bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measuring client participation in individual programme planning meetings
Authors: Alexander Michelle , Hegarty John R.
Published: March 2003

Clients should participate in their individual programme planning (IPP) meetings, but the question is: Do they? It would help staff in supporting their clients if a simple method were available for measuring client participation. The present article describes the development of such a method and its use with one client in a routine IPP meeting. An IPP participation checklist (IPPPC) was developed to assess the participation of one client, Mr B, who has limited verbal communication skills, at his IPP meeting. A questionnaire for staff was also devised to gauge their perceptions of Mr B's participation at the same meeting. Mr B actively participated in much of the meeting; the IPPPC highlighted areas in which he did not participate. Staff members' ratings of his participation were in close agreement. Client attendance at a meeting does not guarantee active participation. The IPPPC shows how far the client has participated in specific aspects of a meeting. It may be possible to increase client participation by the introduction of keyworker meetings, management support and IPP guidelines. The regular use of the IPPPC described in the present paper will guide staff in what to look for when assessing participation and may be especially valuable during staff training.
Development of a specialized psychiatric service for people with learning disabilities and mental health problems: report of a project from Kwai Chung Hospital, Hong Kong
Authors: Kwok Henry W. M.
Published: March 2003

With the promotion of the concepts of normalization and integration, the mental health needs of people with learning disabilities are increasingly being recognized in Hong Kong. The present paper describes the development of a specialized psychiatric unit in Kwai Chung Hospital that was designed to provide mental health care for people with learning disabilities. A hospital‐based system with multidisciplinary input and strong community linkage was adopted to suit the local situation, and this was funded almost entirely by redistributing existing resources. Since the service came into operation, the responses received from patients, carers and other service providers in the community have been highly favourable. This project is important because it signifies a major step forward in the health care of people with learning disabilities in Hong Kong.
Barriers to accessing leisure opportunities for people with learning disabilities
Authors: Beart Suzie , Hawkins Debbie , Kroese Biza Stenfert , Smithson Paul , Tolosa Inigo
Published: March 2003

Five focus groups (i.e. small discussion groups consisting of service users) were held within a variety of specialized services for people with learning disabilities. The aim of these focus groups was to determine which leisure opportunities young people and adults (≥ 16 years) with a mild/moderate learning disability currently accessed, which activities they would wish to access and the perceived barriers to leisure access. It was found that participants undertook a wide variety of community‐based leisure pursuits. Many of these activities took place in day centre time, as opposed to genuine leisure time. A range of activities which participants would wish to try in the future were identified. However, there were a number of perceived barriers which would make it difficult to access these opportunities. All five groups identified these barriers as being a lack of transport and carer/friend support. This is in line with previous research. Only two out of the five groups saw money as a barrier to accessing leisure opportunities.
An investigation into carers' perceptions of the verbal comprehension ability of adults with severe learning disabilities
Authors: Banat D. , Summers S. , Pring T.
Published: March 2003

The present paper reports the findings of a study into care staff perceptions of the language comprehension levels of adults with learning disabilities. Members of staff were asked to estimate their clients' comprehension of sentences at different levels of difficulty and these estimates were compared with actual test results obtained from the clients. Differences between the estimates and the actual scores increased with the difficulty of the sentences. At the highest level of difficulty, staff consistently overestimated the clients' ability, while both under‐ and overestimation occurred at the lower levels. These findings have implications for the care of and acquisition of skills by people with learning disabilities, and for the training of care staff.
A preliminary investigation into staff satisfaction, and staff emotions and attitudes in a unit for men with learning disabilities and serious challenging behaviours
Authors: Bell Dorothy M. , Espie Colin A.
Published: March 2003

People with learning disabilities who also exhibit challenging behaviour live in a social context that should be considered in order to understand and deal with their behaviours. This context includes the characteristics of staff members, and their satisfaction with the whole culture and environment in which they work. The social context will also affect and be affected by staff emotions and attitudes towards the residents in that living environment. The present paper describes a preliminary investigation into staff satisfaction, and staff emotions and attitudes towards residents in a traditional setting for people with both learning disabilities and serious challenging behaviours and it discusses the implications for future research. The findings indicate that staff satisfaction was low and could be improved considerably in terms of management support. However, the level of satisfaction in working with the residents in the unit was high, as were the perceptions of practical support from immediate colleagues. The results also showed the coexistence of different attitudes and emotions which could be described as positive and negative in individual staff members. To assess this, the present authors used a new, 13‐item analogue measure, the Attitudes to People Who Display Challenging Behaviour questionnaire. The level of such attitudes and feelings in this particular context did not vary noticeably relative to whether staff members felt well supported by the service or not. This new measure may well have applications in future research in this area.
Springfield: education for adults with learning disabilities
Authors: Logan Ellis
Published: March 2003

The present paper gives an overview of some of the modular day courses offered and, in some cases, developed by tutors at a former hospital school providing education to adults with severe learning disabilities. The aims of the courses were cognitive and personal development, as well as aesthetic and spiritual enrichment. Art history was offered as an activity within the Open University ‘Learning Disability − Working as Equal People’ course, and the students' responses to paintings were deep and remarkable. In a play‐writing course, tutors acted as ‘writing hands’ and the resultant plays were given a rehearsed reading. Some poetry was also produced.
Dilemmas in the community risk management of sexually offensive behaviour
Authors: Robertson John , Clegg Jennifer
Published: March 2003

