bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selective E2F‐dependent gene transcription is controlled by histone deacetylase activity during neuronal apoptosis
Authors: Boutillier Anne‐Laurence , Trinh Emmanuelle , Loeffler Jean‐Philippe
Published: March 2003

The alteration of chromatin through histone acetylation and deacetylation participates in the regulation of gene expression. We have investigated the effects of histone deacetylase inhibition on neuronal fate. We show that treatment of primary neurones with trichostatin A (TSA) or sodium butyrate (NaBu) induces typical features of apoptosis, a cell death that relies on specific genetic programmes. We have further explored the molecular mechanisms implicated in the TSA response and demonstrated that TSA‐induced apoptosis is partly dependent on the activation of the transcription factor E2F‐1, which has pro‐apoptotic functions in these neurones. Furthermore, the increased e2f‐1 transcriptional response is probably the result of mechanisms occurring through E2F‐responsive elements. Histone acetylation also takes place at the e2f‐1 promoter, but this modification is neither required nor by itself sufficient to induce increased transcription at the e2f‐1 promoter. Activation might thus occur through acetylation of non‐histone proteins binding this regulatory element. Finally, we show that TSA induces the transcription of E2F‐dependent genes, such as its cell cycle target cyclin E, but also pro‐apoptotic genes, such as Apaf1. Taken together, our results suggest that, in neuroprotective conditions, histone deacetylase activity allows a constitutive repression of the e2f‐1 gene in mature neurones in order to ensure survival. Deregulation of this repression will ultimately lead to an E2F‐dependent cell death.
Lipid interaction of α‐synuclein during the metal‐catalyzed oxidation in the presence of Cu2+and H2O2
Authors: Lee Eui‐Nam , Lee Sun‐Young , Lee Daekyun , Kim Jongsun , Paik Seung R.
Published: March 2003

α‐Synuclein co‐exists with lipids in the Lewy bodies, a pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease. Molecular interaction between α‐synuclein and lipids has been examined by observing lipid‐induced protein self‐oligomerization in the presence of a chemical coupling reagent ofN‐(ethoxycarbonyl)‐2‐ethoxy‐1,2‐dihydroquinoline. Lipids such as phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and even arachidonic acid induced the self‐oligomerization whereas phosphatidylcholine did not affect the protein. Because the oligomerizations occurred from critical micelle concentrations of the lipids, the self interaction of α‐synuclein was shown to be a lipid‐surface dependent phenomenon with head group specificity. By employing β‐synuclein and a C‐terminally truncated α‐synuclein (α‐syn97), the head‐group dependent self‐oligomerization was demonstrated to occur preferentially at the N‐terminal region while the fatty acid interaction leading to the protein self‐association required the presence of the acidic C‐terminus of α‐synuclein. In the presence of Cu2+and H2O2, phosphatidylinositol (PI), along with other acidic lipids, actually enhanced the metal‐catalyzed oxidative self‐oligomerization of α‐synuclein. The dityrosine crosslink formation responsible for the PI‐enhanced covalent self‐oligomerization was more sensitive to variation of copper concentrations than that of H2O2during the metal‐catalyzed oxidation. The enhancement by PI was shown to be due to facilitation of copper localization to the protein because actual binding affinity between copper and α‐synuclein increased fromKdof 44.7 μmto 5.9 μmin the presence of the lipid. Taken together, PI not only affects α‐synuclein to be more self‐interactive by providing the lipid surface, but also enhances the metal‐catalyzed oxidative protein self‐oligomerization by facilitating copper localization to the protein when the metal and H2O2are provided. This observation therefore could be implicated in the formation of Lewy bodies as lipids and metal‐catalyzed oxidative stress have been considered to be a part of pathological causes leading to the neurodegeneration.
Localization of presenilin–nicastrin complexes and γ‐secretase activity to the trans‐Golgi network
Authors: Siman Robert , Velji Jamel
Published: March 2003

Abundant biochemical and genetic evidence suggests that presenilins are catalytic components of γ‐secretase, the protease responsible for generating the Alzheimer amyloid β‐protein. However, the differential localization of presenilins to early secretory compartments and γ‐secretase substrates to late secretory compartments and the plasma membrane (the ‘spatial paradox’) argues against this view. We investigated this issue by studying the localization of nicastrin, another putative γ‐secretase component, and its association with presenilin‐1 into proteolytically active complexes. Glycosidase digests revealed that nicastrin exists in multiple glycoforms and is terminally sialylated, a modification often associated with the trans‐Golgi network. Trafficking of nicastrin to the trans‐Golgi network was confirmed by density gradient fractionation and immunofluorescence microscopy. In presenilin‐deficient cells, however, nicastrin trafficking and maturation were abnormal, as the protein was restricted to early secretory compartments and failed to be sialylated. Mature sialylated nicastrin in trans‐Golgi network fractions was complexed quantitatively with N‐ and C‐terminal fragments of presenilin‐1, whereas immature nicastrin present in early secretory compartments was not. Additionally, trans‐Golgi network fractions contained the γ‐secretase substrate β‐amyloid precursor protein C83 and were enriched in presenilin‐dependent γ‐secretase proteolytic activity. The results resolve the apparent spatial paradox by demonstrating that presenilin–nicastrin complexes and presenilin‐dependent γ‐secretase activity are co‐localized to a late secretory compartment. The findings provide further evidence that presenilin‐containing complexes are the γ‐secretase, and indicate that presenilins also regulate γ‐secretase assembly.
Auditing nursing content in patient records
Authors: Ehrenberg Anna , Ehnfors Margareta , Smedby Björn
Published: March 2003

