bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experiences of nurses working in a stroke rehabilitation unit
Authors: Barreca Susan , Wilkins Seanne
Published: May 2008

Title.  Experiences of nurses working in a stroke rehabilitation unit.

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to explore the perceptions, beliefs and feelings of a group of nurses who provided care to individuals admitted to a stroke rehabilitation unit.

Background.  Following a stroke, survivors should ideally be referred to multidisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation programmes, which attain better outcomes compared to the care provided on general medical wards. However, to achieve these outcomes, team members must work closely together. Communication problems have been reported in these teams, and other members may consider that nurses do not practise functional activities with patients.

Methods.  An interpretive phenomenological approach was adopted. Eight nurses in one Canadian stroke rehabilitation unit were interviewed during 2004–2005 about their experiences of providing care to stroke survivors.

Findings.  The nurses enjoyed giving this type of care, feeling that their role was pivotal to the rehabilitation process. At times, they found it difficult to let patients struggle to complete their activities of daily living. The nurses felt that lack of resources, including time, contributed to stroke survivors being short‐changed in their rehabilitation nursing care. Despite holding strong views that others devalued their role within the stroke team, the nurses retained positive attitudes.

Conclusion.  Stroke teams need to recognize the constraints nurses experience in fulfilling their stroke rehabilitation role in order to foster the collegial support that could contribute to a more interactive and respectful work environment. They also need to consider ways to increase the job satisfaction of nurses working in stroke rehabilitation settings.
The experience of being a shift‐leader in a hospital ward
Authors: Goldblatt Hadass , Granot Michal , Admi Hanna , Drach‐Zahavy Anat
Published: May 2008

Title.  The experience of being a shift‐leader in a hospital ward.

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to explore the experience of being a shift‐leader, and how these nurses view the management of their shift.

Background.  Professional demands on skilled and capable shift‐leaders, who competently handle multi‐disciplinary staff and patients, as well as operations and information, call for the development of efficient nursing leadership roles. Nevertheless, knowledge of shift‐leaders’ perspectives concerning their task management and leadership styles is relatively limited.

Method.  Twenty‐eight Registered Nurses working in an Israeli medical centre participated in this qualitative study. Data were gathered through in‐depth interviews conducted in two phases between February and October 2005: three focus group interviews (phase 1) followed by seven individual interviews (phase 2).

Findings.  Content analysis revealed two major themes which constitute the essence of being a shift‐leader: (1) a burden of responsibility, where the shift‐leader moves between positions of maximum control and delegating some responsibility to other nurses; (2) the role’s temporal dimension, expressed as a strong desire to reach the end of the shift safely, and taking managerial perspectives beyond the boundaries of the specific shift. The core of the shift‐leader’s position is an immense sense of responsibility. However, this managerial role is transient and therefore lacks an established authority.

Conclusion.  A two‐dimensional taxonomy of these themes reveals four types of potential and actual coping among shift‐leaders, indicating the need to train them in leadership skills and systemic thinking. Interventions to limit the potential stress hazards should be focused simultaneously on shift‐leaders themselves and on job restructuring.
What limits predation rates by the specialist seed‐feeder Penthobruchus germaini on an invasive shrub?
Authors: Van Klinken Rieks D. , Flack Lloyd K.
Published: May 2008

Specialist seed‐feeders are widely used in weed biological control, but seed predation rates are frequently insufficient to cause the required impacts. Understanding the underlying reasons is prerequisite to predicting efficacy.

We conducted continental‐scale surveys of an introduced, multi‐voltine seed‐feeder [Bruchidae: Penthobruchus germaini (Pic.)] on an invasive legume (Caesalpinaceae: Parkinsonia aculeata L.). We tested three hypotheses as to what limits seed predation; namely, seed escape through egg aggregation, mortality of immature beetle stages, and failure to track temporal fluctuations in resource availability. We also tested how these factors interacted with the environment and each other.

Mean seed predation was relatively low (2–30%), despite mean egg densities of between 0·55 and 3·2 eggs per seed. Eggs were slightly aggregated (negative binomial, k = 1·87). Unexplained egg mortality (6–44%), egg parasitism (10–70%) and larval/pupal mortality (62%) were high, but egg parasitism was the only mortality factor that was density‐dependent and that varied across climatic regions. Egg densities responded poorly to rapid within‐season increases in seed availability.

All examined factors dampened seed predation rates. However, we developed a deterministic mathematical model which showed that seed predation would still have been relatively low (5–56%) at the observed egg densities, even without direct effects of immature beetle mortality. Also, to achieve a benchmark seed predation rate of 80%, egg densities would need to be over 8·5 eggs per seed with no parasitism, and an unrealistically high 27·8 at 70% parasitism. Available data suggest that seed predation by specialist seed‐feeders will often be constrained by one or more of the factors we identified.

