bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serum‐derived exosomes from antigen‐fed mice prevent allergic sensitization in a model of allergic asthma
Authors: Almqvist Nina , Lönnqvist Anna , Hultkrantz Susanne , Rask Carola , Telemo Esbjörn
Published: March 2008

Oral tolerance is an active process that starts with sampling of luminal antigens by the intestinal epithelial cells (IEC), followed by processing and assembly with major histocompatibility complex class II and subsequently a release of tolerogenic exosomes (tolerosomes) from the IEC. We have previously shown that tolerosomes can be isolated from serum shortly after an antigen feed, and will potently transfer antigen‐specific tolerance to naive recipients. Here we study the capacity of the tolerosomes to protect against allergic sensitization in a mouse model of allergic asthma. Serum or isolated serum exosomes from tolerized BALB/c donor mice were transferred to syngeneic recipients followed by sensitization and intranasal exposure to ovalbumin (OVA). Blood, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and lymph nodes were sampled 24 hr after the final exposure. The number of eosinophils was counted in BAL fluid and the levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) and OVA‐specific IgE were measured in serum. Mediastinal and coeliac lymph nodes were analysed by flow cytometry. The animals receiving serum from OVA‐fed mice displayed significantly lower numbers of airway eosinophils and lower serum levels of total IgE as well as of OVA‐specific IgE compared with controls. Moreover, the tolerant animals showed a significantly higher frequency of activated T cells with a regulatory phenotype in both mediastinal and coeliac lymph nodes. The results show that serum or isolated serum exosomes obtained from OVA‐fed mice and administered intraperitoneally to naive recipient mice abrogated allergic sensitization in the recipients.
The modulatory effects of lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated B cells on differential T‐cell polarization
Authors: Xu Hui , Liew Lip Nyin , Kuo I Chun , Huang Chiung Hui , Goh Denise Li‐Meng , Chua Kaw Yan
Published: March 2008

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a major component of environmental microbial products. Studies have defined the LPS dose as a critical determining factor in driving differential T‐cell polarization but the direct effects of LPS on individual antigen‐presenting cells is unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of LPS doses on naive B cells and the subsequent modulatory effects of these LPS‐activated B cells on T‐cell polarization. The LPS was able to induce a proliferative response starting at a dose of 100 ng/ml and was capable of enhancing antigen internalization at a dose of 1 μg/ml in naive B cells. Following LPS stimulation, up‐regulation of the surface markers CD40, CD86, I‐Ad, immunoglobulin M, CD54 and interleukin‐10 production, accompanied by down‐regulation of CD5 and CD184 (CXCR4) were observed in a LPS dose‐dependent manner. Low doses (< 10 ng/ml) of LPS‐activated B cells drove T helper type 2 polarization whereas high doses (> 0·1 μg/ml) of LPS‐activated B cells resulted in T regulatory type 1 cell polarization. In conclusion, LPS‐activated B cells acquire differential modulatory effects on T‐cell polarization. Such modulatory effects of B cells are dependent on the stimulation with LPS in a dose‐dependent manner. These observations may provide one of the mechanistic explanations for the influence of environmental microbes on the development of allergic diseases.
Radicular peroxide penetration from carbamide peroxide gels during intracoronal bleaching
Authors: Gökay O. , Zıraman F. , Çalı Asal A. , Saka O. M.
Published: March 2008

Aim  To evaluate and compare radicular peroxide diffusion from different concentrations of carbamide peroxide bleaching gels.

Methodology  Fifty maxillary premolar teeth were separated into five groups (n = 10). Standardized endodontic access cavities were prepared in the occlusal surfaces, and the root canals were prepared using a step back technique and filled using the lateral compaction technique. The gutta‐percha filling was removed 4 mm short of the cemento‐enamel junction (CEJ) and a 2‐mm‐thick glass–ionomer cement base was placed. Outer root surfaces were sealed with wax and nail polish, leaving the coronal third of the tooth and the CEJ exposed. All teeth were immersed in a plastic tube containing 2 mL of distilled water, and the experimental groups were treated with a bleaching agent of either 10%, 17% or 37% carbamide peroxide (CP) or a mixture of 30% hydrogen peroxide (HP) and sodium perborate (SP) placed into the coronal pulp chamber of teeth and left for 24 h. Peroxide penetration was measured using the ferrothiocyanate method. Statistical analysis of data was conducted by using the Kruskal–Wallis Analysis of Variance and Mann–Whitney U test.

Results  Higher peroxide penetration occurred with the 30% HP‐SP mixture than with the CP bleaching gels, and the 37% CP group also promoted greater peroxide penetration than the other CP groups (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between 10% and 17% CP groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusion  Peroxide penetration of CP gels was significantly lower than that of a HP‐SP mixture.
Influence of core material on fracture resistance and marginal adaptation of restored root filled teeth
Authors: Reill M. I. , Rosentritt M. , Naumann M. , Handel G.
Published: March 2008

Aim  To investigate ex vivo the influence of direct placement core materials on the fracture strength and marginal adaptation of root filled maxillary central incisors restored with glass fibre‐reinforced posts, various core materials and all‐ceramic crowns.