Auditing nursing content in patient records

The objective of this paper is twofold: (a) to explore different approaches in reviewing records based on a literature review of studies of audits of patient records and (b) to apply these approaches on a sample of records to illuminate consequences of their application.

The method used was a literature review of papers on recording of nursing care (n=56). Based on our findings, an audit of a stratified sample of records (n=298) from Swedish community health care and nursing homes was performed, applying the different approaches for auditing previously described in the literature.

The review showed that audits of patient records were performed using four different approaches with varying aims. The focus of the four approaches can be described as formal structure, process comprehensiveness, knowledge‐based and concordance with actual care. The results of this study suggest that audits of patient records should not be solely limited to encompass the formal structure of recording. To avoid a superficial picture or a false sense of high quality and to obtain a more complete and reliable portrait of the quality of recording, we suggest the process comprehensiveness approach in combination with a critical review of the knowledge base for the assessment, diagnosis and interventions of patient records.
Patients' opinions and experiences regarding the hospital bed and the bedside equipment: an interview study
Authors: Petzäll Kerstin , Berglund Barbro , Lundberg Christer
Published: March 2003

As it is important for patients' recovery that hospital beds are comfortabke and adapted to patients' needs, 60 adult patients were interviewd during their stay in hospital about the experiences and opinions regarding the hospitals beds, bedside equipment and the general milieu in the ward. The patients were recruited from one ear, nose and throat, one general surgery and one internal medicine ward respectively, at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Göteborg. A standardized questionnaire containing both open and closed questions concerning bed function and bed comfort was designed and used. The study revealed substantial and serious dissatisfaction among the patients regarding the comfort of beds, bedside equipment and the physical milieu in the wards. Younger patients were more critical than elderly patients. The patients had many relevant suggestions on how to improve the conditions in the wards with respect to the needs they themselves had experienced as patients.
Are nurses able to assess fatigue, exertion fatigue and types of fatigue in residential home patients?
Authors: Tiesinga Lucas J. , Dijkstra Ate , Dassen Theo W.N. , Halfens Ruud J.G. , Van Den Heuvel Wim J.A.
Published: March 2003

Are nurses able to assess fatigue, exertion fatigue and types of fatigue in residential home patients?

Although fatigue is recognized as a subjective, generalized, extensive and disabling health care problem with a relatively high prevalence among the chronically ill, there have been no studies to show whether nurses caring for fatigued subjects are able to accurately assess the level of fatigue that exists in these patients. The aim of the present study is to investigate this issue. The following research questions are formulated: (1) To what degree do the assessments of fatigue and exertion fatigue given by nurses and patients agree? and (2) To what degree do the assessments of types of fatigue given by nurses and patients agree?

The method adopted employed a correlational design approach applied to residential home patients and nurses. Data were gathered by questionnaire. Data collected from 44 selected patients and two assessors (nurses) for each patient are used in the analyses. Measurement instruments used are the Dutch fatigue scale (DUFS), the Dutch exertion fatigue scale (DEFS), types of fatigue and sociodemographic variables.

Measurement correlations between the patients and the nurses, both for the DUFS and DEFS, showed fair agreement (fatigue and exertion fatigue) and slight agreement (types of fatigue).

The main conclusion of this study is that nurses working in residential home care are unable, in comparison with the patients themselves, to accurately assess patient's fatigue (fair agreement), exertion fatigue (fair agreement) and types of fatigue (slight agreement).
delrious: a computer program designed to analyse molecular marker data and calculate delta and relatedness estimates with confidence
Authors: Stone J. , Björklund M.
Published: March 2003

The computer program delrious analyses molecular marker data and calculates delta and relatedness estimates. A computer simulation is presented in which delrious is used to determine relations between relatedness estimate confidence and locus number. The results obtained suggest that many kinship studies probably have been conducted at significance levels less than 95%. Confidence measures provide a means of assessing reliability of calculated parameters and, therefore, would be beneficial to kinship hypothesis testing. Consequently, resampling procedures should be conducted routinely to determine delta and relatedness estimate confidence. delrious can implement bootstrap and jackknife resampling procedures for this purpose.
burial (version 1.0): a method for testing genetic similarity within small groups of individuals using fragmentary data sets
Authors: Schönfisch Birgitt , Tomiuk Jürgen , Bachmann Lutz , Pusch Carsten M.
Published: March 2003