Synthesis and applications. Selecting effective biological control agents is an important challenge for weed biocontrol. Our results suggest that many seed‐feeders will not regulate plant populations, but that predictions of their efficacy can be greatly improved by quantifying the way eggs are distributed across seeds and the various mortality factors that affect immature beetle stages. The ability of seed‐feeders to track resource fluctuations may also be predictable. For example, multi‐voltine insects appear better at tracking between‐season and between‐site variation in resource availability than sharp changes in within‐season availability.
Modelling vascular plant diversity at the landscape scale using systematic samples
Authors: Wohlgemuth Thomas , Nobis Michael P. , Kienast Felix , Plattner Matthias
Published: May 2008

Aim  We predict fine‐scale species richness patterns at large spatial extents by linking a systematic sample of vascular plants with a multitude of independent environmental descriptors.

Location  Switzerland, covering 41,244 km2 in central Europe.

Methods  Vascular plant species data were collected along transects of 2500‐m length within 1‐km2 quadrats on a systematic national grid (n = 354), using a standardized assessment method. Generalized linear models (GLM) were used to correlate species richness of vascular plants per transect (SRt) with three sets of variables: topography, environment and land cover. Regression models were constructed by the following process: reduction of collinearity among variables, model selection based on Akaike’s information criterion (AIC), and the percentage of deviance explained (D2). A synthetic model was then built using the best variables from all three sets of variables. Finally, the best models were used in a predictive mode to generate maps of species richness (SRt) at the landscape scale using the moving window approach based on 1‐km2 moving windows with a resolution of 1 ha.

Results  The best explanatory model consisted of seven variables including 14 linear and quadratic parameters, and explained 74% of the deviance (D2 = 0.742). Used in a predictive mode, the model generated maps with distinctive horizontal belts of highest species richness at intermediate altitudes along valley slopes. Belts of higher richness were also present along rivers and around large forest patches and larger villages, as well as on mountains.

Main conclusions  The approach involved using consistent samples of species linked to information on the environment at a fine scale enabled landscapes to be compared in terms of predicted species richness. The results can therefore be applied to support the development of national nature conservation strategies. At the landscape scale, belts of high species richness correspond to steep environmental gradients and associated increases in local habitat diversity. In the mountains, the belts of increased species richness are at intermediate altitudes. These general belt‐like patterns at mid‐elevation are found in all model parameterizations. Other patterns, such as belts along rivers, are visible in specific parameterizations only. Thus we recommend using several sets of parameters in such modelling studies in order to capture the underlying spatial complexity of biodiversity.
Holding services to account
Authors: Clegg J.
Published: May 2008

Background  Recently, the frequency of audit inspections of health services for people with intellectual disability (ID) in the UK has increased, from occasional inquiries to a systematic audit of all services. From 2008, a process of continuous audit ‘surveillance’ of specialist health services is to be introduced. Similar regimes of inspection are in place for social care services.

Aim  To explore the conceptual positions which inform audit, through detailed examination of the investigation into the learning disability service at Sutton and Merton.

Findings  Audit is distinct from evaluation because it neither provides opportunities for service staff to give an account of their work nor represents a search for knowledge. Audit investigates adherence to government policy. In ID, audits measure aspirations derived from normalisation, despite research showing that some of these aspirations have not been achieved by any service. As audit consumes significant public resource, it is questionable whether the dominant finding of the Healthcare Commission's investigation into Sutton and Merton, that the ID service was chronically under‐funded, represents value for money.

Discussion and conclusions  While basic checks on minimum standards will always be necessary, service excellence requires not audit but research‐driven evaluation. Audits inhibit rather than open‐up debate about improving support to people with ID. They impose an ideology, squander resource, and demoralise carers and staff. Evaluations challenge the implicit management‐versus‐professional binary enacted by audit, and can inform new care systems which make effective use of all those engaged with people with ID.
Internal and external goods: a philosophical critique of the hybridisation of professionalism
Authors: Reinders H.
Published: May 2008

Background  Recent literature on professionalism describes the hybridisation of professional practices because of the pressures of neo‐liberal managerialism. While the general opinion appears to be that this development was inevitable given the task of service organisations to operate on the market, this paper questions that blurring the distinction between professional and managerial responsibilities is sound business advice for market‐orientated service providers.

Method  The method is philosophical analysis. A normative account of ‘true’ professionalism is discussed in order to determine the relation between professionalism and managerialism. By placing this account in the framework of Aristotelian moral philosophy, three distinctions are presented to argue that professional practices will most likely be successful in managerial terms when the internal values of professional practices are not mixed up with the external values of the service organisation.

Results  The analysis results in an argument about economic value as a contingent ‘by‐product’ of professional expertise. The outcome is the prediction that professional activity will be most responsive to organisational goals implemented and monitored by management to the extent that professionals are enabled to serve the goals internal to their profession. Professional excellence will be most profitable when professionals do not have to mind about being profitable.

Conclusions  Neo‐liberal managerialism assumes that making professionals share managerial values of accountability and transparency will improve both the economic performance of service organisations and the quality of their services. The argument concerning the contribution to these values by professionals as a contingent by‐product of professional excellence shows that this assumption is questionable.
What informs and shapes ethical practice in Intellectual Disability services?
Authors: Wilson N. , Clegg J. , Hardy G.
Published: May 2008

Background Theoretical literature in the intellectual disability (ID) field identified a mismatch between professional codes of practice (which assume clients to be ‘autonomous’) and the reality of fostering autonomy for people with ID (who at times are completely dependent on others). This research aimed to understand how professionals bridged this disjunction and actually provided ethical services with this client group.