A small group of experienced community workers providing risk management for men with learning disabilities who sexually offend was studied. Attribution statements participants made about their risk appraisals were analysed using the Leeds Attributional Coding System (LACS). Results highlight the effort participants made to obtain sufficient information. They focused on factors external to the service‐user for most effective risk management, but their confidence was undermined by other staff minimizing the importance of such risks. Services that fail to develop specialist risk assessment skills and to address the modest ‘economics of effort’ required for effective practice may compromise risk management by community staff.
The use of the Personal Home Page by adults with Down's syndrome as a tool for managing identity and friendship
Authors: Seale Jane K. , Pockney Rebecca
Published: March 2003

There has been considerable debate regarding whether people with a learning disability should be encouraged to develop friendships with disabled or nondisabled people and what influence this might have on their sense of identity. It is also increasingly recognized that the Personal Home Page is a useful tool for making contact with potential friends and for managing identity. This paper explores the extent to which people with Down's syndrome are using Personal Home Pages to make and maintain friendships and, thus, say something about the self‐image they wish to portray. The Personal Home Pages of five Internet Service Providers were sampled and 16 Personal Home Pages of adults with Down's syndrome were found that referred in some way to friendships. A thematic analysis of these pages indicated that the authors could be attempting to present an image of themselves as someone who is capable of having friends. Analysis of the guest‐book messages also revealed that the readers of the Home Pages were responding to these attempts at initiating a relationship. Further work needs to be done to develop the sampling methodology in order to enable further exploration of what influences the publication of these Home Pages.
Invasion of a karst aquifer by hydrothermal fluids: evidence from stable isotopic compositions of cave mineralization
Authors: Bottrell S. H. , Crowley S. , Self C.
Published: March 2003

Mineral deposits in the Cupp‐Coutunn/Promeszutochnaya cave system (Turkmenia, central Asia) record a phase of hydrothermal activity within a pre‐existing karstic groundwater conduit system. Hydrothermal fluids entered the caves through fault zones and deposited sulphate, sulphide and carbonate minerals under phreatic conditions. Locally, intense alteration of limestone wall rocks also occurred at this stage. Elsewhere in the region, similar faults contain economic quantities of galena and elemental sulphur mineralization. Comparisons between the Pb and S isotope compositions of minerals found in cave and ore deposits confirm the link between economic mineralization and hydrothermal activity at Cupp‐Coutunn. The predominance of sulphate mineralization in Cupp‐Coutunn implies that the fluids were more oxidized in the higher permeability zone associated with the karst aquifer. A slight increase in the δ34S of sulphate minerals and a corresponding δ34S decrease in sulphides suggest that partial isotopic equilibration occurred during oxidation. Carbonate minerals indicate that the hydrothermal fluid was enriched in 18O (δ18OSMOW ∼ + 10‰) relative to meteoric groundwater and seawater. Estimated values for δ13CDIC (δ13CPDB ∼ − 13‰) are consistent with compositions expected for dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) derived from the products of thermal decomposition of organic matter and dissolution of marine carbonate. Values derived for δ13CDIC and δ18Owater indicate that the hydrothermal fluid was of basinal brine origin, generated by extensive water–rock interaction.

Following the hydrothermal phase, speleothemic minerals were precipitated under vadose conditions. Speleothemic sulphates show a bimodal sulphur isotope distribution. One group has compositions similar to the hydrothermal sulphates, whilst the second group is characterized by higher δ34S values. This latter group may either record the effects of microbial sulphate reduction, or reflect the introduction of sulphate‐rich groundwater generated by the dissolution of overlying evaporites. Oxygen isotope compositions show that calcite speleothems were precipitated from nonthermal groundwater of meteoric origin. Carbonate speleothems are relatively enriched in 13C compared to most cave deposits, but can be explained by normal speleothem‐forming processes under thin, arid‐zone soils dominated by C4 vegetation. However, the presence of sulphate speleothems, with isotopic compositions indicative of the oxidation of hydrothermal sulphide, implies that CO2 derived by reaction of limestone with sulphuric acid (‘condensation corrosion’) contributed to the formation of 13C‐enriched speleothem deposits.
Fluid flow and the Heart Mountain fault: a stable isotopic, fluid inclusion, and geochronologic study
Authors: Douglas T. A. , Chamberlain C. P. , Poage M. A. , Abruzzese M. , Shultz S. , Henneberry J. , Layer P.
Published: March 2003

