bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification and quantification of phytoplankton groups in lakes using new pigment ratios – a comparison between pigment analysis by HPLC and microscopy
Authors: SCHLÜTER L. , LAURIDSEN T. L. , KROGH G. , JØRGENSEN T.
Published: June 2006

1. Pigment analysis by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with data analysis using the CHEMTAX program has proven to be a fast and precise method for determining the abundance of phytoplankton groups in marine environments. To determine whether CHEMTAX is applicable also to freshwater phytoplankton, 20 different species of freshwater algae were cultured and their pigment/chlorophylla(Chla) ratios determined for exponential growth at three different light intensities and for stationary growth at one light intensity.

2. The different treatments had a relatively insignificant impact on the absolute values of the diagnostic pigment/Chlaratios, with the exception of cyanobacteria and cryptophytes for which the zeaxanthin/Chlaand alloxanthin/Chlaratios varied considerably.

3. The pigment ratios were tested on samples collected in six different eutrophic Danish lakes during two summer periods using the CHEMTAX program to calculate the biomass of the phytoplankton groups as Chla. The CHEMTAX‐derived seasonal changes in Chlabiomass corresponded well with the volume of the microscopically determined phytoplankton groups. More phytoplankton groups were detected by the pigment method than by the microscopic method.

4. Applying the pigment ratios developed in this study, the pigment method can be used to determine the abundance of the individual phytoplankton groups, which are useful as biological water quality indicators when determining the ecological status of freshwater lakes.
Participants’ experiences of being interviewed about an emotive topic
Authors: Lowes Lesley , Paul Gill
Published: June 2006

Aim.  The aim of this paper was to report the experience of in‐depth interviewing about emotive topics from the perspectives of participants.

Background.  We both undertook qualitative, longitudinal studies investigating emotive topics using repeated in‐depth interviews as the data collection method. Recruitment and some of the interviews took place at a potentially distressing time for participants, which raised concerns for us about issues relating to consent and the impact of the interviews on participants’ emotional well‐being.

Method.  At the end of the two studies, 55 participants were asked about their experiences of the recruitment and interview processes. The tape‐recorded responses were transcribed verbatim. We both independently analysed the data before agreeing on the final thematic framework arising from participants’ accounts. The data were collected in 1998 and 1999 (Study 1) and 2003 and 2005 (Study 2).

Findings.  Some participants had initial reservations about participating in the studies. The primary reason for consenting was altruism, i.e. a belief that their participation might somehow help other families. Many participants often found it difficult to discuss emotive issues, particularly soon after the actual event, but all found it helpful to be given the opportunity to talk about their experiences to someone interested in what they had to say. None of the participants had concerns about, or regretted, being interviewed.

Conclusion.  Participants can find in‐depth interviewing about emotive topics a helpful, even ‘therapeutic’, experience. However, the purpose of the research interview is not to intentionally offer any form of therapy and researchers need to recognize and carefully consider this potential outcome at an early stage of the research process. Researchers studying emotive topics should also be aware of the possible impact of participants’ experiences on their own emotional well‐being.
Parenting children with diabetes and Belsky's Determinants of Parenting Model: literature review
Authors: Sherifali Diana , Ciliska Donna
Published: June 2006

Aim. This paper provides a critical appraisal of the parenting literature as related to children with diabetes and proposes an adapted model of Belsky's Determinants of Parenting.

Background. Diabetes is the leading endocrine disease in school‐aged children. As primary healthcare providers, parents assume responsibility for the daily management of their children's diabetes. It is therefore inevitable that parenting becomes a crucial variable in determining diabetes control. However, the literature examining parenting children with a chronic illness such as diabetes is limited.

Method. A literature search was conducted using the CINAHL, EMBASE, PsychINFO, and Social Science Index databases and the terms ‘parenting’, ‘determinants of parenting’, ‘Belsky's Determinants of Parenting’ and combined with ‘children’ and ‘type 1 diabetes’. Parenting and nursing literature from 1984 to 2004 was included if it was related to parenting determinants and diabetes control in children. The literature retrieved was critically appraised and synthesized in relation to Belsky's Determinants of Parenting Model.