Method Nine professionals from adult ID services who had consulted with local Ethical Advisory Groups were interviewed about their experience of addressing an ethical issue within their work. Accounts were subjected to narrative analysis.

Results Professionals' narratives featured the following themes: differing sources of conflict, professional vulnerability and seeking validation around resolution, centrality of relationships, fragility of resolutions and maintaining moral integrity.

Conclusions Findings revealed systemic pressure on professionals to find ‘definitive’ solutions to ethical dilemmas when the issues were not open to such resolution. Findings were reviewed in light of ethical literature that shows how professionals' work inevitably features close and enduring relationships with people with ID. We suggest professionals need to draw on ethical frameworks that can accommodate relational aspects of their practice.
Twelve‐hour duration testing of cream formulations of three repellents against Amblyomma americanum
Authors: CARROLL J. F. , BENANTE J. P. , KLUN J. A. , WHITE C. E. , DEBBOUN M. , POUND J. M. , DHERANETRA W.
Published: May 2008

Abstract The repellent efficacies of the U.S. military repellent 33% N,N‐diethyl‐3‐methylbenzamide (deet), 10% and 20% (1S, 2′S) 2‐methylpiperidinyl‐3‐cyclohexene‐1‐carboxamide (SS220) and 10% and 20% 1‐methyl‐propyl‐2‐(hydroxyethyl)‐1‐piperidinecarboxylate (Bayrepel) cream formulations on human volunteers against the lone star tick Amblyomma americanum (L.) were evaluated in a simulated forest floor environment over a 12‐h testing period. At 2‐h intervals, volunteers, with repellent applied in a 5‐cm‐wide band around each ankle, stood for 5 min in plastic tubs containing leaf litter and 100 host‐seeking A. americanum nymphs. Ticks were allowed to remain on a volunteer’s feet and ankles for an additional 5 min after the volunteer exited the tub. All repellent formulations provided high levels of protection for the entire 12 h. No ticks crossed 5‐cm‐wide bands of 20% SS220 and Bayrepel during any challenge, and thus 100% protection was afforded throughout the test. These formulations showed a long‐lasting efficacy hitherto unknown in tick repellents intended for use on human skin.
Towards a fuller understanding of mosquito behaviour: use of electrocuting grids to compare the odour‐orientated responses ofAnopheles arabiensisandAn. quadriannulatusin the field
Authors: TORR S. J. , DELLA TORRE A. , CALZETTA M. , COSTANTINI C. , VALE G. A.
Published: May 2008

AbstractThe epidemiological role of and control options for any mosquito species depend on its degree of ‘anthropophily’. However, the behavioural basis of this term is poorly understood. Accordingly, studies in Zimbabwe quantified the effects of natural odours from cattle and humans, and synthetic components of these odours, on the attraction, entry and landing responses ofAnopheles arabiensisGiles (Diptera: Culicidae) andAnopheles quadriannulatusTheobald. The numbers of mosquitoes attracted to human or cattle odour were compared using electrocuting nets (E‐nets), and entry responses were gauged by the catch from an odour‐baited entry trap (OBET) relative to that from an odour‐baited E‐net. Landing responses were estimated by comparing the catches from E‐nets and cloth targets covered with an electrocuting grid. ForAn. arabiensis, E‐nets baited with odour from a single ox or a single man caught similar numbers, and increasing the dose of human odour from one to three men increased the catch four‐fold. ForAn. quadriannulatus, catches from E‐nets increased up to six‐fold in the progression: man, three men, ox, and man + ox, with catch being correlated with bait mass. Entry responses ofAn. arabiensiswere stronger with human odour (entry response 62%) than with ox odour (6%) or a mixture of cattle and human odours (15%). ForAn. quadriannulatus, the entry response was low (< 2%) with both cattle and human odour.Anopheles arabiensisdid not exhibit a strong entry response to carbon dioxide (CO2) (0.2–2 L/min). The trends observed using OBETs and E‐nets also applied to mosquitoes approaching and entering a hut. Catches from an electrocuting target baited with either CO2or a blend of acetone, 1‐octen‐3‐ol, 4‐methylphenol and 3‐n‐propylphenol – components of natural ox odour – showed that virtually all mosquitoes arriving there alighted on it. The propensity ofAn. arabiensisto enter human habitation seemed to be mediated by odours other than CO2alone. Characterizing ‘anthropophily’ by comparing the numbers of mosquitoes caught by traps baited with different host odours can lead to spurious conclusions; OBETs baited with human odour caught around two to four times moreAn. arabiensisthan cattle‐baited OBETs, whereas a human‐baited E‐net caught less (∼ 0.7)An. arabiensisthan a cattle‐baited E‐net. Similar caution is warranted for other species of mosquito vectors. A fuller understanding of how to exploit mosquito behaviour for control and surveys requires wider approaches and more use of appropriate tools.
Immunomodulatory arsenal of nymphal ticks
Authors: PETERKOVÁ K. , VANČovÁ I. , HAJNICKÁ V. , SLOVÁK M. , ŠIMO L. , NUTTALL P. A.
Published: May 2008