Methodology  Forty‐eight human maxillary incisors were root filled. Posts were placed and teeth restored with composite cores and crowns (n = 8). Six core materials were examined after thermal cyclic and mechanical loading (TCML). Fracture force was determined under static loading. The marginal adaptation at the interfaces between cement‐tooth and cement‐crown were categorized as ‘intact margin’ or ‘marginal gap’ using scanning electron microscopy. Statistical analysis was undertaken with the Mann–Whitney U‐test (α = P ≤ 0.05).

Results  Median fracture strength varied between 204 N (low viscous experimental core) and 1094 N (Multicore). No difference in fracture resistance was found with varying viscosity of the core material. The layering technique improved the fracture performance (P = 0.059) to a minor degree. Crowns with dedicated core materials (Rebilda 1063 N; Multicore 1094 N) had a significantly higher fracture resistance than crowns with a conventional restorative material (Tetric Ceram 509 N). Significantly poorer marginal adaptation before TCML was found for the layering technique at the tooth–cement interface and for all experimental cores after TCML. At the crown–cement interface significant differences in marginal adaptation could be determined between Multicore‐layered core (P = 0.002) and Multicore‐Rebilda (P = 0.001) after TCML.

Conclusions  The fracture strength of post and core restorations was dependent on the core material and bonding system. Marginal adaptation was influenced by the method of application of the core material and by TCML.
Health literacy, complication awareness, and diabetic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Tang Ying Ho , Pang Samantha M.C. , Chan Moon Fai , Yeung Grace S.P. , Yeung Vincent T.F.
Published: March 2008

Title.  Health literacy, complication awareness, and diabetic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to examine the relationship between health literacy, complication awareness and diabetic control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and to validate a Chinese version of the Short‐form Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults.

Background.  There is a rapidly increasing trend in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in Asian countries. Alongside the considerable progress in recent decades of health education in the field of diabetes care, the effects of health literacy and complication awareness have received increasing attention over the past 10 years.

Method.  This study was conducted from September 2005 to February 2006 with 149 Chinese patients (mean = 59·8 years, range: 27–90 years) who were undergoing/had undergone diabetic complication assessment. Survey data were collected using a structured questionnaire incorporating demographics; assessment of complication awareness in two sections: a self‐developed 10‐item patient awareness score and a modified Chinese version of the Summary of Diabetes Self‐Care Activities measure; and health literacy as measured by the Chinese version of the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults. Diabetic control was assessed by the most recent HbA1c level.

Findings.  Health literacy (P < 0·001) and patient awareness scores were negatively correlated to diabetic control (P = 0·035), but management of treatment in the Summary of Diabetes Self‐Care Activities measure (P = 0·030), gender (P = 0·023) and duration of diabetes (P < 0·001) were positively correlated to HbA1c.

Conclusion.  To develop effective patient education and improve patients’ diabetic control and own complications, educational strategies need to consider patients’ health literacy levels and self‐care skills.
Family care of Taiwanese patients who had attempted suicide: a grounded theory study
Authors: Sun Fan‐Ko , Long Ann , Huang Xuan‐Yi , Huang Hui‐Man
Published: March 2008

Title.  Family care of Taiwanese patients who had attempted suicide: a grounded theory study

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to explore family carers’ and suicidal ex‐patients’ perceptions of the home environment and the provision of care in the home.

Background.  Worldwide, in 2000 approximately one million people died from suicide, which is among the three leading causes of death among those aged 15–44 years. Internationally, epidemiological trends show that there has been a rapid increase in suicide rates in many countries, including Taiwan. Families have an important role in caring for a member who is at risk of suicide.

Methods.  Using a grounded theory approach, data were collected in 2006–2007 in two Taiwanese hospitals. Interviews were conducted with suicidal patients who had just been discharged (n = 15) and family members (n = 15). Data were analysed using open, axial and selective coding.

Findings.  For the purpose of a larger study a substantive theory was formulated, which families could use to guide them in the care of a member who is at risk of suicide. Here we report the findings related to the ‘context’ and ‘intervening conditions’ of the grounded theory. Two categories emerged in the ‘context’ element, namely ‘the family environment’ and ‘the Chinese culture’. One category surfaced in the ‘intervening condition’ namely, ‘The provision of care in the home’. This category included three sub‐categories: support systems; coping mechanisms and helping skills.

Conclusion.  Family carers experienced difficulties when caring for a member who had previously attempted suicide. Before patients are discharged from hospital, nurses should educate families on the preventive and caring approaches that they could use in their homes.
Developing evidence‐based practice: experiences of senior and junior clinical nurses
Authors: Gerrish Kate , Ashworth Peter , Lacey Anne , Bailey Jeff
Published: March 2008

Title.  Developing evidence‐based practice: experiences of senior and junior clinical nurses

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to compare factors influencing the development of evidence‐based practice identified by junior and senior nurses.