Numerous studies have proposed that movement along the 3400‐km2 low‐angle (<3°) Heart Mountain detachment fault of north‐western Wyoming and south‐western Montana was facilitated by the presence of lubricating fluids. A recent stable isotope study suggested that the fluids along the Heart Mountain fault originated from large hydrothermal systems associated with Eocene intrusive centers. Herein, we present results from a combined stable isotope, fluid inclusion, and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology study of the relationship between shallow crustal fluids from Eocene intrusive centers in the New World Mining district and fluids associated with the Heart Mountain fault. Our results suggest that: (i) Eocene intrusive bodies within the New World Mining District focused hydrothermal fluids along specific units and structures from the ore deposit centers along the Heart Mountain fault detachment surface; (ii) hydrothermal waters were focused along the Heart Mountain fault from the breakaway region near Silvergate, Montana toward Heart Mountain in Cody, Wyoming; and (iii) hydrothermal activity along the Heart Mountain fault occurred at the same time as emplacement of the Eocene intrusives, between 50.1 and 48.1 Ma. These data, taken together, suggest that the hydrothermal activity generated by intrusion of Eocene rhyodacites and dacites provided the source of fluids found along the Heart Mountain fault plane.
Rapid, inexpensive, actionable concept generation and optimization: the use and promise of self‐authoring conjoint analysis for the food service industry
Authors: Moskowitz, Howard R. , Gofman, Alex , Itty, Barbara , Katz, Rachel , Manchaiah Mahdu , Ma Zhenyu
Published: March 2003

This paper presents the background thinking, needs identification, technology, and user issues that have led to the creation of a self‐authoring system for conjoint measurement appropriate to the food service industry. Self‐authoring systems allow the user to create the study, deploy it on the Internet, and collect the data, without the help of a professional researcher or programming expert. The technology uses conjoint measurement, and is embodied in an Internet ASP system (application service provider) called IdeaMap®.Net. The technology empowers the user to do conjoint analysis studies rapidly and cost‐effectively, and to solicit new ideas from the same respondents who participate. This paper demonstrates IdeaMap®.Net for food service issues, but the applications transcend particular issues and problems, finding applicability in a broad range of topics.
Handling money and serving ready‐to‐eat food
Authors: Michaels Barry
Published: March 2003

Handling money and ready‐to‐eat food with the same gloved hands or without hygiene intervention between these activities can introduce the risk of cross‐contamination to foods provided in food service establishments. Accumulated data obtained over the last 20 years on the microbial status and survival of pathogens on coins and currency notes indicates that this could represent a potential cause of sporadic cases of food borne illness. Survival of various microorganisms of concern on money is such that it could serve as a vehicle for transmission of disease and represents an often overlooked enteric disease reservoir. With low infectious doses capable of causing illness noted for a number of different infectious intestinal diseases, failure to adequately sanitize hands, or use food handling tools (tongs, spoons, utensils or bakery/serving papers) between handling money and serving food, could put patrons at risk.
Hygiene issues associated with food service potholders and oven mitts
Authors: Michaels Barry , Ayers Troy , Birbari Wafa
Published: March 2003

Food service kitchen oven mitts and potholders are indispensable forms of personal protective equipment (PPE). As mitts and potholders are often contaminated with both raw and cooked food soils that support microbial survival and growth, it has been suggested that they present a possible risk to food safety. To ascertain the extent to which these items might contribute to cross‐contamination, 10 dirty oven mitts and 3 dirty potholders obtained from a variety of establishments in the US were surveyed for microbial populations. Aerobic plate counts (APC) as high as 7 × 106 colony forming units (CFU) were found on outer surfaces. Potholders taken from a hospital kitchen were found to have approximately 106 CFU coliforms and B. cereus. Overall, samples examined were seen to have high coliform, B. cereus, and Pseudomonas spp. counts with occasional C. perfringens found. Interior surfaces of mitts, while lower than exterior (geometric mean APC 1.2 × 105 versus 6.0 × 104), were also found to be contaminated with S. aureus. While no E. coli, Listeria spp. or Salmonella spp. were found, indications are that food service PPE offering thermal protection can become contaminated and may, in turn, contaminate hands and food, unless frequently cleaned or sanitized.
The effect of short fire cycles on the cover and density of understorey sprouting species in South African mountain fynbos
Authors: Vlok J. H. J. , Yeaton R. I.
Published: March 2003

Abstract. Two South African mountain fynbos sites were studied to determine the effect of short fire cycles on the cover and density of understorey sprouting species and their subsequent effect on plant‐species richness. Frequent fires (4–6 years between burns) increased the cover of sprouting species by 32% when compared to an adjacent site where the penultimate fire was 28 years previously. There was little or no effect of fire frequency on the densities of understorey sprouters; however, individuals were larger at sites with short fire cycles. The response of individual species of sprouters was variable with one species, Hypodiscus striatus, showing no response to fire frequency. The impact of sprouting species on the species richness of the plant community was great. The mean number of species recorded in quadrats with a high cover of sprouters was 60% lower in comparison to quadrats with low covers or under the burned skeletons of overstorey proteas. The effect of sprouters was consistent for all functional groups of species (i.e. sprouters, non‐sprouters, short‐lived and long‐lived species), in each case reducing the number of species present.
Effects of physical disturbance and granivory on establishment of native and alien riparian trees in Colorado, U.S.A.
Authors: Katz Gabrielle L. , Friedman Jonathan M. , Beatty Susan W.
Published: March 2003