Abstract Ticks have developed their own immunomodulatory mechanisms to inhibit the host inflammatory response. One of them involves the ability to subvert the cytokine network at the site of tick feeding by secreting cytokine binding molecules. Most studies have focused on the immunomodulatory prowess of adult female ticks. Here we describe anti‐cytokine activity in salivary gland extracts (SGEs) prepared from 2‐day‐fed nymphs of Dermacentor reticulatus Fabricius, Ixodes ricinus L., Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Neumann and Amblyomma variegatum Fabricius. Anti‐CXCL8 activity was detected in nymphs of all species. Relatively high activity against CCL2, CCL3 and CCL11 was observed in SGEs of R. appendiculatus and A. variegatum nymphs, whereas SGEs of I. ricinus nymphs showed comparatively high anti‐interleukin‐2 (‐IL‐2) and anti‐IL‐4 activities. These data show that nymphs, which epidemiologically are usually more important than adults as disease vectors, possess a range of anti‐cytokine activities that may facilitate pathogen transmission.
Does isometamidium chloride treatment protect tsetse flies from trypanosome infections during SIT campaigns?
Authors: BOUYER J.
Published: May 2008

Abstract African animal trypanosomosis is a major pathological constraint to cattle breeding across 10 million km2 of sub‐Saharan West African countries infested by tsetse flies, their cyclic vectors. The release of sterile males (sterile insect technique [SIT]) is a potentially important control technique aimed at eliminating the vectors. Prior to release, tsetse are generally treated with isometamidium chloride, a trypanocide, to prevent them from transmitting parasites. The present study investigated the preventive action of isometamidium chloride (0.5 mg/L) on the subsequent susceptibility of tsetse released into the wild. A total of 1755 Glossina palpalis gambiensis Vanderplank and 744 Glossina tachinoides Westwood were released, of which 50 and 48, respectively, were recaptured 22–43 days after release. Their probosces were analysed by polymerase chain reaction to identify mature infections with three trypanosome species (Trypanosoma vivax, Trypanosoma brucei sensu lato and Trypanosoma congolense savannah type). Two mature infections with T. vivax and four with T. congolense were detected, indicating that the use of this treatment regimen in an SIT campaign would not totally prevent sterile males from transmitting trypanosomes.
Modelling the distributions and spatial coincidence of bluetongue vectors Culicoides imicola and the Culicoides obsoletus group throughout the Iberian peninsula
Authors: CALVETE C , ESTRADA R , MIRANDA M. A , BORRÁS D , CALVO J. H , LUCIENTES J
Published: May 2008

Abstract Data obtained by a Spanish national surveillance programme in 2005 were used to develop climatic models for predictions of the distribution of the bluetongue virus (BTV) vectors Culicoides imicola Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) and the Culicoides obsoletus group Meigen throughout the Iberian peninsula. Models were generated using logistic regression to predict the probability of species occurrence at an 8‐km spatial resolution. Predictor variables included the annual mean values and seasonalities of a remotely sensed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), a sun index, interpolated precipitation and temperature. Using an information‐theoretic paradigm based on Akaike’s criterion, a set of best models accounting for 95% of model selection certainty were selected and used to generate an average predictive model for each vector. The predictive performances (i.e. the discrimination capacity and calibration) of the average models were evaluated by both internal and external validation. External validation was achieved by comparing average model predictions with surveillance programme data obtained in 2004 and 2006. The discriminatory capacity of both models was found to be reasonably high. The estimated areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) were 0.78 and 0.70 for the C. imicola and C. obsoletus group models, respectively, in external validation, and 0.81 and 0.75, respectively, in internal validation. The predictions of both models were in close agreement with the observed distribution patterns of both vectors. Both models, however, showed a systematic bias in their predicted probability of occurrence: observed occurrence was systematically overestimated for C. imicola and underestimated for the C. obsoletus group. Average models were used to determine the areas of spatial coincidence of the two vectors. Although their spatial distributions were highly complementary, areas of spatial coincidence were identified, mainly in Portugal and in the southwest of peninsular Spain. In a hypothetical scenario in which both Culicoides members had similar vectorial capacity for a BTV strain, these areas should be considered of special epidemiological concern because any epizootic event could be intensified by consecutive vector activity developed for both species during the year; consequently, the probability of BTV spreading to remaining areas occupied by both vectors might also be higher.
Failure by engorged stages of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, to react to assembly pheromone, guanine and uric acid
Authors: YODER J. A. , ARK J. T. , FARRELL A. C.
Published: May 2008

Abstract Response to tick‐exposed filter paper discs (tick excreta) by fed and non‐fed stages of the lone star tick Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Acari: Ixodidae) was examined from larva to adult. By contrast with engorged stages, each non‐fed stage exhibited a classic arrestment response to assembly pheromone, characterized by lack of movement, retraction of legs and formation of small groups; this response was seen in approximately 75% of ticks that made contact with pheromone‐treated surfaces. Less pronounced arrestment (by approximately 66% of ticks) was elicited by (0.001–0.005 m) guanine as the active pheromonal ingredient and by uric acid, a chief excretory product of birds. Lack of response to arrestment cues post‐engorgement suggests that this response is kairomonal where guanine mimics uric acid as a host cue that signals immature A. americanum’s preferred bird host. The functional overlap simultaneously favours tick retention in areas with an abundance of successful ticks, signalled by a heavy bout of excretion (guanine) soon after hatching and moulting. Control significance pertains to the use of these compounds as trap arrestants, but not attractants, with advantages in effectiveness against any non‐fed stage.
Evidence for a negative fitness−density relationship between parent density and offspring quality for two Xenopsylla spp. parasitic on desert mammals
Authors: KRASNOV B. R. , HOVHANYAN A. , KHOKHLOVA I. S. , DEGEN A. A.
Published: May 2008