Findings. By incorporating new knowledge, an adapted Determinants of Parenting Model is proposed. The adapted model reflects a bi‐directional relationship between parenting and child characteristics. Specifically, suggestions for future research on the adapted model and the bi‐directional relationship between parenting and child characteristics are also discussed.

Conclusion. Recommendations are presented for use of the adapted Determinants of Parenting Model for future nursing research. Future research will need to focus on establishing causal links between the determinants, identifying the extent to which each determinant influences parenting, and parenting determinants questionnaire development.
Cultural attribution of mental health suffering in Chinese societies: the views of Chinese patients with mental illness and their caregivers
Authors: Hsiao Fei‐Hsiu , Klimidis Steven , Minas Harry , Tan Eng‐Seong
Published: June 2006

Aims and objectives. This study examined the cultural attribution of distress in the Chinese, the special role of the family in distress and the specific emotional reactions within distress dictated by culture.

Methods. This phenomenological study illustrated the narrative representation of the experiences of suffering by the Chinese patients with mental illness. Twenty‐eight Chinese–Australian patients and their caregivers were interviewed together in their homes. They were invited to talk about the stories of the patients’ experiences of suffering from mental illness. The interviews were recorded and transcribed to be further analysed according to the principles of narrative analysis.

Results. The results of case narration indicated that (1) because of the influence of Confucian ideals, interpersonal harmony was the key element of maintaining the Chinese patients’ mental health, (2) Chinese patients’ failure to fulfil cultural expectations of appropriate behaviours as family members contributed to disturbance of interpersonal relationships and (3) Chinese patients’ failure to fulfil their familial obligations contributes to their diminished self‐worth and increased sense of guilt and shame.

Conclusion. The findings of the present study suggest that Chinese people's well‐being is significantly determined by a harmonious relationship with others in the social and cultural context. Psychotherapy emphasizing an individual's growth and autonomy may ignore the importance of maintaining interpersonal harmony in Chinese culture.

Relevance to clinical practice. The results of this study contribute to the essential knowledge about culturally sensitive nursing practices. An understanding of patient suffering that is shaped by traditional cultural values helps nurses communicate empathy in a culturally sensitive manner to facilitate the therapeutic relationship and clinical outcomes.
Patients’ perceptions of quality of care at an emergency department and identification of areas for quality improvement
Authors: Muntlin Åsa , Gunningberg Lena , Carlsson Marianne
Published: June 2006

Aims.  This paper reports a study to identify patient's perceptions of quality of care at an emergency department and areas for quality improvement.

Background.  Patients are not always satisfied with the care received at emergency departments. More attention needs to be paid to the specific needs and expectations of the non‐urgent group of patients, who make up the majority of attenders at many emergency departments. Nurses’ and physicians’ perceptions about good quality of care do not always agree with patients’ perceptions. Instruments measuring patient satisfaction have often been focused on inpatient treatment.

Method.  A prospective, descriptive survey design was adopted and the study took place in one emergency department at a Swedish university hospital in 2002. The participants were 99 women and 101 men, with an average age of 51 years. The emergency department version of the questionnaire Quality from the Patient's Perspective was used for data collection.

Results.  Patients estimated quality of care at the emergency department as fairly good, but there were areas in need of improvement. A high percent of inadequate quality was related to the environment in the emergency department. About 20% of patients reported that they did not receive effective pain relief. More than 20% estimated that nurses did not show an interest in their life situation and patients did not receive useful information on self‐care and about which physician was responsible for their medical care.