In western North America, the alien Elaeagnus angustifolia L. invades riparian habitats usually dominated by pioneer woody species such as Populus deltoides Marshall ssp. monilifera (Aiton) Eckenwalder. We conducted manipulative field experiments to compare the importance of physical disturbance and granivory for seedling establishment of these two species. We planted seeds of both species in disturbed and undisturbed study plots, and used exclosures, seed dish trials and live‐trapping to assess the role of granivory. Seedling establishment of both species was increased by physical disturbance and seeds of both species were subject to granivory. However, the relative importance of these two factors differed between species. For P. deltoides, lack of physical disturbance prevented seedling establishment in uncleared subplots, but granivory did not prevent seedling establishment outside of exclosures. For E. angustifolia, granivory prevented seedling establishment outside of exclosures, but lack of physical disturbance did not prevent establishment in uncleared subplots. The lesser dependence on disturbance may enable E. angustifolia to invade areas characterized by low levels of fluvial disturbance, such as floodplains along regulated rivers, where P. deltoides recruitment does not occur. Populations of granivorous rodents may affect the susceptibility of riparian ecosystems to invasion by E. angustifolia.
Aerial colonization of high Arctic islands by invertebrates: the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) as a potential indicator species
Authors: Coulson S. J. , Hodkinson I. D. , Webb N. R. , Mikkola K. , Harrison J. A. , Pedgley D. E.
Published: March 2003

Abstract. The restricted animal communities of the high Arctic islands are due, in part, to extreme geographical isolation. Migration via wind currents is one mechanism by which invasion of new species may occur. Here, we describe immigration of the non‐resident migratory moth, Plutella xylostella, into Svalbard during 2000. This was associated with a warm south‐easterly air mass that crossed from W. Russia: moths appear to have covered the 800 km to Svalbard in under 48 h, flying at an altitude between 500 and 1500 m. These events thus provide a case study for wind‐dispersed movements of invertebrates to high Arctic regions. Climate change scenarios predict increased frequency of such air masses and also of the warm dry weather associated with increased aerial insect transport. The general factors determining successful colonization of the high Arctic by wind‐dispersed animals are discussed, using P. xylostella as a model species whose important life history and physiological attributes are well known.
Species richness and floristic relationships between mesas and their surroundings in southern African Nama Karoo
Authors: Burke Antje , Esler Karen J. , Pienaar Eugene , Barnard Phoebe
Published: March 2003

Abstract. Floristic composition of 14 mesas (i.e. flat‐top mountains) in four different study areas was investigated in southern African Nama Karoo. The study areas were arranged along a latitude gradient. Two simple questions were asked: are mesas potential conservation islands (a) in terms of re‐colonization potential and (b) in terms of species richness? Detailed vegetation surveys along a transect from the plains to the top of each mesa were summarized to obtain species composition for the three main habitats: plain, slopes and plateau. Floristic similarities between plains and mesa habitats were used to answer question (a), and species richness was used to answer question (b). Geographic position, high within‐area variability and elevation were found to largely influence the findings, resulting in only few consistent trends. The main findings of this study were, however: (1) mesas can act as sources for re‐colonization as well as havens for species adapted to mountain habitats. (2) Considering total species richness, mesa habitats were richer in species than plains in the northern, but not the southernmost study area. (3) Scaled by area, mesa plateaus emerged as the most species‐rich in all study areas. (4) Smaller and medium‐sized mesas showed greater re‐colonization potential, i.e. shared more species with their surrounding plains. (5) Medium‐sized to larger mesas supported plant communities more distinct from the surrounding plains. (6) A cut‐off point of approximately 240 m above the surrounding plain was indicated for the shift from ‘re‐colonization’ to ‘remnant’ function. These findings stress the importance for the protection of mesa habitats in view of increasing human pressure on mountain habitats.
Benzodiazepines protect against ethanol‐induced gastric mucosal damage in vitro*
Authors: Hummadi Yassir M. Al‐Mulla , Najim Rafid A. , Farjou Imad B.
Published: March 2003

The protective effects of drugs acting at the benzodiazepine receptors against ethanol‐induced gastric damage were investigated using a newly developed in vitro model of the ethanol‐induced gastric damage. The rat stomachs were isolated from the whole animal and kept in Kreb’s solution at 37 °C. Gastric damage was induced by administration of 1 mL of 50% V/V ethanol into the isolated rat stomach. Administration of the benzodiazepine agonist, clonazepam (25, 50, 100 μg), or the partial benzodiazepine inverse agonist Ro15–4513 (50 or 100 μg), significantly protected against ethanol‐induced gastric damage when these agents were administered 15 min before ethanol. The protective effects of these drugs were blocked by the benzodiazepine receptor antagonist flumazenil (200–400 μg). Flumazenil alone was found to aggravate ethanol‐induced gastric damage (200–400 μg). The results of this study give evidence for the involvement of central‐type benzodiazepine receptors located in the stomach in the protective action of benzodiazepines against ethanol‐induced gastric damage.
Serum uric acid levels: a useful but not absolute marker of compliance with fenofibrate treatment
Authors: Kiortsis Dimitri N. , Elisaf Moses S.
Published: March 2003