Background.  Assessing factors influencing the achievement of evidence‐based practice is complex. Consideration needs to be given to a range of factors including different types of evidence, the skills nurses require to achieve evidence‐based practice together with barriers and facilitators. To date, little is known about the relative skills of junior and senior clinical nurses in relation to evidence‐based practice.

Method.  A cross‐sectional survey was undertaken at two hospitals in England, using the Developing Evidence‐Based Practice Questionnaire administered to Registered Nurses (n = 1411). A useable sample of 598 (response rate 42%) was achieved. Data were collected in 2003, with comparisons undertaken between junior and senior nurses.

Findings.  Nurses relied heavily on personal experience and communication with colleagues rather than formal sources of knowledge. All respondents demonstrated confidence in accessing and using evidence for practice. Senior nurses were more confident in accessing all sources of evidence including published sources and the Internet, and felt able to initiate change. Junior nurses perceived more barriers in implementing change, and were less confident in accessing organizational evidence. Junior nurses perceived lack of time and resources as major barriers, whereas senior nurses felt empowered to overcome these constraints.

Conclusion.  Senior nurses are developing skills in evidence‐based practice. However, the nursing culture seems to disempower junior nurses so that they are unable to develop autonomy in implementing evidence‐based practice.
Use of perioperative dialogues with children undergoing day surgery
Authors: Wennström Berith , Hallberg Lillemor R.‐M. , Bergh Ingrid
Published: March 2008

Title.  Use of perioperative dialogues with children undergoing day surgery

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to explore what it means for children to attend hospital for day surgery.

Background.  Hospitalization is a major stressor for children. Fear of separation, unfamiliar routines, anaesthetic/operation expectations/experiences and pain and needles are sources of children’s negative reactions.

Method.  A grounded theory study was carried out during 2005–2006 with 15 boys and five girls (aged 6–9 years) scheduled for elective day surgery. Data were collected using tape‐recorded interviews that included a perioperative dialogue, participant observations and pre‐ and postoperative drawings.

Findings.  A conceptual model was generated on the basis of the core category ‘enduring inflicted hospital distress’, showing that the main problem for children having day surgery is that they are forced into an unpredictable and distressful situation. Pre‐operatively, the children do not know what to expect, as described in the category ‘facing an unknown reality’. Additional categories show that they perceive a ‘breaking away from daily routines’ and that they are ‘trying to gain control’ over the situation. During the perioperative period, the categories ‘losing control’ and ‘co‐operating despite fear and pain’ are present and intertwined. Post‐operatively, the categories ‘breathing a sigh of relief’ and ‘regaining normality in life’ emerged.

Conclusion.  The perioperative dialogue used in our study, if translated into clinical practice, might therefore minimize distress and prepare children for the ‘unknown’ stressor that hospital care often presents. Further research is needed to compare anxiety and stress levels in children undergoing day surgery involving the perioperative dialogue and those having ‘traditional’ anaesthetic care.
Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia (EdFED) scale: cross‐cultural validation of the Chinese version
Authors: Lin Li‐Chan , Watson Roger , Lee Yue‐Chune , Chou Yueh‐Ching , Wu Shiao‐Chi
Published: March 2008

Title.  Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia (EdFED) scale: cross‐cultural validation of the Chinese version

Aim.  This paper is a report of an assessment of the construct validity of the Chinese version of the Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia scale.

Background.  The Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia scale has previously been translated and back‐translated and to determine the equality of the Chinese and English versions. However, the construct validity of the Chinese version has not been investigated.

Methods.  Participants (n = 477) were selected from residents with dementia in licensed long‐term care facilities in Taiwan in 2006–2007. Data collectors received training before observing feeding for 2 days during lunch and dinner. Data were analysed using principal component analysis, Mokken scaling and correlation.

Findings.  A two‐factor structure was demonstrated for the 11 items of the Chinese version of the scale and six items conformed to a Mokken scale. The Chinese version of the scale correlated with external constructs such as weight and body mass index, as predicted by the unmet needs model.

Conclusion.  A confirmatory factor analysis is needed to confirm that the Chinese version measures the same qualities, in the same proportions, and with the same factor structure as the original Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia scale.
Modelling the effects of fertility control on koala–forest dynamics
Authors: Todd Charles R. , Forsyth David M. , Choquenot David
Published: March 2008

Koala Phascolarctos cinereus populations sometimes exhibit eruptive dynamics, increasing to peak abundance and then crashing to low abundance. This dynamic is considered unacceptable because koalas die from starvation and food trees are killed by defoliation. There is concern that such dynamics may be occurring at a number of sites in south‐eastern Australia. The only management option is fertility control of females.

We constructed a simulation model of koalas interacting with their food supply (manna gum Eucalyptus viminalis) in Mount Eccles National Park, Victoria, Australia. The amount of manna gum leaves consumed changed the survival and fecundity rates of koalas, and the amount of leaves removed changed the survival and transition rates of manna gums.

