Performance issues in international donor‐funded development: A starting point for the HPT or PI professional

During the past decade, the benefits of HPT approaches used in the commercial sphere are being adopted in the much different world of donor‐funded development. The challenges of applying these strategies and methodologies to this complex and foreign arena require special consideration of application for real‐world results. The authors provide some insight from their combined 50+ years of work in this environment for prospective HPT professionals thinking to enter this critical and growing sector.     

Object-relational data modelling for informetric databases

Informetric researchers have long chafed at the limitations of bibliographic databases for their analyses, without being able to visualize or develop real solutions to the problem. This paper describes a solution developed to provide for the specialist needs of informetric researchers. In a collaborative exercise between the fields of computer science and informetrics, data modelling was used in order to address the requirements of complex and dynamic informetric data. This paper reports on this modelling experience with its aim of building an object-relational database (ORDB) for informetric research purposes. The paper argues that ORM (object-relational model) is particularly suitable because it allows for the modelling of complex data and accommodates the various data source formats and standards used by a variety of bibliographic databases. Further, ORM captures the dynamic nature of informetric data by allowing user-defined data types and by embedding basic statistical calculating tools as object functions in these user-defined data types. The main ideas of the paper are implemented in an Oracle database management system.     

A novel way of liver preservation improves rat liver viability upon reperfusion

Background/aim： Currently, the liver is cold-preserved at 0-4 ℃ for experimental and clinical purposes. Here, we investigated whether milder hypothermia during the initial phase of the preservation period was beneficial for liver viability upon reperfusion. Methods： In the first set of experiments, rat livers were preserved either conventionally in clinically used histidine-trypthopan-ketoglutarate （HTK） solution （Group A： 45 min and Group B： 24 h） or by slow cooling HTK solution （from 13 ℃ to 3 ℃） during the initial 45 min of preservation （Group C： 24 h）. In the second set of experiments, additional groups of livers were evaluated： Group BB-preservation according to Group B and Group CC-preservation according to Group C. Further, some livers were preserved at 13 ℃ for 24 h. Livers were then reperfused using a blood-free perfusion model. Results： Bile production was approximately 2-fold greater in Group C compared to Group B. Alanine transaminase （ALT） and aspartate transaminase （AST） release into perfusate were 2-3-fold higher in Group B compared to Group C. No significant differences were found in ALT and AST release between Group C and Group A. Livers in Group CC compared to Group BB exhibited significantly lower portal resistance, greater oxygen consumption and bromosulfophthalein excretion into bile and lower lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） release into perfusate. Histological evaluation of tissue sections in Group BB showed parenchymal dystrophy of hepatocytes, while dystrophy ofhepatocytes was absent in Group CC. Livers preserved at 13 ℃ for 24 h exhibited severe ischemic injury Conclusion： These results suggest that the conventional way of liver preservation is not suitable at least for rat livers and that slow cooling of HTK solution during the initial phase of cold storage can improve liver viability during reperfusion.     

Foreign language pronunciation skills and musical aptitude: A study of Finnish adults with higher education

The main aim of this study was to examine second language production and discrimination skills in the light of musical aptitude. Our study was conducted in university settings in south-western Finland. English was used as a model for the second language due to its popularity among young adults. There were three types of tests used in this study: a pronunciation test, a phonemic listening discrimination task, and the Seashore test as an index of the musical aptitude. All the participants performed equally well in the phonemic listening discrimination task. However, the participants with higher musical aptitude were able to pronounce English better than the participants with less musical aptitude. The results, therefore, imply that musical and linguistic skills are interconnected.     

针对疾病的制药行业现状俯瞰与未来预测

AMED( 日本版NIH) 及其制药企业,政策制定·战略规划需要佐证。为此,本研究尝试基于新的指标体系进行制药行业的现状俯瞰与未来预测。本篇从药物与在研药物的适用症角度出发,分析不同种类疾病的药物开发现状。具体来说,进行了基于国际专利分类(IPC) 的分析及其各种疾病的分析。