The purpose of our study was to investigate whether measurement of serum uric acid levels is a reliable method to assess adherence to fenofibrate treatment. This was a 21 week, open‐label study conducted in our lipid clinic. After an 8 week dietary baseline phase, we implemented a treatment phase, during which patients received 200 mg/day micronized fenofibrate for 3 months. Serum lipid profiles, including levels of lipoprotein(a) and fibrinogen, serum uric acid, as well as muscle and liver enzymes, were measured after the dietary phase, and at the end of the 3 month treatment period. Compliance was assessed using a clinical interview. A significant decrease in serum uric acid levels was observed in the good compliers, while no significant change was noticed in the poor compliers. The good compliers had lower serum uric acid concentrations compared to the poor compliers (P < 0.01) after fenofibrate treatment. Furthermore, they demonstrated lower levels of triglycerides and higher high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations (P < 0.05 for both parameters). The results show that serum uric acid concentrations may be used as a useful tool to assess compliance with fenofibrate therapy.
Nimesulide and diclofenac inhibit lipopolysaccharide‐induced hypothermia and tumour necrosis factor‐α elevation in rats†
Authors: Devrim Dogan Muberra , Ataoglu Haluk , Akarsu Eyup S.
Published: March 2003

The effects of nimesulide and diclofenac on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced rectal temperature changes and serum tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α elevation were investigated in rats. LPS (Escherichia coli O111:B4; 50 µg/kg, intraperitoneally) produces a dual body temperature response, in which initial hypothermia precedes fever. Serum TNF‐α levels rise during the initial phase of the induced hypothermia. Nimesulide, a preferential inhibitor of cyclooxygenase‐2 (0.05, 0.5 or 1 mg/kg, subcutaneously) completely abolished the hypothermia, resulting in an acceleration of the fever phase. However, the peak and plateau phases of fever were not changed by nimesulide treatment. Nimesulide (0.5 mg/kg) partially prevented serum TNF‐α elevation. The non‐selective cyclooxygenase inhibitor diclofenac inhibited hypothermia at all doses tested (0.03, 0.3 or 3 mg/kg, subcutaneously) although fever was completely abolished at the 3 mg/kg dose only. Diclofenac also partially abolished the elevation in serum TNF‐α levels, but at the highest dose only (3 mg/kg). These data suggest that nimesulide and diclofenac can preferentially inhibit LPS‐induced hypothermia at doses that do not abolish fever in rats. Both these drugs also reduced elevated TNF‐α levels, a fact which may, at least partly, explain the antihypothermic effect of nimesulide.
Pharmacogenetics of the major polymorphic metabolizing enzymes
Authors: Daly A. K.
Published: March 2003

There is increasing information available on the existence of polymorphisms in genes encoding xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes and the functional significance of many of these. In addition to genes long recognized as being polymorphic, such as CYP2D6, CYP2C19 and CYP2C9, there is now information available on the existence of polymorphisms in other cytochrome P450 genes such as CYP2A6, CYP2B6 and CYP2C8. With respect to phase II metabolism, polymorphisms in GSTM1, GSTT1, NAT2 and TPMT are well understood but information is also emerging on other GST polymorphisms and on polymorphisms in the UDP‐glucuronosyltransferases and sulfotransferases. The availability of comprehensive information on the occurrence and functional significance of polymorphisms affecting drug metabolism should facilitate their application to pharmacogenomic profiling.
Excessive daytime sleepiness and ‘sleep attacks’ induced by entacapone
Authors: Bareš Martin , Kaňovský Petr , Rektor Ivan
Published: March 2003

Three patients with advanced Parkinson's disease, all of whom developed excessive daytime sleepiness and ‘sleep attacks’ after the administration of entacapone, are described. This is another demonstration that inappropriate daytime sleep episodes are not exclusive to dopamine agonists.
Sympatho‐inhibitory actions of irbesartan in pithed spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar–Kyoto rats
Authors: Balt Jippe C. , Mathy Marie‐Jeanne , Pfaffendorf Martin , van Zwieten Pieter A.
Published: March 2003

Angiotensin II (Ang II) can enhance sympathetic neurotransmission by acting on (AT1) receptors that are located on sympathetic nerve terminals. We investigated presynaptic blockade by the selective AT1‐receptor antagonist irbesartan in pithed spontaneously hypertensive rats and normotensive Wistar–Kyoto rats (WKY). We compared the presynaptic inhibitory dose with that required for the blockade of AT1‐receptors on vascular smooth muscle in both strains.

To investigate blockade of presynaptic AT1‐receptors, we studied the effect of irbesartan on the sequelae of electric stimulation of the thoraco‐lumbar sympathetic outflow (0.25–8 Hz). To study the interaction between postsynaptic AT1‐blockers and α‐adrenoceptors, the effects of irbesartan on pressor responses to exogenous noradrenaline (NA) were established. Additionally, we studied the effect of irbesartan on dose–response curves for the vasocontriction induced by exogenous Ang II.

Pressor responses to electrical stimulation of thoracolumbar sympathetic neurones, to exogenous Ang II, as well as to (NA) were enhanced in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) compared with WKY.