Biologists are frequently facing the problem of dealing with data sets with a small amount of data and a high proportion of missing information. We were particularly interested in analysing fragmentary data sets generated by the application of molecular methods in palaeoanthropology in order to determine whether individuals are genetically related. In this note, we announce the release of the software burial (version 1.0) to test the null hypothesis that the observed grouping of individuals at a particular burial site reflects random placement of genotypes. The proposed test, however, can also be applied to data sets whose objects can be grouped according to nongenetic criteria such as the style of clothing, the kind of burial gifts or cultural artefacts. The C + + source code and binary executables for Windows and Linux are available for download at: http://www.uni‐tuebingen.de/uni/bcm/BURIAL/index.html.
The characterization of microsatellite loci in the communally breeding smooth‐billed ani (Crotophaga ani)
Authors: Blanchard L. , Quinn J. S.
Published: March 2003

Microsatellite DNA sequences were isolated and characterized from a Puerto Rican population of communally nesting smooth‐billed anis for use in a parentage/kinship study. Lambda Zap Express (Stratagene) was used to construct a library of 350 000 independent recombinant phage and screened with TG and AAT probes. In total, 85 positive clones (73 TG and 12 AAT) were isolated. Primer pairs were designed for 17 sequences and five polymorphic loci were found (three TG and two AAT). The five loci were characterized with between four and nine alleles and heterozygosity values ranged from 0.538 to 0.840. The combined total parental exclusionary power (with neither parent known) of the five loci was 0.8869.
Isolation (with enrichment) and characterization of trinucleotide microsatellites from Phlebotomus perniciosus, a vector of Leishmania infantum
Authors: Aransay A. M. , Malarky G. , Ready P. D.
Published: March 2003

Mitochondrial DNA characterization of the sandfly Phlebotomus perniciosus has not resolved the population structure of its Iberian lineage. For this purpose, four AGC‐ and seven AGG‐class microsatellite loci were characterized, after their isolation using Biotin‐Avidin enrichment and the screening of plasmid libraries by polymerase chain reaction. Of the five polymorphic loci analysed in four Spanish populations, four showed patterns of allele diversity consistent with migration from a southern Ice Age refuge. Estimates of the historical migration rates of P. perniciosus will help to predict the effects of global warming on its range and that of Leishmania infantum, the parasitic protozoan it transmits.
Isolation of microsatellite markers in mungbean, Vigna radiata
Authors: Kumar S. V. , Tan S. G. , Quah S. C. , Yusoff K.
Published: March 2003

A simple and rapid method for isolating microsatellite loci in mungbean, Vigna radiata, based on the 5′‐anchored polymerase chain reaction technique revealed 23 microsatellite loci and six cryptically simple sequence repeats. We report on the characterization of seven polymorphic microsatellite loci in V. radiata. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 5 while the observed heterozygosity ranged from 0 to 0.9048. These markers should prove useful as tools for detecting genetic variation in mungbean varieties for germplasm management and crossbreeding purposes.
Isolation of polymorphic microsatellite markers forBegonia sutherlandiiHook. f.
Authors: Hughes M. , Hollingsworth P. M. , Squirrell J.
Published: March 2003

Seven polymorphic microsatellite loci have been characterized for investigating population structure in the patchily distributed herbBegonia sutherlandii. Two loci (BSU3 and BSU4) exhibited population specific null alleles; primer redesign and allele sequencing for one of these loci showed two transition mutations in the original primer site. Two loci exhibited imperfect repeat polymorphisms due to single base pair indels in the flanking region (locus BSU6) and in the microsatellite region itself (BSU7). Transversion mutations were also found in the microsatellite region of locus BSU7. The remaining three loci amplified in all individuals tested and appeared to conform to a simple stepwise mutation pattern.
Primers for 22 candidate genes for ecological adaptations in Brassicaceae
Authors: Kuittinen H. , Aguadé M. , Charlesworth D. , Haan A. D. E. , Lauga B. , Mitchell‐Olds T. , Oikarinen S. , Ramos‐Onsins S. , Stranger B. , Van Tienderen P. , Savolainen O.
Published: March 2003

There is an increasing interest in direct screening of polymorphisms at candidate loci to associate them with adaptations in natural situations. We report primers that amplify regions at 22 putatively orthologous functional loci in the family Brassicaceae: Arabidopsis thaliana, its two wild outcrossing relatives, and Brassica oleracea. Four groups of genes were known to have specific functions in the model species A. thaliana in ecologically important traits: timing of reproduction; metabolism of secondary compounds; defence against pathogens or light perception. In addition, genes of a fifth group were selected with no consideration of their function, as reference loci.
Cross‐species amplification in silver carp and bighead carp with microsatellite primers of common carp
Authors: Tong J. , Wang Z. , Yu X. , Wu Q. , Chu K.H.
Published: March 2003

About a third of microsatellite primers designed for common carp (Cyprinus carpio) was successfully amplified in silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis). These markers, inherited in Mendelian mode, are of potential applications in cypinid genetics.
Polymorphic microsatellite markers in the olive fly, Bactrocera oleae
Authors: Augustinos A. A. , Stratikopoulos E. E. , Zacharopoulou A. , Mathiopoulos K. D.
Published: March 2003

