ACTN3 R577X genotype and athletic performance in a large cohort of Japanese athletes

Aim: Recent meta-analyses of the literature confirmed the association between the RR+RX genotype of the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism and elite sprint/power athletic status in Europeans but not in Asians and Africans, while the association between the R577X genotype and elite endurance athlete status is less convincing. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between the ACTN3 R577X genotype and elite athlete status in a large Asian (Japanese) cohort of track and field athletes. Methods: One-thousand fifty-seven Japanese track and field athletes (627 sprint/power athletes and 430 endurance athletes) and 810 Japanese controls were genotyped for the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism (rs1815739) by using the TaqMan® SNP Genotyping Assay. Results: Elite sprint/power athletes had a higher frequency of the RR+RX genotype than the controls (OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.16–2.18; P?=?.003). A significant linear correlation was found between the RR?+?RX genotype and athlete status (i.e. regional?P?=?.001 for trend) and long-distance runners (regional: 65%, national: 72%, international: 82%; P?=?.030 for trend). Conclusions: The data obtained for this large Asian (Japanese) cohort of track and field athletes served to confirm the association between the RR?+?RX genotype of the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism and elite sprint/power athlete status and also the association between the ACTN3 RR?+?RX genotype and long-distance running athletic status.     

Results of a citation analysis of knowledge management in education

The purpose of this study was to examine research and trends in knowledge management in education (KME) published in selected professional sources during the period 1990–2008. Citation analysis was used in this study to investigate documents related to KME, which were indexed in the Web of Science, Education Researches Information Center and ScienceDirect. Knowledge management‐ and educational technology‐related keywords were used jointly in the search for documents. There were a total of 125 documents judged to be relevant to the field of KME and were analysed. As a result of this study, it can be seen that the documents and the number of citations related to the KME field has been continuously increasing since 2005. It is recommended that a combination of citation analysis and other types of analyses should be used in future research studies.     

Detection of acute kidney injury in premature asphyxiated neonates by serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (sNGAL) – sensitivity and specificity of a potential new biomarker

Introduction

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). In recent years, every effort is made for early detection of AKI. Our hypothesis was that serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (sNGAL) may be a reliable screening test for early diagnosis of AKI in premature neonates after perinatal asphyxia. Therefore, our aim was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of sNGAL for AKI in premature asphyxiated neonates.

Materials and methods

AKI was defined in the third day of life (DOL 3) as a serum creatinine (sCr) increase ≥ 26.5 μmol/L from baseline (the lowest previous sCr). According to the increase of sCr, AKI patients were divided in AKIN1 (sCr increase up to 1.9 baseline) and AKIN2 (sCr increase from 2.0 to 2.9 baseline). sNGAL levels were measured on DOL 1, 3 and 7.

Results

AKI was diagnosed in 73 (0.676) of 108 enrolled premature asphyxiated neonates. Sixty one patients (0.836) were classified in AKIN1 and 12 patients (0.164) in AKIN2. sNGAL reached the maximal concentrations on DOL 1 within 4 hours after admission to NICU, being higher in AKI compared with no-AKI group (160.8 ± 113.1 vs. 87.1 ± 81.6; P < 0.001) as well as in AKIN2 compared with AKIN1 group (222.8 ± 112.9 vs. 147.8 ± 109.9; P < 0.001). The best areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) for prediction of AKI were 0.72 [95% (0.62-0.80) P < 0.001] on DOL1 at 2h and 0.72 [95% (0.63-0.80) P < 0.001] at 4th hour after admission respectively. The corresponding sNGAL cutoff concentrations were 84.87 ng/mL (sensitivity 69.0% and specificity 71.9%) and 89.43 ng/mL (sensitivity 65.7% and specificity 74.3%).

Conclusions

In premature asphyxiated neonates sNGAL measured within the first 4 hours of DOL 1 is predictive of the occurrence and severity of AKI. Therefore, plasma levels of NGAL may be used for early diagnosis of AKI in these patients.Key words: serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, acute kidney injury, premature neonates, biomarker     

The challenge of sustaining change: contradictions within the development of teacher and librarian collaboration

Teacher and librarian collaboration has relatively low priority in schools and in educational research. This is a paradox, as teachers and librarians share a common social and educational mandate of literacy education. The purpose of this article is to examine this paradox through exploring systemic contradictions in teacher and librarian collaboration within literacy education. Our data consist of discursive interaction between project leaders in an educational intervention project in Norway. The aim of the intervention is to develop teacher and librarian collaboration in two primary schools. Our analytical starting point is a critical conflict that occurred in one of the project leader meetings. The conflict arises from differing discourses of literacy education held by the local education authority and by the intervention project. We analyze how the project leaders respond to the conflict, how the conflict triggers new tensions and dilemmas within the project leader group and how the conflict creates obstacles to sustaining teacher and librarian collaboration in the project schools. We argue that sustainable change can be achieved by tracing conflicts, dilemmas and tensions to systemic contradictions within and between activity systems.     

The origin of syngenite in black crusts on the limestone monument King's Gate (Belgrade Fortress,Serbia) – the role of agriculture fertiliser

Black crusts formed on limestone built into the King's Gate represent the most important process in stone deterioration that is occurring in this part of the monumental complex of the Belgrade Fortress (Serbia). Of special importance is the association of salts (namely gypsum and syngenite). Syngenite is a common secondary deposit on granite monuments and on medieval stained glass (i.e., on K-containing materials). However, its appearance over calcareous substrates is not apparent, particularly in cases where cement mortar was not used for bounding. The origins of the potassium and sulphate ions required for syngenite formation are related to meteoritic water, which penetrates the soil above the arch of King's Gate. Water dissolves some soil components and becomes enriched with various ions before coming into contact with the limestone blocks. Enriched water contains two times more K⁺ and SO₄^2? ions than pristine meteoritic water does. The source of the required ions is potassium-sulphate that is present in agricultural fertilisers that are used above the monument. The proposed mechanism for syngenite formation was additionally supported with laboratory experiment. The results of X-ray diffractometry and SEM-EDS analyses of limestone treated with potassium-sulphate solution and sulphuric acid suggest the possibility that the syngenite was formed over calcite:CaCO₃ + K₂SO₄ + H₂SO₄ → K₂Ca(SO₄)₂ H₂O + CO₂↑However, the complex mechanisms of gypsum and syngenite formation under natural conditions (variable concentration of potassium and sulphate ions, intermediates phases, temperature changes, humidity, the amount of disposable water etc.) do not exclude the possibility of syngenite formation over gypsum.     

Analogical Transfer by Spanish–English Bilinguals: Implications for Educational and Employment Settings

The present research investigated analogical transfer during problem solving by bilinguals. In a study with 50 Spanish–English bilinguals, participants solved a target problem whose solution was similar to that of a preceding source problem. The source problem was always presented in the 2nd language; the target problem was always presented in the 1st language. The results showed that when participants understood a key structural feature shared by the source and target problems, they solved the target problem more often than others. Participants’ performance was not related to their proficiency in the language of the source problem (i.e., the 2nd language).