Abstract We tested the hypothesis of negative fitness–density relationships and predicted that an increase in the density of parent fleas would result in lower survival rates and longer development time of pre‐imagoes as well as shorter time to death from starvation of newly emerged imagoes. These predictions were experimentally tested on Xenopsylla conformis Wagner and Xenopsylla ramesis Rothschild feeding on two rodent species, Meriones crassus Sundevall or Dipodillus dasyurus Wagner. Survival of larvae and pupae, but not eggs, was negatively affected by parent density. An increase in parent density led to a decrease in the number of imagoes of the next generation. Eggs of both species developed faster when the parents were at low densities on either host. The same was true for larval X. ramesis, but not larval X. conformis. The negative effects of parent density on the duration of pupal development were evident in X. conformis, parents of which fed on both hosts, and X. ramesis from parents fed on M. crassus, whereas X. ramesis from parents fed on D. dasyurus developed faster at low densities. A negative effect of density on the development of offspring from egg to imago in X. conformis was manifested mainly when parent fleas fed on D. dasyurus, whereas the negative effect of density on offspring development in X. ramesis was manifested mainly when parent fleas fed on M. crassus. Although there was no general effect of parent density on the resistance of imago offspring to starvation, male X. ramesis from parents fed at the highest density survived starvation for significantly shorter times compared with those from parents fed at lower densities. Manifestation of the negative effect of parent density on offspring quality appears to vary with flea species and may be affected by host species.
Investigation of killer cell immunoglobulin‐like receptor (KIR) gene diversity: KIR2DL2, KIR2DL5 and KIR2DS5
Authors: Gonzalez A. , Meenagh A. , Sleator C. , Middleton D.
Published: May 2008

Human killer cell immunoglobulin‐like receptor (KIR) genes are important for restraining natural killer cytotoxicity toward cells with autologous human leukocyte antigen (HLA) while targeting cells lacking or expressing low levels of self‐HLA molecules. KIR gene content and alleles vary across individual genomes and populations, requiring specialized laboratory tools for their characterization. Here, we detail methods based on sequence‐specific polymerase chain reaction amplification and oligonucleotide probe hybridization to identify alleles of KIR2DL2, KIR2DL5A, KIR2DL5B and KIR2DS5. Allele frequencies for a Northern Irish population of 354 individuals typed with this system are given, along with results from 132 cell lines from the International Histocompatibility Workshop that cover many world populations. This information complements published reports by our laboratory for allele‐level typing of other KIR members, totaling 12 of the 17 known genes. These methods are allowing us to characterize KIR haplotypes in our population.
Complex effects of IL1A polymorphism and calpain inhibitors on interleukin 1α (IL‐1α) mRNA levels and secretion of IL‐1α protein
Authors: Lee S. , Temple S. , Roberts S. , Price P.
Published: May 2008

Alleles of IL1A‐889(C>T) and IL1A+4845(G>T) are in linkage disequilibrium. Interleukin 1α (IL‐1α) is produced as a precursor protein and cleaved at positions 117–118 by calpain, generating a mature protein for export. IL1A+4845 affects amino acids expressed at position 114 and hence may modulate calpain‐mediated cleavage. We sought evidence for this mechanism in intact cells. Blood leukocytes from heterozygous donors released more IL‐1α protein than cells from IL1A(1,1) donors, while release from IL1A(2,2) cells was variable. Genotype did not affect levels of IL‐1α mRNA, so differential cleavage of the precursor is a feasible mechanism. However, genotype also had no effect on inhibition of IL‐1α release by pretreatment with calpain inhibitors, and calpain inhibitors reduced IL‐1α and tumor necrosis factor α mRNA levels. Hence, calpain inhibitors probably affect inhibition of signal transduction pathway rather than cleavage of IL‐1α protein. As ratios of μ‐calpain/calpastatin were lowest in heterozygous donors, genetically determined IL‐1α levels may modulate transcription of calpain and calpastatin. This could reduce the impact of IL1A genotype on IL‐1α secretion and amplify individual variation in levels generated in culture.
Increased plasma concentration of surfactant protein D in chronic periodontitis independent of SFTPD genotype: potential role as a biomarker
Authors: Glas J. , Beynon V. , Bachstein B. , Steckenbiller J. , Manolis V. , Euba A. , Müller‐Myhsok B. , Folwaczny M.
Published: May 2008