Without fertility control the koala population was predicted to increase to peak abundance within 10–18 years before crashing. The predicted dynamics of manna gum were more variable but abundance increased in most simulations for up to c. 5 years before declining to c. 25% of peak abundance within 20–30 years and then increasing subsequently. The maximum rate of koala population decline was an important determinant of the interaction between koalas and manna gum.

The best management strategy that was analysed involved estimating the number of unsterilized females in the population annually and then sterilizing a variable number to maintain a population of 1000 koalas: this strategy generated the least decline in manna gum at a consistently low cost. However, there was a delay between imposing fertility control and consequent reduction in koala abundance because of high adult female survival rates. Hence manna gum was predicted to decline for 5–10 years before increasing.

Synthesis and applications. Our results highlight important time‐lags between implementing fertility control, reducing the abundance of a herbivore with high survival rates and subsequent changes in the abundance of its food supply. Our model is useful for understanding how controlling ‘overabundant’ herbivores impacts upon the dynamics of both the herbivore and its food supply.
Cut‐over peatland regeneration assessment using organic matter and microbial indicators (bacteria and testate amoebae)
Authors: Laggoun‐Défarge Fatima , Mitchell Edward , Gilbert Daniel , Disnar Jean‐Robert , Comont Laure , Warner Barry G. , Buttler Alexandre
Published: March 2008

Cut‐over peatlands cover large surfaces of high potential value for enhancing biodiversity and carbon sequestration if successfully restored. Unfortunately, evaluation of restoration success is not straightforward. We assessed the bioindicator value of organic matter (OM), testate amoebae (protozoa) and bacteria in peat from two regeneration stages and a reference site of a cut‐over bog.

Contrasting biochemical signatures of peat OM were observed along the regenerating profiles, allowing clear differentiation between the newly regenerated peat and the old peat. Where peat macrofossils were absent sugar biomarkers were used to infer peat botanical origin and OM alteration.

Over the succession, the OM composition of the new peat differed. Peat from the more recent stage was dominated by Sphagnum‐derived tissues and characterized by lower carbohydrate preservation and higher bacterial biomass than the advanced regeneration stage.

Surface testate amoeba communities also changed from the recent to the advanced stages of regeneration, indicating a shift from wet and moderately acidic conditions to drier and more acidic conditions. Over this regeneration sequence (i) the biomass and average size of species declined but were higher at the unexploited site and (ii) species richness and diversity increased but density declined.

Synthesis and applications. Although secondary succession in the cut‐over bog led to an ecosystem similar to that of the reference site in terms of surface vegetation, OM and testate amoebae continued to reflect disturbances associated with peat harvesting. Nevertheless, the described dynamics of both microbial and biochemical variables over the succession showed similarities between the advanced stage and the reference site: a higher testate amoeba diversity was associated with better carbohydrate preservation and a more heterogeneous botanical composition of the peat. The inferred water table depth and pH based on testate amoebae indicators proved to be an alternative approach for assessing restoration processes, in contrast to labour‐intensive repeated measurements in the field. The botanical and biochemical composition of peat OM provided additional information on past anthropogenic perturbations of the bog and could be used for restoration monitoring. The combination of several indicators therefore provides a more complete assessment of ecological conditions that could be valuable for the management of cut‐over peatlands.
A large‐scale comparison of conventional and molecular methods for the evaluation of host–parasitoid associations in non‐target risk‐assessment studies
Authors: Gariepy Tara , Kuhlmann Ulrich , Gillott Cedric , Erlandson Martin
Published: March 2008

Accurate identification of natural enemies is the cornerstone of biological control, and methods that can separate closely related species are essential in ecological studies of parasitoids. Conventionally, host rearing and dissection are used to define the ecological host range of candidate biological control agents and assess host‐specificity of parasitoids. However, molecular methods may be more suitable for the evaluation of host–parasitoid associations.

To demonstrate the utility of molecular diagnostics in ecological host‐range studies on parasitoids ofLygusplant bugs, host rearing, dissection and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis were used to estimate parasitism levels and parasitoid species composition (genusPeristenus) in more than 26 000 field‐collected target and non‐target Miridae.

Parasitism levels estimated by conventional and molecular methods were similar but molecular analysis can detect parasitoids earlier than dissection and rearing. Parasitoid pupal mortality prevented the identification of more than 30% of individuals reared from non‐target host material; however, paired samples analysed with the multiplex assay allowed the identity of these parasitoids to be inferred. Molecular methods can provide different, and generally more complete, parasitoid species composition information because the results are not confounded by the host and parasitoid mortality encountered in rearing. However, detection of a parasitoid in a host does not necessarily indicate survival to the adult stage. Further, molecular identification of parasitoid species may be restricted to those species for which PCR primers are available.