Bactrocera oleae
is the single most important insect pest of the olive fruit, causing extensive of the losses in the olive production annually. Nonetheless, there has never been an analysis of the homogeneity of
B. oleae
populations, the extent of gene flow, the genetic differentiation and/or reproductive isolation of marginal populations or the nature of the invasive populations in newly established olive tree cultivations. Here we describe the development of 10 novel polymorphic microsatellite markers that can be used in the analysis of natural
B. oleae populations as well as to create a basis for its genome analysis.
Development of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for the assessment of gene flow between sea beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima) populations
Authors: Cureton A. N. , Burns M. J. , Ford‐Lloyd B. V. , Newbury H. J.
Published: March 2003

Molecular markers can be used to estimate gene flow indirectly by monitoring the relative frequency of alleles in adjacent populations. Sea beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima) is a wild plant species found along the coastlines of many European countries and is closely related to cultivated beets. A set of six simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers that are polymorphic in UK populations have been developed for sea beet to assess the problems of indirect measurement of gene flow in these populations.
Characterization of microsatellite loci in neotropical Heliconius butterflies
Authors: Flanagan N. S. , Blum M. J. , Davison A. , Alamo M. , Albarrán R. , Faulhaber K. , Peterson E. , McMillan W. O.
Published: March 2003

The Heliconius butterflies offer exceptional opportunities for the study of the ecology and evolution of mimicry. Despite previous reports of difficulties in the development of microsatellite loci in Lepidoptera, we characterize 15 polymorphic loci in H. erato that show promise for genetic mapping and population studies in this and other species. Levels of variation were high, in both numbers and size ranges of alleles. The loci showed broad amplification success across the genus and in two other genera. All loci that amplified in a population of H. melpomene were polymorphic.
Microsatellite loci in Bactris gasipaes (Arecaceae): their isolation and characterization
Authors: Martínez A. K. , Gaitán‐Solis E. , Duque M. C. , Bernal R. , Tohme J.
Published: March 2003

We constructed a microsatellite‐enriched genomic library for Bactris gasipaes, an economically important, domesticated palm. We developed 18 polymorphic microsatellite markers, and found an average of seven alleles per locus in a sample of 14 individuals selected from a germplasm bank. Cross‐species amplification was evaluated in six other Bactris species. The loci detected will permit population studies and germplasm characterization, and can be used for genetic analyses in related species.
Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellites in the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
Authors: Becher S. A. , Russell S. T. , Magurran A. E.
Published: March 2003

We isolated microsatellite loci for the Trinidadian guppy Poecilia reticulata from the Oropuche and Caroni drainages in Trinidad, using a modified enrichment protocol that provided 93% enriched libraries. The eight loci presented here are polymorphic, and have between seven and 18 alleles in 33–48 individuals initially screened. Observed heterozygosities in this sample range from 0.28 to 0.88. These loci significantly increase the number of polymorphic microsatellite markers available for paternity and population analysis in this species.
Transferability of microsatellite markers from Eucalyptus spp. to Eugenia dysenterica (Myrtaceae family)
Authors: Zucchi M. I. , Brondani R. P. V. , Pinheiro J. B. , Brondani C. , Vencovsky R.
Published: March 2003

Cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica) is a widespread plant found in the Brazilian cerrado. Its fruit is used for popular consumption and for industrial purposes. A battery of 346 primer pairs developed for Eucalyptus spp. was tested on cagaita. Only 10 primer pairs were found to be transferable between the two species. Using a polyacrilamide gel, an average of 10.4 alleles per locus was detected, in a sample of 116 individuals from 10 natural populations of cagaita. Seven polymorphic loci allowed estimation of genetic parameters, including expected average heterozigosity HE = 0.442, diversity among populations, RST = 0.268 and gene flow Nm = 0.680.
Characterization of microsatellite loci for the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis
Authors: Hänfling B. , Weetman D.
Published: March 2003

The Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis is an important human food source in Asia and causes considerable ecological and economical damage as a recent invader of North America and Europe. Here we report the isolation and characterization of 12 highly polymorphic microsatellite loci for E. sinensis. The number of observed alleles per locus ranged from 7 to 40 and the observed heterozygosity from 0.50 to 0.95. These markers should prove a useful tool to investigate the colonization process and its evolutionary implications.
Isolation of 12 microsatellite loci, using an enrichment protocol, in the phytopathogenic fungus Puccinia triticina
Authors: Duan X. , Enjalbert J. , Vautrin D. , Solignac M. , Giraud T.
Published: March 2003

We report the characterization of 12 polymorphic microsatellite markers in the biotrophic fungus Puccinia triticina, the causal agent of leaf rust on wheat. An enrichment protocol was used to isolate microsatellite loci and polymorphism was explored with 15 European isolates. Significant level of cross‐amplification (44% of the loci) was found in P. striiformis.
Development and polymorphism of simple sequence repeat DNA markers for Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lamk
Authors: Sugaya T. , Yoshimaru H. , Takeuchi T. , Katsuta M. , Fujimoto K. , Changtragoon S.
Published: March 2003