Surfactant protein (SP) D belongs to the family of collectins, which are humoral molecules of the innate immune system. Collectins belong to pattern recognition receptors and are present in plasma and on mucosal surfaces and recognize several microbial components, the pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). While SP‐A is primarily expressed in the lung, expression of SP‐D is more widely detected including different mucosal surfaces and in serum. Therefore, SP‐D is considered a functional candidate in chronic periodontitis. The present study sought to investigate whether plasma concentration of SP‐D is altered in chronic periodontitis and whether polymorphisms within the SFTPD gene (Met11Thr, Ala160Thr and Ser270Thr) are associated with chronic periodontitis. The study population comprised 105 patients with chronic periodontitis and 122 healthy, unrelated control individuals. SP‐D Plasma concentrations were determined using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay test. Genotyping of SFTPD polymorphisms was performed by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Plasma concentrations were significantly increased in patients with chronic periodontitis compared with the controls. The median plasma concentrations were 81.6 ng/ml in the patients and 52.6 ng/ml in the controls (P = 0.00051). In contrast, the three SFTPD polymorphisms displayed no significant association with chronic periodontitis; thus, the increased plasma concentrations were independent on the genotype. The study showed significantly increased SP‐D plasma concentrations in patients with chronic periodontitis compared with healthy controls. Thus, SP‐D can potentially be used as a biomarker for chronic periodontitis. As no significant associations of SFTPD gene polymorphisms could be detected, other mechanisms influencing SP‐D serum/plasma expression might exist.
Allelic diversity within the high frequency Mamu‐A2*05/Mane‐A2*05 (Mane‐A*06)/Mafa‐A2*05 family of macaque MHC‐A loci
Authors: Wu J. , Bassinger S. , Montoya G. D. , Chavez L. , Jones C. E. , Holder‐Lockyer B. , Masten B. , Williams T. M. , Prilliman K. R.
Published: May 2008

Macaque species serve as important animal models of human infection and immunity. To more fully scrutinize their potential in both the analysis of disease pathogenesis and vaccine development, it is necessary to characterize the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I loci of Macaca mulatta (Mamu), Macaca nemestrina (Mane), and Macaca fascicularis (Mafa) at the genomic level. The oligomorphic Mamu‐A2*05/Mane‐A2*05 (previously known as Mane‐A*06) family of macaque MHC‐A alleles has recently been shown to be present at high frequency in both Indian rhesus and pig‐tailed macaque populations. Using a locus‐specific amplification and direct DNA typing methodology, we have additionally found that the locus encoding this family is very prevalent (75%) among a sampling of 182 Chinese rhesus macaques and has a high prevalence (80%) within a larger, independent cohort of 309 pig‐tailed macaques. Interestingly, among the Chinese rhesus macaques, only six alleles previously identified in Indian‐origin animals were observed, while three recently identified in Chinese‐origin animals and 25 new alleles were characterized. Among the pig‐tailed macaques, we observed 1 previously known (Mane‐A*06) and 19 new alleles. Examination of the orthologous locus in a preliminary sampling of 30 cynomolgus macaques showed an even higher presence (87%) of Mafa‐A2*05 family alleles, with 5 previously identified and 15 new alleles characterized. The continued discovery of novel alleles and thus further diversity within the Mamu‐A2*05/Mane‐A2*05/Mafa‐A2*05 family indicates that this MHC‐A locus, although highly conserved across the three species of macaques, has remained a dynamic entity during evolution.
The role of serpins in vertebrate immunity
Authors: Mangan M. S. J. , Kaiserman D. , Bird P. I.
Published: May 2008

Serine proteases are important components of the immune system, playing a role in many processes including migration, phagocytosis and elimination of virally infected and cancerous cells. Members of the serpin superfamily regulate the activity of these proteases to limit tissue damage and unwarranted cell death. This review focuses on the role of intracellular (clade B) serpins in maintaining viability of both innate and adaptive immune cells.
Identification of new major histocompatibility complex‐A, ‐B, ‐C alleles in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
Authors: Caggiari L. , De Zorzi M. , Ahlenstiel G. , Rehermann B. , De Re V.
Published: May 2008

Two new Patr‐A, five new Patr‐B and three new Patr‐C alleles from Pan troglodytes are described.
CTLA‐4 polymorphisms are not associated with ocular inflammatory disease
Authors: Bye L. , Modi N. , Stanford M. R. , Kondeatis E. , Vaughan R. , Fortune F. , Kanawati C. , Ben‐Chetrit E. , Ghabra M. , Murray P. I. , Wallace G. R.
Published: May 2008

Cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte‐associated antigen‐4 (CTLA‐4) is regarded with other molecules such as HLA, PTPN22 and CARD15 as genetic master switches of autoimmunity. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes encoding these molecules have been associated with autoimmune conditions. We analysed the SNPs −318C/T and 49A/G in CTLA‐4 in patients with Behcet’s disease (BD), patients with intermediate uveitis and appropriate controls. Blood was collected from 236 patients with BD from the UK and the Middle East (ME), all fulfilling the International Study Group criteria for the diagnosis of BD, and 143 patients with idiopathic intermediate uveitis were recruited from the Medical Eye Unit at St Thomas’ Hospital. Samples from healthy individuals from each geographical centre were used as controls. DNA was prepared by standard methods, and SNPs −318 and 49 in CTLA‐4 were detected by a polymerase chain reaction‐sequence specific primers (PCR‐SSP) assay using primer mixes. The results showed that there was no association with either polymorphism in patients with BD from the UK or the ME. Similarly, there was no association in patients with intermediate uveitis. Moreover, there was no association with SNP in CTLA‐4 and disease manifestations in BD or outcome in patients with intermediate uveitis. Both BD and intermediate uveitis have HLA associations, but there is no difference in distribution of CTLA‐4 polymorphisms that are associated with other autoimmune diseases. The lack of association with polymorphisms in CTLA‐4 and other master controlling genes of autoimmunity suggests that mechanisms that mediate such a description for BD and intermediate uveitis have still to be elucidated.
Physiological Responses of Tomato Plants (Solanum lycopersicum) as Affected by Root Hypoxia
Authors: Horchani F. , Aloui A. , Brouquisse R. , Aschi‐Smiti S.
Published: May 2008

In order to investigate the effects of root hypoxia (1–2 % oxygen) on physiology and on some fructification parameters of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum cv. H63‐5), a range of physiological and agronomic measurements were performed on plants submitted to gradual root hypoxia at the second leaf stage. Stomatal conductance (gs), total chlorophyll content, leaf area (LA) and leaf mass per area (LMA) were quantified at 14 days of treatment in the first leaf appeared before (L1) and after (L3) root hypoxia application. The results obtained showed that 7 days of treatment has slight effects on plant weight growth. However, 14 days of treatment caused decreased root dry weight (DW) with a concomitant increase in shoot DW. Root hypoxia significantly decreased gs and chlorophyll content of L3, but no effects were noted for L1. LA was significantly reduced for L1 and L3, contrary to LMA which was significantly increased. At the reproductive stage, root hypoxia resulted in a decrease in flower and fruit production, accelerated the entrance in the fruit expansion phase, but did not affect the rate of fruit growth, nor the final fruit size.
Plant Emergence of PEG‐osmoprimed Seeds under Suboptimal Temperatures in Two Cultivars of Sweet Sorghum Differing in Seed Tannin Content
Authors: Patanè C. , Cavallaro V. , D’Agosta G. , Cosentino S. L.
Published: May 2008

The effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) osmopriming on plant emergence in laboratory at optimal (25 °C) and suboptimal (18 and 14 °C) temperatures was assessed in two cultivars of sweet sorghum differing in kernel colour: Brandes, light‐coloured, and Roce, dark‐coloured. Sterilized sand or non‐sterilized soil were used as substrates. PEG osmopriming enhanced seedling emergence in sand. In soil, the light‐seeded cultivar produced seedlings only at optimum temperature, whereas the unprimed dark‐seeded cultivar performed well as in sand at all temperatures and reduced dramatically its germination capacity at suboptimal temperatures following priming treatment. These results might be related to the presence of tannins in the seed coat. Seed tannin contents of 80 and 590 mg 100 g−1 seed fresh weight (FW) were determined in Brandes and Roce respectively. These amounts consistently reduced after PEG osmopriming, especially in Roce (217.5 mg 100 g−1 seed FW). The decline in tannin content in Roce, because of osmopriming, might explain the poor emergence of this cultivar in soil. These results suggest the opportunity of using high‐tannin cultivars of sweet sorghum in the field, which may better growth in this environment when early sowings are required.
Irrigation has Little Effect on Unsaturated Fatty Acid Content in Soya Bean Seed Oil within Genotypes Differing in Fatty Acid Profile
Authors: Lee J. D. , Oliva M. L. , Sleper D. A. , Shannon J. G.
Published: May 2008

Soya bean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] genotypes with modified unsaturated fatty acid profiles in seed oil have been developed. Higher oleic (18:1) and lower linolenic (18:3) acids are desirable for increased use of soya bean oil in food and industrial applications. The environment affects levels of unsaturated fatty acids in soya bean and it is important that desired components of seed oil are produced across a range of growing conditions. Our objective was to determine whether irrigation affects fatty acid levels in soya bean with altered fatty acid profiles. Seven modified oil genotypes which included elevated oleic acids, and/or reduced linolenic acid, along with two common soya bean varieties were evaluated with and without irrigation (rain fed) in four environments in each of 2 years. Irrigation generally had no significant influence on unsaturated fatty acid accumulation in seed oil in soya bean genotypes with altered fatty acid profiles. However, irrigation tended to show desirable effects on 18:1 and 18:3 contents in the genotypes studied. Oleic acid tended to be higher in eight of the nine genotypes and linolenic acid was lower in six of the nine genotypes under irrigation vs. rain fed treatments.
Visiting the Methodological Aspects of Flooding Experiments: Quantitative Evidence from Agricultural and Ecophysiological Studies
Authors: Striker G. G.
Published: May 2008