Synthesis and applications. For molecular diagnostic techniques to gain widespread adoption in ecological studies on natural enemy host range, they must provide information that is equivalent (or superior) to information obtained by conventional methods. Based on a large‐scale case study, associations betweenPeristenusspp. and their mirid hosts were used to demonstrate the utility of molecular diagnostics in studies on parasitoid ecological host range; however, this approach can be extended to pre‐release risk‐assessment studies on other candidate biological control agents. Beyond agent identification, molecular diagnostics can facilitate and expedite pre‐ and post‐release studies on the ecological host range of parasitoids, potential non‐target effects, host–parasitoid associations and trophic interactions.
Some Factors Influencing the Survival of Freeze Dried Yeast Cultures
Authors: Rose D.
Published: March 2008

Summary. A freezing temperature of −30° appeared to be optimal for subsequent survival of yeast cultures. Cells initially grown in broth gave higher survival rates than those grown on agar, and the time period between suspending cells in the preservation medium and freezing was shown to be of importance. Flocculence had no effect on the survival rate of Schizosaccharomyces pombé.
Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus Parasitizing Rhizobium in Western Australia
Authors: Parker C. A. , Grove Pamela L.
Published: March 2008

Summary. Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus strains which parasitize Rhizobium meliloti, R. trifolii, Agrobacterium tumefaciens and A. radiobacter have been found in Western Australian soils. Rhizobium lupini was not lysed by any strain. Some Bdellovibrio cells pass through 0·22 μm membrane filters, whilst the 0·45 μm filters allow several saprophytic soil bacteria to pass. The strength of the medium is shown to be of great importance for the detection or counting of Bdellovibrio cells. The Bdellovibrio strains are capable of destroying large numbers of rhizobia in the laboratory.
Effect of the Method of Presentation of the Medium on the Germination and Growth of Single Spores of Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Holdom R. S. , Johnstone K. I.
Published: March 2008

Summary. Micromanipulation of single spores on an agar surface allowed the observation of normal and heat damaged spores in microculture. In tests for viability on different media, spores recorded as ‘dead’ in some media were fully viable when nutrients were supplied by diffusion from agar cylinders. In microculture of heat‐damaged spores, only those phase‐bright spores which exhibited considerable delay in becoming phase‐dark were eventually capable of forming visible colonies. Rapidly germinating spores were incapable of any outgrowth, except for a small minority which developed to a maximum of 4–8 cells and then lysed.
Inoculation and Survival of Azotobacter chroococcum on Stored Wheat Seed
Authors: Ridge E. H.
Published: March 2008

Summary. The survival of Azotobacter chroococcum cultured on agar or in a peat‐liquid medium and inoculated on to wheat seed was examined during seed storage of up to 40 weeks at room temperature. The ‘half life’ of peat‐grown cells was 10–15 weeks, and that of an agar‐grown inoculum 8–10 weeks, on seed stored in plastic bags. This was reduced to 4 weeks when agar‐grown cells were stored on seed open to the air. The age of agar‐grown culture between 7 and 40 days did not affect survival for up to 20 weeks. The higher numbers of Azotobacter/seed obtained with agar‐grown cells outweighed the advantage gained by the slightly better survival rate of peat‐grown cells.
Women's perception of intrapartal care in relation to WHO recommendations
Authors: Sandin‐Bojö Ann‐Kristin , Larsson Bodil Wilde , Hall‐Lord Marie‐Louise
Published: March 2008

Background.  The aim of intrapartal care in normal birth is to achieve a healthy mother and child using the least possible number of interventions that is compatible with safety.

Aim.  The aims of this study were to elucidate women’s perception of intrapartal care and women’s perceptions of normal birth.

Methods.  A questionnaire developed from the WHO’s recommendations for care in normal birth was answered by 138 (response rate 66·0% Swedish women. The women were asked to evaluate items in two ways: their perceived reality of care received and the subjective importance of each item.

Results.  Most women reported receiving care in the category (A) practices that are good and should be encouraged. However, women to a minor degree reported assessment for physical health, enquiring about support needs and pain assessment on admission. Many women received electronic foetal monitoring, repeated vaginal examinations, oxytocin augmentation and suturing after birth which fall under the category (B) practices that are harmful, (C) insufficient evidence exists and (D) practices frequently used inappropriately. The women who reported ‘Yes’ for perceived reality also reported high subjective importance for those items regardless of category A–D. Eighty‐four per cent of the women perceived that they had a normal delivery.

Conclusion.  The result suggests that women have great trust that the care midwives give them is the best care. Midwives, therefore, have an ethical responsibility to keep themselves informed about the best evidence‐based care and to implement critical reviewing of their practice as part of continuing professional development. The women’s perceptions of a normal birth allows for a wide range of interventions.

Relevance for clinical practice.  The result emphasises the importance of midwives’ knowledge of evidence‐based care and how to implement this into practice. Further research should include elucidation of the meaning of normal childbirth to childbearing women.
Stress of conscience and perceptions of conscience in relation to burnout among care‐providers in older people
Authors: Juthberg Christina , Eriksson Sture , Norberg Astrid , Sundin Karin
Published: March 2008

Aims.  The aim was to study the relationship between conscience and burnout among care‐providers in older care, exploring the relationship between stress of conscience and burnout, and between perceptions of conscience and burnout.