The stimulation‐induced rise in DBP could be dose‐dependently reduced by irbesartan (0.3–10 mg/kg) in both SHR and WKY. The pIC50 values (doses which suppress the rise in DBP by 50% compared with control) were 5.60 ± 0.09 and 5.72 ± 0.08 for SHR and WKY, respectively (P > 0.05). In SHR, no effect of irbesartan (3 mg/kg) on pressor responses to exogenous NA was observed. In contrast, in WKY, irbesartan (3 mg/kg) caused a rightward shift of the dose–response curve to exogenous NA.

Irbesartan (0.3–3 mg/kg) caused a depression of Emax values and a rightward shift of the dose–response curves to exogenous Ang II in a similar fashion in both SHR and WKY.

From these results we conclude thatboth in SHR and in WKY, Ang II exerts a facilitatory effect on sympathetic neurotransmission, which is mediated by prejunctional AT1‐receptors in both strains. Irbesartan displays comparable sympatho‐inhibitory potency in the normotensive and hypertensive pithed rat preparations. A facilitatory effect via postsynaptically located AT1‐receptors on α‐adrenoceptor‐mediated responses exists in WKY, but not in SHR. In both strains the required dose to inhibit presynaptic effects is somewhat higher than the dose required to inhibit postsynaptic effects. No differences, therefore, seem to exist between the two strains regarding the affinity of irbesartan for pre‐ and postjunctional AT1‐receptors, respectively.
Evidence for electrical remodelling of the atrial myocardium in patients with atrial fibrillation. A study using the monophasic action potential recording technique
Authors: Hertervig Eva J. , Yuan Shiwen , Carlson Jonas , Kongstad‐Rasmussen Ole , Olsson S. Bertil
Published: March 2003

Experimental studies have shown that remodelling of the atrial myocardium is linked to the occurrence and perpetuation of atrial fibrillation (AF). Clinical evidence, however, is insufficient. We recorded monophasic action potentials (MAP) during AF from one to three sites in the right atrium in seven patients with chronic AF (CAF) and in 11 patients with paroxysmal AF (PAF). The fibrillatory (FF) interval between two consecutive upstrokes of the MAP was measured using a computer‐assisted manual method. The mean, median, 15th, 10th, 5th percentile and shortest FF intervals were calculated in each patient and used as estimates of the local atrial effective refractory period (AERP) during AF. In three patients burst pacing at 400 and 500 beats min–1 was delivered during the MAP recording. In nine patients, the AERP was also tested using the extra stimulus technique during sinus rhythm. Results: Thirty‐eight recordings were obtained. The shortest FF interval was significantly shorter in patients with CAF as compared with that in patients with PAF (50 ± 13 vs. 72 ± 31 ms, P<0·05). Similar differences were seen in the mean, median, 15th, 10th, and 5th percentile FF interval. The AERP during sinus rhythm was significantly longer than the estimated AERPs (P<0·05 to P<0·01) in the nine patients. There was no significant difference in FF interval before and after the burst pacing in the three patients. Conclusion: The AERP was significantly shortened during AF, as compared with that during sinus rhythm, and the AERP shortening was more marked in patients with CAF than in patients with PAF. These clinical findings support the connection between the electrical remodelling and the occurrence and/or perpetuation of the AF.
Post‐occlusion brachial artery vasodilatation after ischaemic handgrip exercise is nitric oxide mediated
Authors: Agewall Stefan , Hulthe Johannes , Fagerberg Björn , Gottfridsson Bengt , Wikstrand John
Published: March 2003

Flow‐mediated vasodilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery is used as a measure to quantify endothelial dysfunction. However, FMD after occlusion only is small in healthy people over middle age, but can be increased after handgrip exercise. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether postocclusion vasodilatation after handgrip exercise is mediated by nitric oxide (NO). High frequency ultrasound was used to measure brachial artery diameter at rest and after reactive hyperaemia with and without handgrip exercise during NaCl or NG‐monomethyl‐L‐arginine (L‐NMMA) infusion in healthy 60‐year‐old men. Postocclusion vasodilation was significantly larger after handgrip exercise compared with occlusion only (P=0·0078). Postocclusion vasodilatation was significantly lower after ischaemic handgrip exercise during intra‐arterial infusion of L‐NMMA compared with infusion of NaCl (P=0·039). It may be concluded that the increased postocclusion brachial artery vasodilatation observed after ischaemic handgrip exercise is at least partly NO mediated. This modification of the investigation procedure may improve our ability to quantify FMD in subjects with and without vascular disease.
Are soft tissue composition of bone and non‐bone pixels in spinal bone mineral measurements by DXA similar? Impact of weight loss
Authors: Svendsen Ole Lander , Hendel Helle W. , Gotfredsen Anders , Pedersen Birthe Højlund , Andersen Teis
Published: March 2003