Plant responses to flooding have been studied and reviewed extensively. However, the differences among the experimental procedures used to apply the flood that lead to such responses have never been explored. In this work, a database of 132 articles was created to quantify important methodological aspects of flooding experiments in crop and non‐crop species for the first time as well as to look for thematic gaps in our knowledge on flooding research. Results showed that the flood experiments were conducted differently for crop and non‐crop species, with two main distinctions: the duration of the flood and the consideration of competition among plants. For crop species, experimental flooding had a short duration of 16 days (ranging from 8 to 28 days for the 25th and 75th percentiles), while for non‐crop species, flooding was quite longer, nearly 45 days (ranging from 28 to 61.5 days). Also, 53 % of the examined experiments in crop species considered competition among plants in their experimental protocol, while only 20 % did so for non‐crop species. Regarding the topics least investigated within this area, in terms of both crop and non‐crop species, future investigation should focus on the effects of flooding on reproductive traits, mineral nutrition and the nitrogen fixation of plants. These results are discussed, along with their implications in terms of defining crucial aspects of the methodology of flooding experiments.
ANABOLIC AGENTS FOR IMPROVING MUSCLE REGENERATION AND FUNCTION AFTER INJURY
Authors: Lynch Gordon S , Schertzer Jonathan D , Ryall James G
Published: May 2008

In the present review, we describe how muscles can be injured by external factors, internal factors or during the performance of some actions during sports. In addition, we describe the injury to a muscle that occurs when its blood supply is interrupted, an occurrence common in clinical settings. An overview of muscle regeneration is presented, as well as a discussion of some of the potential complications that can compromise successful muscle repair and lead to impaired function and permanent disability.

Improving muscle regeneration is important for hastening muscle repair and restoring muscle function and the present review describes ways in which this can be achieved. We describe recent advances in tissue engineering that offer considerable promise for treating muscle damage, but highlight the fact that these techniques require rigorous evaluation before they can become mainstream clinical treatments.

Growth‐promoting agents are purported to increase the size of existing and newly regenerating muscle fibres and, therefore, could be used to improve muscle function if administered at appropriate times during the repair process. The present review provides an update on the efficacy of some growth‐promoting agents, including anabolic steroids, insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I) and b2‐adrenoceptor agonists, to improve muscle function after injury. Although these approaches have clinical merit, a better understanding of the androgenic, IGF‐I and b‐adrenoceptor signalling pathways in skeletal muscle is important if we are to devise safe and effective therapies to enhance muscle regeneration and function after injury.
SHEEP MODELS OF INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RESTRICTION: FETAL ADAPTATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES
Authors: Morrison Janna L
Published: May 2008

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) has been associated with poor perinatal health outcomes. Animal models have been used to investigate why IUGR is associated with a poor prognosis. The sheep has been used extensively as an experimental model for IUGR with poor placental substrate supply to the fetus induced using a range of methods, including the surgical ablation of the majority of endometrial caruncles prior to conception, experimental induction of maternal hyperthermia, ligation of an umbilical artery or embolization of the placenta in late gestation and maternal overnutrition in the pregnant adolescent ewe.

Fetal adaptations to fetal hypoxia and hypoglycaemia include activation of the fetal hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system and an associated increase in circulating cortisol and noradrenaline concentrations. Fetal cardiovascular responses vary according to the method used to induce placental dysfunction.

Although an array of experimental models has been used to induce placental dysfunction at different stages of fetal development, each leads to remarkably similar fetal growth, metabolic, neuroendocrine and cardiovascular adaptations and consequences. The extent and range of the fetal physiological adaptations to chronic placental insufficiency are determined by the duration of exposure and the degree of the severity of substrate supply restriction.

The present review summarizes how sheep models of IUGR have provided an increased understanding of the nature of the fetal adaptations to IUGR, their longer‐term physiological consequences and how to improve clinical management of IUGR in human pregnancies.
Folliculostellate cell tumor in pituitary gland
Authors: Hori Satoshi , Hayashi Nakamasa , Fukuoka Junya , Kurimoto Masanori , Hamada Hideo , Miyajima Ken , Nagai Shoichi , Endo Shunro
Published: May 2008

A 33‐year‐old woman presented with visual field defects. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a pituitary tumor with suprasellar extension. The tumor was partially removed by trans‐sphenoidal surgery. Histologically, the tumor was composed of fascicles of spindle cells which were immunohistochemically positive for S‐100 protein, Galectin‐3, vimentin and EMA. Based on the morphology and immunostaining pattern, diagnosis of folliculostellate cell tumor in the pituitary gland was given.
Spherical amyloid deposition in a prolactin‐producing pituitary adenoma
Authors: Gul Sanser , Bahadir Burak , Dusak Abdurrahim , Kalayci Murat , Edebali Nurullah , Acikgoz Bektas
Published: May 2008

A 41‐year‐old man presented with headache, right‐sided ophthalmic pain and visual deficit. His neurological examination was normal except for bitemporal hemianopsia and right lower quadranopsia. MRI demonstrated a mass arising from the pituitary gland. Hormonal analysis revealed an elevated prolactin level of 4700 ng/mL (normal 4.04–15.2 ng/mL). MRI revealed hypointense signal on T2‐weighted images. Moreover, we also concluded that foci with no intravenous contrast enhancement represent the amyloid deposits. The patient underwent trans‐sphenoidal resection of the pituitary adenoma. Histological examination revealed an adenoma with spheroid amyloid deposits adjacent to prolactin‐staining adenoma cells. The patient recovered from the surgery without complications.