Background.  Everyday work in healthcare presents situations that influence care‐providers’ conscience. How care‐providers perceive conscience has been shown to be related to stress of conscience (stress related to troubled conscience), and in county council care, an association between stress of conscience and burnout has been found.

Method.  A questionnaire study was conducted in municipal housing for older people. A total of 166 care‐providers were approached, of which 146 (50 registered nurses and 96 nurses’ aides/enrolled nurses) completed a questionnaire folder containing the stress of conscience questionnaire, the perceptions of conscience questionnaire and the maslach burnout inventory. Multivariate canonical correlation analysis was used to explore relationships.

Result.  The relationship between stress of conscience and burnout indicates that experiences of shortcomings and of being exposed to contradictory demands are strongly related to burnout (primarily to emotional exhaustion). The relationship between perceptions of conscience and burnout indicates that a deadened conscience is strongly related to burnout.

Conclusion.  Conscience seems to be of importance in relation to burnout, and suppressing conscience may result in a profound loss of wholeness, integrity and harmony in the self.

Relevance to clinical practice.  The results from our study could be used to raise awareness of the importance of conscience in care.
Gross and histopathological characteristics of two lipomas and a neurofibrosarcoma detected in aquacultured southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii (Castelnau), in South Australia
Authors: Johnston C J , Deveney M R , Bayly T , Nowak B F
Published: March 2008

Three visible lesions were examined from two specimens of southern bluefin tuna. The lesions were examined grossly and two were identified as lipomas, the third bore similarities to a schwannoma. Histopathology confirmed that two consisted of mature adipocytes consistent with a diagnosis of lipoma. The third lesion consisted of spindle cells in Antoni A and B patterns and was tentatively diagnosed as a malignant schwannoma. Immunohistochemistry identified both S100 and glial fibrillary acid protein expression within the lesion, which, together with the histopathological appearance, is consistent with a diagnosis of neurofibrosarcoma.
Purification and characterization of a 630 kDa bacterial killing metalloprotease (KilC) isolated from plaice Pleuronectes platessa (L.), epidermal mucus
Authors: Tvete T , Haugan K
Published: March 2008

Antibacterial chemicals in the mucus of fish such as lysozyme, lectins, peptides and proteases provide an efficient first line of defence against pathogens. This study shows that there are at least three antibacterial proteins in plaice skin mucus in addition to lysozyme. One of these proteins is responsible for approximately 74% of the antibacterial activity and is a 630 kDa protease complex designated KilC (bacterial killing metalloprotease C). Purified KilC kills the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa efficiently. The protease activity of KilC is dependent upon the divalent cation Mg2+ and shows pH dual optima of 5.0 and 8.0. The enzyme has a temperature optimum of 25 °C and is made up of at least five different sized peptides. Studies with protease inhibitors show that the catalytic site of KilC may be cysteine‐ or serine protease‐like. KilC may kill bacterial cells by acting directly upon the bacteria or by producing low molecular weight bioactive compounds such as peptides.
Expression and immunogenic comparison of VP2 and VP3 from marine birnavirus
Authors: Xu H‐J , Lin J‐G , Zhang C‐X , Suzuki S
Published: March 2008

The coding regions for the major epitopes of structural protein VP2 (vp2e) and structural protein VP3 were amplified from marine birnavirus (MABV) cDNA and efficiently expressed as glutathione S‐transferase (GST) fusion proteins in Escherichia coli. Polyclonal antibodies against VP2e and VP3 were raised in rabbits and fish using the purified proteins of GST/VP2e and GST/VP3. The rabbit anti‐serum against VP3 was more sensitive than the rabbit anti‐VP2e serum in detecting virus in MABV‐infected fish, while fish anti‐VP2e serum showed a stronger neutralization response than fish anti‐VP3 serum.
Applications of stable isotope techniques to the ecology of mammals
Authors: CRAWFORD KERRY , MCDONALD ROBBIE A. , BEARHOP STUART
Published: March 2008

Stable isotope analysis (SIA) has the potential to become a widespread tool in mammalian ecology, because of its power in resolving the ecological and behavioural characteristics of animals. Although applications of the technique have enhanced our understanding of mammalian biology, it remains underused. Here we provide a review of previous applications to the study of extant mammals, drawing when appropriate on examples from the wider ecological literature, to identify the potential for future development of the approach.

Stable isotope analysis has been applied successfully to understanding the basic foraging decisions of mammals. However, SIA generates quantitative data on a continuous scale meaning that the approach can be particularly powerful in the characterization of community metrics, such as dimensions of resource partitioning within species assemblages or nutrient dynamics in food chains. Resolving spatial and temporal patterns of individual, intraspecific and interspecific resource use is of fundamental importance in animal ecology and evolutionary biology and SIA will emerge as a critical tool in these fields.

Geographical differences in naturally occurring stable isotopes have allowed ecologists to describe large‐scale mammal migrations. Several isotopic gradients exist at smaller spatial scales, which can provide finer resolution of spatial ecology.