Microsatellite markers of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza were developed. Fifty‐four of 161 clones were found to contain microsatellite repeats. Primer pairs were designed for 20 of these clones according to their sequence data. Of these, seven primers showed polymorphism for 32 individuals from Iriomote Island, Japan. Two to five alleles per locus were detected, and the observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.031 to 0.500. Cross‐species amplification using five of the seven primers also worked well for B. cylindrica and B. parviflora. Because our previous study reported very low levels of genetic diversity for allozymes in the same Iriomote population, these microsatellite markers should be a powerful tool for various kinds of genetic analysis.
Nine polymorphic microsatellite loci for the northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens)
Authors: Hoffman Eric A. , Ardren W. R. , Blouin M. S.
Published: March 2003

We describe the cloning and characterization of nine microsatellite loci from the northern leopard frog. Seven loci consist of tetranucleotide repeats, one locus consists of a dinucleotide repeat and one locus consists of a GT repeat juxtaposed with a GATA repeat. In a sample of 36 frogs from a natural population, polymorphism at these loci ranged from two to 13 alleles per locus with expected heterozygosities ranging from 0.5 to 0.91. These loci will be useful to researchers since this species is used for a broad range of studies.
Application of mitochondrial control region in population genetic studies of the shrimp Penaeus
Authors: Chu K. H. , Li C. P. , Tam Y. K. , Lavery S.
Published: March 2003

This study reports a primer set for amplifying a partial fragment of about 610 bp in the fast mutating mitochondrial control region in shrimps of the genus Penaeus (Decapoda: Penaeidae). The utility of this amplified fragment for studying population differentiation and structuring, compared with more conservative mitochondrial genes (16S rRNA and COI), was explored in P. merguiensis populations over a vast geographical range based on sequence and RFLP analyses. The results indicate that the mitochondrial control region provides more informative sites and reveals more haplotypes, making it most useful for evaluating genetic variations within and between populations of Penaeus species.
Curricular influences on academic belief systems
Authors: Kell Clare M. , Van Deursen Robert W. M.
Published: March 2003

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an undergraduate curriculum in developing its students into competent healthcare professionals, for whom professionalism demands a commitment to ongoing enquiry and lifelong learning (LLL). One factor influencing students’ confidence to undertake LLL is their belief in themselves as academic learners. An academic belief system (ABS) profile describes a learner's psychological approach to learning and may be compiled from the academic locus of control, academic self‐concept (ASC) and academic self‐esteem variables. Curricula have the potential to influence ABS development (both positively and negatively). Therefore, this study investigated the extent to which an undergraduate curriculum influenced the development of student academic belief systems over time. The study sample of 52 first‐year undergraduate students responded to a battery of ABS inventories on admission (take 1), 5 weeks prior to their first‐year progression examinations (take 2) and on return into year two (take 3). With the exception of academic locus of control and the anxiety dimension of ASC, all variable mean scores reduced over time. The fall in mean scores for the ASC dimensions of satisfaction and identification were significant. With higher education charged with preparing undergraduates for their lifelong learning needs, the inability of the first‐year curriculum to facilitate student ABS growth is discussed with respect to the need for future curriculum development.
Learning at work: midwives judging progress in labour
Authors: Sookhoo Maureen L. , Biott Colin
Published: March 2003

This paper argues that it is important to understand how midwives learn at work and acquire practice knowledge, as well as how this influences their judgements of progress in labour. It is based on part of a study in which experienced midwives were interviewed about their practice and experiences in a maternity unit within a medium‐sized district general hospital in the north‐east of England. One key to understanding how judgement about progress is made lies in the way that uncertainty is conceptualized and dealt with. One of the ways of avoiding uncertainty is to rely upon conventions and put trust in procedures. In particular, the use of 3 cm dilatation of the cervix is often adopted as an indicator of the commencement of labour, but this raises dilemmas for midwives who recognize the intrusive nature of vaginal examination. Experienced midwives draw on a wider range of evidence and they have learned through the challenges of the job to recognize the provisional nature of signs of progress, which novices may see as predictive. For this reason, they avoid inappropriate intrusion as a matter of routine practice. The capacity to cope with uncertainty is seen as an integral part of midwifery practice and this raises questions about how new midwives can be helped to use holistic assessment within the security of established procedures.
The motivation of practice teachers: decisions relating to involvement in practice learning provision
Authors: Shardlow Steven M. , Nixon Stephen , Rogers John
Published: March 2003

Practice teaching and learning are critical elements in the initial professional education of social workers, yet they are fraught with pressures and suffer from shortages in both placements and practice teachers. This paper considers some of the factors that influence social workers to become practice teachers and undertake the Practice Teaching Award (PTA) and those that affect the likelihood of them continuing as practice teachers. Some of the findings of a small‐scale study of practice teachers are presented and the implications for the development of practice learning and teaching are explored.
Introducing a problem‐based learning module into an occupational therapy course
Authors: Connolly Deirdre , Donovan Morag
Published: March 2003