Weight loss seems associated with a decrease in bone mineral density (BMD) as measured by absorptiometry, which may be the result of accuracy errors caused by differences in soft tissue between non‐bone and bone pixels. The aim was to study the abdominal fat% and thickness in regions corresponding to non‐bone, soft tissue‐only and bone pixels for spinal BMD measurements by dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA), and to calculate the theoretical errors in measurement of changes in BMD by DXA as a result of changes in soft tissue heterogeneity with weight loss. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) and DXA scans were performed in 34 obese subjects (42·1 ± 10·1 years (mean ± SD), wt: 102·1 ± 12·8 kg and BMI: 36·6 ± 3·8 kg m–2) before and after weight loss (11·3 ± 6·9 kg after 1 year). There were some significant differences in fat% and thickness of soft tissue between abdominal regions corresponding to non‐bone and bone pixels, respectively, for spinal BMD measurements by DXA, both before and after weight loss. With weight loss there were some changes in the soft tissue heterogeneity, which caused a minor theoretical error (apparent, but false decrease of 1–2%) of borderline significance for the anterior–posterior (AP) spinal BMD by DXA.
Skeletal muscle mitochondrial ATP production rate and walking performance in peripheral arterial disease
Authors: Hou X.‐Y. , Green S. , Askew C.D. , Barker G. , Green A. , Walker P.J.
Published: March 2003

This study tested the hypotheses that skeletal muscle mitochondrial ATP production rate (MAPR) is impaired in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and that it relates positively to their walking performances. Seven untrained patients, eight exercise‐trained patients and 11 healthy controls completed a maximal walking test and had muscle sampled from the gastrocnemius medialis muscle. Muscle was analysed for its MAPR in the presence of pyruvate, palmitoyl‐L‐carnitine or both, as well as citrate synthase (CS) activity. MAPRs were not different between untrained PAD and controls. In contrast, MAPRs (pyruvate) were significantly higher in trained PAD vs. controls. MAPR (pyruvate combinations) was also significantly higher in trained than untrained PAD muscle. MAPR and CS activity were highly correlated with walking performance in patients, but not in controls. These data do not support the hypothesis that isolated mitochondria are functionally impaired in PAD and demonstrate that the muscle mitochondrial capacity to oxidize carbohydrate is positively related to walking performance in these patients.
Use of Linkage Disequilibrium Data to Estimate Effective Size of Hatchery and Natural Fish Populations
Authors: Bartley Devin , Bagley Mark , Gall Graham , Bentley Boyd
Published: March 2003

A primary parameter in the assessment of the viability of a population is its effective population size (Ne). Allozyme analysis of four groups of fishes provided data on linkage disequilibrium, which were then used to estimate Ne. The groups included hatchery samples of juvenile white seabass, Atractoscion nobilis, juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, from the Shasta Hatchery, and juvenile chinook salmon, O. tshawytscha, from the Coleman National Fish Hatchery. The fourth sample consisted of juvenile chinook salmon from the threatened winter run in the upper Sacramento River. The groups of fish were chosen to represent different applications of the methodology to conservation of fishes. For a variety of reasons. Ne may be considerably lower than census counts of fish present in the parental populations. The Ne of the hatchery broodstock that produced the sample of juvenile white seabass was estimated to be approximately 10, although 25 adult white seabass were present in a mass spawning tank. Ne estimates for the parental populations of the Shasta and Coleman Hatchery samples were 35.8 and 132.5, respectively. The actual number of fish spawned at the Shasta Hatchery was approximately 40, whereas nearly 10,000 salmon were spawned at the Coleman Hatchery. The threatened winter run of chinook salmon had an estimated Ne of 85.5 and an approximate run size of 2000 salmon. The method of estimating effective population size from linkage disequilibrium data appears to result in realistic estimates of effective population size when adequate sample size and a sufficient number of polymorphic loci are available.
Rarity of Organisms in the Sand Pine Scrub Habitat of Florida
Authors: McCoy Earl D. , Mushinsky Henry R.
Published: March 2003

Naturalists conceive of “rare” organisms as those narrow in geographic range, restricted to few habitats, or small in population sizes. Because rare organisms may be rare in a variety of ways, a particular conservation strategy that purports to protect them may not do so effectively in all cases; therefore, categorization of rarity in advance could help ensure that the chosen strategy has a reasonable chance of success in a particular case. We placed plants, amphibians, and reptiles resident in the Sand Pine scrub habitat of Florida into categories of rarity. Determining if and in what way a particular organism is rare proved difficult, because the process requires exact specification of what is meant by “narrow,”“restricted,” and “small.” Furthermore, the process requires choice of a scale for judging rarity and relies upon data that are likely to be of variable availability and reliability. We categorized rarity by several schemes, and they produced distributions of taxa among categories of rarity that largely were similar to one another but that diverged in telling ways. The distributions of taxa among categories of rarity produced by any scheme were different for scrub plants than for scrub amphibians and reptiles. Likewise, these distributions were different than those produced by previously published studies of rarity. We found that the results of our categorization schemes did not match particularly well with the official listing of scrub organisms as endangered or potentially endangered.
Mechanized Logging, Market Hunting, and a Bank Loan in Congo
Authors: Wilkie David S. , Sidle John G. , Boundzanga Georges C.
Published: March 2003