A combination of foraging and movement decisions is of prime importance in the study of ecotoxicology, since this discipline requires quantitative understanding of exposure risk.
Genetic and ecological data provide incongruent interpretations of population structure and dispersal in naturally subdivided populations of white‐tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura)
Authors: FEDY B. C. , MARTIN K. , RITLAND C. , YOUNG J.
Published: March 2008

The dispersal of individuals among populations affects the demographic and adaptive trajectories of animal populations and is fundamental to understanding population dynamics. White‐tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura) are a high elevation grouse species that live year‐round in patchily distributed alpine areas in western North America. We investigated the patterns of dispersal and identified barriers to gene flow for a threatened subspecies (L. l. saxatilis) endemic to Vancouver Island, Canada. Connectivity among seven sites was examined using nine microsatellite loci (n = 133 individuals, HO = 0.62, mean number of alleles = 10) and direct movement observations using radio‐telemetry (n = 118 individuals). Average movement distances of individuals measured by radio‐telemetry were 0.63–3.23 km and considerably less than the shortest distance between sampling sites (18 km). Furthermore, despite extensive radio‐telemetry data, movement was never observed between any of the seven sampling sites. In contrast, genetic results (structure, tess) showed connectivity among most of the seven sampling sites and suggested that genetic variation is best explained by two clusters of individuals which separated the South sampling site from all other areas of Vancouver Island. Analysis of molecular data also showed a generally consistent pattern of isolation by distance (Mantel test r = 0.11, P < 0.01) with large areas of unsuitable low elevation habitat possibly acting as barriers to gene flow. Despite the naturally subdivided distribution of populations, white‐tailed ptarmigan do not fit well into any common definition of a metapopulation. We conclude the incongruities between the genetic and radio‐telemetry data are best explained by episodic dispersal patterns. In this study, we demonstrated the importance of combining genetic and ecological data in understanding patterns of dispersal and population structure.
Climate control on ancestral population dynamics: insight from Patagonian fish phylogeography
Authors: RUZZANTE DANIEL E. , WALDE SANDRA J. , GOSSE JOHN C. , CUSSAC VICTOR E. , HABIT EVELYN , ZEMLAK TYLER S. , ADAMS EMILY D. M.
Published: March 2008

Changes in lake and stream habitats during the growth and retreat of Pleistocene glaciers repeatedly altered the spatial distributions and population sizes of the aquatic fauna of the southern Andes. Here, we use variation in mtDNA control region sequences to infer the temporal dynamics of two species of southern Andean fish during the past few million years. At least five important climate events were associated with major demographic changes: (i) the widespread glaciations of the mid‐Pliocene (c. 3.5 Ma); (ii) the largest Patagonian glaciation (1.1 Ma); (iii) the coldest Pleistocene glaciation as indicated by stacked marine δ18O (c. 0.7 Ma); (iv) the last southern Patagonian glaciation to reach the Atlantic coast (180 ka); and (v) the last glacial maximum (LGM, 23–25 000 years ago). The colder‐water inhabitant, Galaxias platei, underwent a strong bottleneck during the LGM and its haplotype diversity coalesces c. 0.7 Ma. In contrast, the more warm‐adapted and widely distributed Percichthys trucha showed continuous growth through the last two glacial cycles but went through an important bottleneck c. 180 000 years ago, at which time populations east of the Andes may have been eliminated. Haplotype diversity of the most divergent P. trucha populations, found west of the Andes, coalesces c. 3.2 Ma. The demographic timelines obtained for the two species thus illustrate the continent‐wide response of aquatic life in Patagonia to climate change during the Pleistocene, but also show how differing ecological traits and distributions led to distinctive responses.
External anal sphincter fatigue is not improved by N‐acetylcysteine in an animal model
Authors: Healy C. F. , Mcmorrow C. , O'herlihy C. , O'connell P. R. , Jones J. F. X.
Published: March 2008

Abstract  Oxidative stress is associated with skeletal muscle fatigue. This study tests the hypotheses that N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) reduces fatigue and accelerates recovery of the rat external anal sphincter (EAS). Fifteen female Wistar rats were killed humanely. The EAS was mounted as a ring preparation and electrically stimulated with 50 Hz trains of 200 ms in duration every 4 s for three and a half minutes. Three groups were analysed: a control group (n = 5), a group pretreated with NAC (10−4 mol L−1; n = 5) and a group pretreated with NAC (10−3 mol L−1; n = 5). A novel fatigue index was formulated and was compared to a conventional method of expressing fatigue. There was no significant difference at concentrations of NAC (10−4 mol L−1; P > 0.05). At high concentrations of NAC (10−3 mol L−1) there was a significant depression in peak twitch amplitude before fatigue (P = 0.04). N‐Acetylcysteine in both concentrations used, did not alter fatigue or recovery of the rat EAS. There was a significant positive correlation between the two methods of expressing fatigue but the conventional method produced a higher fatigue index (22.4% on average). N‐Acetylcysteine does not ameliorate fatigue or accelerate recovery of the EAS and may not be a useful medical therapy for faecal incontinence.
Effects of phenotypic variation onto body temperature and flight activity in a polymorphic insect
Authors: BOTS JESSICA , DE BRUYN LUC , VAN DAMME RAOUL , VAN GOSSUM HANS
Published: March 2008