There is an increasing interest in the use of problem‐based learning (PBL) in the education of health professionals. As a result of the literature that advocates its use in occupational therapy education, and in response to student feedback, it was decided to introduce this approach to learning as a pilot project in one of the core courses in the School of Occupational Therapy, Trinity College, Dublin. This paper presents the results of the evaluation that was carried out prior to and after the introduction of PBL. The results showed that students’ overall level of satisfaction with the course had changed significantly and that their focus changed from what they learned to how they learned.
Interprofessional shared learning: a workshop on communication for screening blood donors
Authors: Nestel Debra , Kidd Jane , James Virge
Published: March 2003

The importance of effective communication in healthcare is well documented. Teaching and learning about communication now forms part of the education of most healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom. Based on this premise, a workshop was developed that aimed at developing the communication skills of donor carers or those involved in their training and/or management within the National Blood Service (NBS). Donor carers are the public front of the NBS, conducting interviews with donors, taking blood and providing follow‐up care. The 2 day workshop used a range of educational activities to support participants in meeting learning objectives. The workshop was evaluated by pre‐ and post‐tests of knowledge and attitude and by participants’ ratings of the degree to which they met learning objectives. Participants’ levels of propositional knowledge in relation to donor‐centred interviewing remained unchanged after the workshop. However, baseline knowledge was already very high. Ratings of the degree to which participants met learning objectives revealed success in the key areas of the workshop – that is, knowledge of, and the practice of, communication skills. Participants reported that they had benefited from attending the workshop in both personal and professional domains, and some expressed a strong sense of personal achievement. There were no differences in participants’ ratings based on their professional group or function within the NBS. Future workshops could consider reducing the number of participants, incorporating skills assessments and offering follow‐up meeting(s) reflecting the participants’ identified needs.
The development of clinical nursing capability: an analysis of progression towards individual clinical and role skills in a surgical ward
Authors: Fessey Christine A.
Published: March 2003

This paper describes a study of the progression of qualified surgical nurses towards capable proficiency in one setting using participant observation within an ethnographic approach. Two distinct methodologies were used: (i) 18 months of participant observation of the social and economic processes that shaped the nursing team, its leadership and a busy surgical practice context, in which qualified nurses and post‐qualifiers learned the ropes of the specialty; and (ii) invited observations of episodes of skilled behaviour followed by knowledge elicitation interviews using heuristic devices as mediating artefacts. These artefacts, digital images and practitioner knowledge maps allowed the individual to explore current and potential representations of their knowledge within a variety of contexts. Distinctions were drawn between the features of fluent and problem‐solving activity, and factors that triggered an interruption in clinical fluency were isolated. Deliberative triggers and outcomes were analysed by the practitioner. Establishing the cadre of local fluent capability within the ward presented the opportunity to explore newcomer progression. The dual methodology provided a unique perspective on: (i) the context of capability and progression towards clinical nursing fluency; (ii) the different role of deliberation in capable and newcomer practice, and (iii) an emergent view of newly promoted senior nurses as they learned to run things in the ward. This view of using management knowledge differs from the type of knowledge use revealed in clinical fluency. This leads to a theoretical analysis of how different kinds of skills are learned and the relationship between individual and social aspects of learning.
The impact of training: an evaluation of an ‘Introduction to management’ course for social services staff
Authors: Sharples Ann , Galvin Kathleen , Holloway Immy , Brown Keith
Published: March 2003

This paper reports an evaluation of a management training course undertaken by local authority social services staff. Most participants felt that the course was successful, and positive impacts on practice were reported in both the quantitative and qualitative phases of the study. Areas of change and potential change in practice were identified. More specifically, the course had significant short‐term impacts on the skills of course participants. Course participants were more aware of their training needs than the controls. Course participants stressed that training courses cannot stand alone: support was needed via follow‐up and supervision.
Natal dispersal and its consequences in Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix
Authors: Caizergues Alain , Ellison Laurence N.
Published: March 2003

Data on dispersal distances of juveniles are important for understanding the genetic structure of populations, population regulation processes and the effects of landscape ecology on metapopulation dynamics. We studied dispersal in juvenile Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix in the French Alps between 1990 and 1998, by radiotracking 39 young grouse captured in August or autumn in a study area of 836 ha. Natal dispersal occurred in two discrete phases, autumn (October) and spring (mid‐April to early May), with periods of reduced mobility between. The mean distance travelled by females exceeded that of males in autumn but not in spring. The natal dispersal distance of females was greater than that of males, and resulted in 81% of females leaving the study area to nest 5–29 km from their site of capture. This emigration must have been compensated for by immigrants because the number of hens in the study area increased during the study. Males were more philopatric. By the summer after capture, only 9% had emigrated from the study area. Despite the longer dispersal distances of females, there was no difference in the survival functions of the sexes between the ages of 6 weeks and 13 months.
Provisioning behaviour of Macaroni Penguins Eudyptes chrysolophus
Authors: Barlow Kate E. , Croxall John P.
Published: March 2003

