plan incorporating high-quality clinical care coupled with research would be essential. [source] Effectiveness of staged diabetes management on the quality of diabetes care in MexicoPRACTICAL DIABETES INTERNATIONAL (INCORPORATING CARDIABETES), Issue 6 2010J Rodriguez-Saldana MD Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of staged diabetes management, a structured programme developed by the International Diabetes Center in Minneapolis, USA, on the quality of outpatient diabetes care at the primary level in Mexico. A prospective study was conducted in patients treated at outpatient diabetes clinics established in public health centres in 2001,2007 in Hidalgo, Mexico. Diabetes care was provided by multidisciplinary teams which included general physicians and nurses as a minimum. Organisational arrangements were made to reduce waiting times, avoid rotation of staff, and provide adequate time for baseline and follow-up visits. Process and outcomes indicators of quality of diabetes care included body mass index, blood pressure, fasting/casual blood glucose, lipoprotein measurement, haemoglobin A1c, and foot examination. Analysis of 4393 patients showed increases in the percentage of recorded process indicators of quality of diabetes care between baseline and the fifth visit: body mass index 85.5 vs 95.9%; blood pressure measurement 74.4 vs 95.6%; HbA1c 12.9 vs 17.7%; total cholesterol 18.3 vs 55.9%; and foot examination 19.1 vs 94.9%. Significant differences were noted by a decrease in fasting blood glucose (185.75±79.01 vs 162.89±72.53mg/dl, p<0.001), and a 3.6 percentage point decrease in HbA1c (12.05±4.47 vs 8.45±1.89%, p<0.001). These results suggest that it is possible to improve the quality of diabetes care at the primary level; this can be done through the implementation of a programme that integrates: changes in the structure and in the process of care, customised clinical guidelines, and a standardised system of information that enables measuring clinical results with very limited resources. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons. [source] A structural systematic study of four isomers of difluoro- N -(3-pyridyl)benzamideACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION C, Issue 7 2009Joyce McMahon The four isomers 2,4-, (I), 2,5-, (II), 3,4-, (III), and 3,5-difluoro- N -(3-pyridyl)benzamide, (IV), all with formula C12H8F2N2O, display molecular similarity, with interplanar angles between the C6/C5N rings ranging from 2.94,(11)° in (IV) to 4.48,(18)° in (I), although the amide group is twisted from either plane by 18.0,(2),27.3,(3)°. Compounds (I) and (II) are isostructural but are not isomorphous. Intermolecular N,H...O=C interactions form one-dimensional C(4) chains along [010]. The only other significant interaction is C,H...F. The pyridyl (py) N atom does not participate in hydrogen bonding; the closest H...Npy contact is 2.71,Å in (I) and 2.69,Å in (II). Packing of pairs of one-dimensional chains in a herring-bone fashion occurs via,-stacking interactions. Compounds (III) and (IV) are essentially isomorphous (their a and b unit-cell lengths differ by 9%, due mainly to 3,4-F2 and 3,5-F2 substitution patterns in the arene ring) and are quasi-isostructural. In (III), benzene rotational disorder is present, with the meta F atom occupying both 3- and 5-F positions with site occupancies of 0.809,(4) and 0.191,(4), respectively. The N,H...Npy intermolecular interactions dominate as C(5) chains in tandem with C,H...Npy interactions. C,H...O=C interactions form R22(8) rings about inversion centres, and there are ,,, stacks about inversion centres, all combining to form a three-dimensional network. By contrast, (IV) has no strong hydrogen bonds; the N,H...Npy interaction is 0.3,Å longer than in (III). The carbonyl O atom participates only in weak interactions and is surrounded in a square-pyramidal contact geometry with two intramolecular and three intermolecular C,H...O=C interactions. Compounds (III) and (IV) are interesting examples of two isomers with similar unit-cell parameters and gross packing but which display quite different intermolecular interactions at the primary level due to subtle packing differences at the atom/group/ring level arising from differences in the peripheral ring-substitution patterns. [source] Education and Earnings in Transition: The Case of Lao*ASIAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL, Issue 4 2007Phanhpakit Onphanhdala I28; J24; P27 This paper is a study on the returns to education in Lao, a country that has been largely neglected by the published literature. The authors found that the private rates of returns to education have risen significantly with economic transition. In particular, returns for young workers are considerably higher than for older workers. Although large earnings premiums are generally received by workers with high levels of education, the most profitable investment in education for a large number of paid employees is still the primary level. Moreover, there are the significant public,private sector wage differentials. The research findings have important implications for public sector salaries and the financing of education in Lao. [source] | ||||||||||