Abstract According to biophysical principles, colour and size are important phenotypic factors that may influence body temperature and activity in ectothermic insects. In taxa showing female‐limited polymorphism, males and female morphs differ in body colour, size and activity pattern. However, no previous study has evaluated whether such phenotypic and behavioural variation relates to differences between males and female morphs in thermal properties. In the present study, the relationships between body colour, size, activity and body temperature are examined under laboratory and field conditions, for the polymorphic damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum (Charpentier, 1840) (Odonata: Zygoptera). Contrary to expectation, males and female colour morphs of this species do not differ in thermal properties (i.e. heating characteristics or field body temperatures). When questioning phenotype and activity, temperature does not appear to be relevant for understanding the maintenance of female‐limited polymorphism.
Components of genetic variation for resistance of strawberry to Phytophthora cactorum estimated using segregating seedling populations and their parent genotypes
Authors: Shaw D. V. , Hansen J. , Browne G. T. , Shaw S. M.
Published: March 2008

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) seedlings from 50 bi‐parental crosses among 20 elite genotypes were evaluated for resistance to Phytophthora cactorum after artificial inoculation. Plots of seedlings or runner plants were rated using a disease severity score and the percentage of stunted plants per plot. The distribution of cross means for percentages of plants with stunting was highly skewed; 79% of the inoculated seedlings showed some level of stunting compared to non‐inoculated control seedlings, and all but one of the crosses had 50% or more stunted plants. Disease severity scores for the bi‐parental crosses were normally distributed and expressed a range of variation not reflected by the percentage of visibly stunted plants. Factorial analysis based on seedling plot means demonstrated significant additive genetic variance for the disease severity score, and the additive genetic variance was 1·9 times greater than the estimated dominance variance. The cross‐mean heritability was for the severity score. Estimates of the additive genetic variance component using the covariance of severity scores obtained from the seedling analysis and with severity scores for their parents evaluated in a commercial environment were similar, and 0·30, respectively. Most of the selection response obtained through genotypic selection would thus be transferred to segregating offspring.
Molecular evidence in support of recent migration of a powdery mildew fungus on Syringa spp. into Europe from East Asia
Authors: Seko Y. , Bolay A. , Kiss L. , Heluta V. , Grigaliunaite B. , Takamatsu S.
Published: March 2008

A preliminary analysis demonstrated that the powdery mildew fungus infecting Syringa spp. (lilacs) in different parts of the world is divided into two groups (S‐type and K‐type) based on the nucleotide sequences of the rDNA ITS regions. In spite of the marked genetic differences (only c. 94% similarity between ITS types), fungi belonging to these two ITS groups are difficult to distinguish based on morphological characteristics. To determine their geographical distribution, ITS haplotypes were determined for a total of 139 powdery mildew specimens collected in Asia, Europe and North and South America between 1977 and 2005. Curiously, until 1990, only the S‐type was found in Europe, whilst the K‐type prevailed in East Asia. The first European specimen belonging to the K‐type was collected in Ukraine in 1991. Other European K‐type samples were collected in Lithuania and Switzerland in 2000, and in other countries after 2002. The incidence of the S‐type decreased rapidly in Europe after the 1990s. This result strongly suggests that the K‐type was introduced to Europe from East Asia in the 1990s and expanded from Eastern Europe westward, replacing the S‐type present on the European lilacs. The K‐type produces abundant chasmothecia (sexual fruiting bodies), whereas chasmothecia on the S‐type are rare in Europe and East Asia. It is likely that the recent abundant production of chasmothecia on Syringa spp. in Central Europe is explained by the migration of the K‐type to Europe.
Brenneria quercina and Serratia spp. isolated from Spanish oak trees: molecular characterization and development of PCR primers
Authors: Poza‐Carrión C. , Aguilar I. , Gallego F. J. , Nuñez‐Moreno Y. , Biosca E. G. , González R. , López M. M. , Rodríguez‐Palenzuela P.
Published: March 2008

Brenneria quercina has been reported as one of the causal agents of oak decline in Spain. To investigate the bacterial variability of this pathogen from different Spanish oak forests, a collection of 38 bacterial isolates from seven geographic locations and from different oak species was analysed by sequencing 16S rDNA and rep‐PCR fingerprinting. All Spanish isolates of B. quercina were grouped by rep‐PCR into a homogenous cluster that differed significantly from B. quercina reference strains from California. 16S rDNA analysis revealed that 34 out of 38 isolates were Brenneria. However, four isolates belonged to the genus Serratia, suggesting that this bacterium could cause cankers in oak trees. The information obtained by rep‐PCR fingerprint analysis was used to develop PCR primers for the sensitive and specific detection of B. quercina from infected plant tissues. Pathogenicity tests performed with Brenneria and Serratia isolates showed that both were able to grow and cause cankers in oak trees.