Understanding how parental expenditure reflects food availability and influences reproductive output is a key part of studies of breeding performance. Provisioning behaviour is an important aspect of parental expenditure. We show that Macaroni Penguins Eudyptes chrysolophus have clear sex‐specific differences in provisioning behaviour. Females provision chicks throughout rearing and at higher rates than males, which only participate in the later stages. Female provisioning is consistent throughout chick‐rearing and appears to relate to a threshold rate governing whether or not chicks survive. The additional expenditure by males (but not females) during the crèche period influenced chick growth and fledging mass of survivors. We suggest a very simple model to account for these sex‐specific differences and effects. Interannual variation in parental expenditure resulted in differences in reproductive output between years. Years of lowest expenditure resulted in lowest growth rate of chicks. Sex‐specific differences in provisioning were similar among years, however, with a consistent proportion of expenditure by males.
Behavioural and genetic evidence of a recent population switch to a novel host species in brood‐parasitic indigobirds Vidua chalybeata
Authors: Payne R. B. , Hustler K. , Stjernstedt R. , Sefc K. M. , Sorenson M. D.
Published: March 2003

We describe a population of Village IndigobirdsVidua chalybeataon the Zambezi River that parasitizes the nests and mimics the songs of a novel host species, Brown FirefinchLagonosticta nitidula, yet coexists with a population that mimics the usual host species of this indigobird, Red‐billed FirefinchL. senegala. Male indigobirds mimicking the song ofL. nitidulaare morphologically indistinguishable from those that mimic songs of the usual host,L. senegala. Likewise, nestling indigobirds in broods ofL. nitidulaandL. senegalaare similar in having mouth markings that mimic the nestlings ofL. senegalarather than those of the novel host. Molecular genetic evidence indicates that the host switch toL. nitidulahas involved at least four different indigobird matrilines. Indigobirds that are associated withL. nitidulaare genetically similar to the indigobirds associated with sympatricL. senegala, and not to the indigobirds associated with west African Bar‐breasted FirefinchL. rufopicta, the species that is most closely related toL. nitidula. Because field and experimental studies show that female indigobirds prefer males that mimic the songs of their own foster species, and females choose the same host to parasitize, the indigobirds reared by a novel host form a distinct breeding population. Taken together, behavioural, morphological and genetic evidence indicates a recent host switch by indigobirds in the Zambezi region from their old hostL. senegalato a new hostL. nitidula.
Facultative prioritization of wing growth in the Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
Authors: Ashton John C. , Armstrong Doug P.
Published: March 2003

Bird species adapted to variable environments tend to have slow lean tissue growth rates and high fat deposition rates, allowing survival during food shortages. This emphasis on fat deposition may be a fixed physiological trait. Alternatively, tissue allocation may be adjusted facultatively according to the proximate food supply. We consider two models of facultative adjustment that could account for the emphasis on fat deposition: (1) the fat‐priority model, in which no lean growth occurs when food is scarce, and (2) the lean‐priority model, in which a minimal level of lean growth always occurs but nutrients are otherwise allocated to fat deposition. We tested these two models using Welcome Swallows Hirundo neoxena, a species we show to have a variable food supply that is influenced by weather. We reduced food supply to chicks experimentally, by enlarging broods or excluding parents from chicks, and tested for reduction in wing growth (an indicator of lean growth) and mass growth (an indicator of fat deposition). Mass growth was retarded by both manipulations, but not wing growth, corroborating the lean‐priority model. This growth strategy may function not to cope with violent variation in food supply, but to maintain development and symmetry of wings and feathers in the face of moderate variation in food supply. Our results contrast with those of a similar experiment on the Black Noddy Anous minutus, a species with more severe variation in food supply.
Anthelminthic treatment negatively affects chick survival in the Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
Authors: Van Oers Kees , Heg Dik , Drean Quenec’hdu Sophie Le
Published: March 2003

Eurasian OystercatchersHaematopus ostralegusare infested with a wide range of gut parasites, but experimental evidence of their effects on host fitness is scant. We investigated prevalence of parasites, and experimentally tested the effects of gut parasites on chick survival and growth. One hundred and fifty‐nine hatchlings from 66 nests were treated with a single dose anthelminthic medicine (0.5 mL Spectril + 0.0025 mL Ivomec) and compared with a sham‐treated control group of 163 hatchlings from 66 nests. Unexpectedly, chicks treated with the anthelminthic drug survived less well than control chicks. Fledglings from the treated group were significantly less infected with gut parasites than untreated fledglings, although they were of similar body mass. One possible explanation for these findings is that the treatment interferes with the development of the immune system in the hatchlings. This might have caused mass mortality of treated hatchlings after the drug ceased to work and the treated chicks became susceptible to infections for the first time. Furthermore, all chicks and adults from both saltmarsh and adjacent freshwater habitat appeared free from blood parasites. Thus, in the Eurasian Oystercatcher, we found no support for the hypothesis, based on between‐species comparisons, that the presence of blood parasites is related to the saltiness of the environment.
Between‐lake differences in the diet and provisioning behaviour of Black‐throated Divers Gavia arctica breeding in Scotland
Authors: Jackson Digger B.
Published: March 2003