Financing for logging of tropical moist forests in the Republic of Congo is commonly sought in the form of loans from multilateral development banks. Pressure from nongovernmental conservation organizations and from within the banks themselves has resulted in their beginning to assess the environmental consequences of such loans. We conducted one of the first such assessments of an African Development Bank loan to a logging company. Geographic isolation, resulting transportation costs, and market demands have forced commercial loggers within the Sangha region of Congo to exploit only the most valuable timber. This form of timber extraction destroys an average of 6.8% of the canopy and thus, unlike clear cutting, was expected to have a minimal impact on wildlife populations. Line transect counts showed, however, that primate abundance was exceedingly low in logged forest. We believe this is not a direct consequence of canopy reduction, but results from the extremely intensive market hunting that coincides with timber surveying and extraction. Weapons and hunting camps were common, and logging company vehicles transported primates, duikers and other game daily. Wildlife laws of Congo are openly violated and they are not enforced. While market hunting is clearly facilitated and intensified by the presence of logging concessions, it is the Congo’s highly urbanized population that provides the ever growing demand for meat, a demand not being met through animal husbandry. Thus, although selective logging in the absence of hunting may have only limited adverse effects on wildlife, when the two are combined the consequences are grave for the Sangha region’s wildlife. Loans to logging companies from the African Development Bank should incorporate conditions for ensuring wildlife conservation.
Beyond “Hotspots”: How to Prioritize Investments to Conserve Biodiversity in the Indo‐Pacific Region
Authors: Dinerstein Eric , Wikramanayake Eric D.
Published: March 2003

We present a conservation index based upon the interaction of the size of terrestrial protected areas, remaining forest habitat, deforestation rates, and biological richness to identify conservation potentials, threats, and strategies for 23 Indo‐Pacific countries. This conservation potential/threat index shows that four of the largest and most species‐rich countries—China, Indonesia, India, and Thailand—contain 82% of the region’s large reserves (more than 1000 km2) and 86% of the region’s area designated for protection. The skewed regional distribution and small number of large reserves per country call for the expansion of existing protected areas and, where possible the establishment of new parks and transfrontier reserves. The index indicates high potential for conservation efforts in Papua New Guinea, Laos, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands, which have a high percentage of remaining forested habitats. high species richness, or endemism, but which lack comprehensive protected area systems. The index also predicts that if current rates of deforestation continue, only Brunei, Bhutan, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Malaysia will have adequate proportions of their respective land areas under some form of protection while still maintaining a minimal percentage (20% or more) of forested habitat outside reserves. Based on the regional analysis, we identify priority countries for investment in biodiversity conservation, and we evaluate funding responses earmarked for those countries. We then show how the index can be adapted to different geographical scales using examples from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Effective Population Size in Red‐Cockaded Woodpeckers: Population and Model Differences
Authors: Reed J. Michael , Walters Jeffrey R. , Emigh Ted E. , Seaman D. Erran
Published: March 2003

Loss of genetic variability in isolated populations is an important issue for conservation biology. Most studies involve only a single population of a given species and a single method of estimating rate of loss. Here we present analyses for three different Red‐cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) populations from different geographic regions. We compare two different models for estimating the expected rate of loss of genetic variability, and test their sensitivity to model parameters. We found that the simpler model (Reed et al. 1988) consistently estimated a greater rate of loss of genetic variability from a population than did the Emigh and Pollak (1979) model. The ratio of effective population size (which describes the expected rate of loss of genetic variability) to breeder population size varied widely among Red‐cockaded Woodpecker populations due to geographic variation in demography. For this species, estimates of effective size were extremely sensitive to survival parameters, but not to the probability of breeding or reproductive success. Sensitivity was sufficient that error in estimating survival rates in the field could easily mask true population differences in effective size. Our results indicate that accurate and precise demographic data are prerequisites to determining effective population size for this species using genetic models, and that a single estimate of rate of loss of genetic variability is not valid across populations.
Evolutionary and Conservation Biology of Cichlid Fishes as Revealed by Faunal Remnants in Northern Lake Victoria
Authors: Kaufman Les , Ochumba Peter
Published: March 2003

Lake Victoria until recently harbored the world’s second richest lacustrine fish assemblage, but it is now experiencing a mass extinction. Here we report on the current status of the endemic cichlid fishes from a preliminary biotic inventory conducted as part of limnological reconnaissance in Kenyan and Ugandan waters during 1989–1992. Sixty‐two haplochromine taxa were recovered, half of them new. Some are local endemics, while others are more widely distributed, based on review of earlier collections. Comparison with data from 1982–1984 and 1988 suggests that some shoreline assemblages have been locally stable over the past decade. In addition to littoral rock and vegetation, four kinds of refugia for indigenous fishes are recognized: (1) schools of Rastrineobola, (2) benthic microbial mats in deep water, (3) satellite lakes, (4) the oxycline. Reconnaissance by remote operated vehicle (ROV) documented fish kills due to deoxygenation of the water column, indicating the risk of using the oxycline as a refugium. Several species formerly abundant in Lake Victoria were found only in satellite lakes, revealing the importance of these lakes in the conservation of indigenous species. Recent events in Lake Victoria shed light on mechanisms of speciation and mass extinction, insights relevant to conservation planning for the valuable remnants of the lake’s indigenous fauna.