Surveys at 23 Black‐throated Diver breeding lakes in Scotland showed large between‐lake differences in the species and size range of potential prey. The study lakes were classified into four types according to the main size‐taxa prey classes present. Type 1 lakes lacked small fish, Type 4 lacked salmonids < 300 mm and Types 2 and 3 both had all four of the main prey classes. Diver diet for 30 families at the study lakes was quantified from 7943 prey items seen fed to chicks, and 153 items seen eaten by adults, during 662 h of observations. At all lake types adults mostly ate salmonids of 120–240 mm in length, especially Brown Trout Salmo trutta, and European Eels Anguilla anguilla up to c. 350 mm. The prey eaten by chicks ranged widely, from c. 0.03 g to 300 g, with important implications for feeding behaviour. Young chicks (days 1–8) rejected items greater than 70 mm long. The diet of young chicks consisted mostly of small fish, either Three‐spined Sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus (Type 2 lakes) or Minnow Phoxinus phoxinus (Type 3 and Type 4 lakes). At other lakes (Type 1) it consisted mostly of mayfly larvae (Ephemeroptera); invertebrates were the only abundant potential small prey in these lakes. At all lakes the chick diet became more similar to that of adults as chicks grew. Adults provisioning chicks used two foraging strategies. In ‘excursion foraging’, adults hunted away from the chicks and carried prey back for them; in ‘attendance foraging’, the chicks accompanied the foraging adult(s). Excursion foraging was used mostly before day 4 and was strongly and positively correlated with the abundance of fish < 80 mm in length. This behaviour is probably adaptive, but is probably tenable only where small fish are relatively abundant. Young chicks fed mainly on small fish had higher survival rates than those fed on invertebrates.
Age‐dependent reproductive performance in Northern Goshawks Accipiter gentilis
Authors: Tøttrup Nielsen Jan , Drachmann Jan
Published: March 2003

The age‐specific reproductive performance of Northern Goshawks Accipiter gentilis was studied over 22 years in Denmark. The age of the breeding female in relation to the number of young raised was known in 929 breeding attempts, while the age of both the male and the female was known in 496 breeding attempts. The number of fledglings raised per breeding attempt increased with both male and female age, but only for females was it possible to conduct a detailed analysis of this age‐dependent relationship. The annual production of fledglings increased with female age from 1 to 7 years of age, whereupon it started to decline. A longitudinal analysis showed that this mean population trend could be attributed to similar age‐related trends in individual females. Previous breeding experience did not influence the number of fledglings produced by individual females, and poorly performing females apparently survived with the same probability as well performing ones. The most likely explanation for the age‐dependent reproductive performance in the observed Goshawk population appeared to be age‐related improvements in competence, such as foraging efficiency.
A logistics evaluation of visual acuity as applied to the Bailey–Lovie chart
Authors: Pierscionek B. K. , Weale R. A.
Published: March 2003

Aims. To discover whether as a result of the increasing use of the Bailey–Lovie chart some classes of patients may not be affected by the crowding of the smaller test characters, whose spacing is proportional to their size; and to determine acuities with a logistic function so that all of a patient's responses may be utilized.

Methods. 112 patients were tested both with the original chart and one in which the horizontal distance is kept constant, i.e., the letters are arranged in vertical columns. All of a patient's responses were recorded so that the constants of the logistic function might be determined.

Results. No difference was found for very high and very low acuity scores, but, for intermediate ones, the vertical columns yielded acuity ratings increased by some 13%.

Conclusion. The use of the logistics function was successful in that the correlation between stimulus and response was between 0.9 and 1 for some 80% of those examined. A constant horizontal spacing may be of advantage to some patients with a conventionally measured visual acuity of ∼0.9.
The minimum stimulus energy required to produce a cooling sensation in the human cornea
Authors: Murphy Paul J. , Patel Sudi , Morgan Philip B. , Marshall John
Published: March 2003

Purpose: To estimate the minimum stimulus energy required to stimulate the corneal nerves, using a thermally cooling stimulus.

Methods: The localised temperature change produced in the pre‐corneal tear film by the air‐pulse stimulus of the Non‐Contact Corneal Aesthesiometer (NCCA) was analysed using a thermal imaging camera. Assuming that the cornea behaves as a near perfect black‐body, the threshold for energy loss was calculated by combining Stefan–Boltzmann's law and Kirchoff's law for imperfections in black‐body radiation, taking into account the likely thermal conductivity of the human cornea.

Results:
The average normal subject has a threshold for detecting a cooling effect when the local corneal tear film surface temperature drops from a mean of 33.2–32.9°C (i.e. 0.3°C), over a 1 mm diameter circular area (0.785 mm
2
), and a stimulus time duration of 0.9s. This gives rise to a sensation threshold for perceiving a loss of heat energy of 7.0ergs, or 7.0×10
−7 joules.

Conclusion: The cornea possesses stimulus specific receptors, which have an exquisite sensitivity to a rapid, thermally cooling stimulus.