Conclusions.  The use of a research‐based instrument gave valuable information for quality improvement in clinical practice. Many of the identified areas for quality improvement are related to nursing care. Therefore, the importance of nursing care in the emergency department should be highlighted to nurses and physicians and they also need to be more attentive to the need of the individual patient.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Identifying areas for quality improvements are important, to know where to take action. These findings may facilitate the work with changing attitudes and working routines, which are needed to deliver effective care and to improve patients’ perceptions of quality of care at emergency departments.
Clinical supervision and burnout: the influence of clinical supervision for community mental health nurses
Authors: Edwards Deborah , Burnard Philip , Hannigan Ben , Cooper Linda , Adams John , Juggessur Tara , Fothergil Anne , Coyle Dave
Published: June 2006

Aims.  The aim of this study was to establish the degree to which clinical supervision might influence levels of reported burnout in community mental health nurses in Wales, UK.

Methods.  The research instruments used were the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale. At the time of the survey 817 community mental health nurses were reported to work within Wales. Two hundred and sixty (32%) community mental heath nurses working in 11 NHS Trusts responded to the survey.

Results.  One hundred and eighty‐nine (73%) community mental heath nurses had experience of clinical supervision in their present posts and 105 (40%) in their previous posts. The findings from the Maslach Burnout Inventory indicated high levels of emotional exhaustion for 36%, high levels of depersonalization for 12% and low levels of personal accomplishment for 10% of the community mental heath nurses surveyed. Univariate analysis showed that those community mental heath nurses who were younger, male and who had not experienced six or more sessions of clinical supervision were more likely to report cold negative attitudes towards their clients as indicated by higher scores on the depersonalization subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. One hundred and sixty‐six community mental heath nurses had experienced six or more sessions of clinical supervision and had completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Higher scores on the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale were also associated with lower levels of measured burnout, with significant negative correlations between the total Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale score and the emotional exhaustion subscale (r = −0·148, P = 0·050) and the depersonalization subscale (r = −0·220, P = 0·003) of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. These findings suggest that if clinical supervision is effective then community mental heath nurses are likely to report lower levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization.

Conclusions.  The findings from this study suggest that if clinical supervision is effective then community mental heath nurses report lower levels of burnout. Further research is required to determine the long‐term benefits of implementing clinical supervision and to determine which other factors have an influence on levels of burnout for this group of nurses.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Health service organizations have a responsibility for ensuring that all individual practitioners have access to effective clinical supervision and the Nursing and Midwifery Council could extend the registered nurses personal accountability to include – to seek clinical supervision as and when necessary.
Modelling emergency decisions: recognition‐primed decision making. The literature in relation to an ophthalmic critical incident
Authors: Bond Susan , Cooper Simon
Published: June 2006

Aims.  To review and reflect on the literature on recognition‐primed decision (RPD) making and influences on emergency decisions with particular reference to an ophthalmic critical incident involving the sub‐arachnoid spread of local anaesthesia following the peribulbar injection.

Background.  This paper critics the literature on recognition‐primed decision making, with particular reference to emergency situations. It illustrates the findings by focussing on an ophthalmic critical incident.

Design.  Systematic literature review with critical incident reflection.

Methods.  Medline, CINAHL and PsychINFO databases were searched for papers on recognition‐primed decision making (1996–2004) followed by the ‘snowball method’. Studies were selected in accordance with preset criteria.

Results.  A total of 12 papers were included identifying the recognition‐primed decision making as a good theoretical description of acute emergency decisions. In addition, cognitive resources, situational awareness, stress, team support and task complexity were identified as influences on the decision process.

Conclusions.  Recognition‐primed decision‐making theory describes the decision processes of experts in time‐bound emergency situations and is the foundation for a model of emergency decision making (Fig. 2).

 Influences and processes of RPD making.

image

Relevance to clinical practice.  Decision theory and models, in this case related to emergency situations, inform practice and enhance clinical effectiveness. The critical incident described highlights the need for nurses to have a comprehensive and in‐depth understanding of anaesthetic techniques as well as an ability to manage and resuscitate patients autonomously. In addition, it illustrates how the critical incidents should influence the audit cycle with improvements in patient safety.
Nurse discharge planning in the emergency department: a Toowoomba, Australia, study
Authors: Hegney Desley , Buikstra Elizabeth , Chamberlain Chris , March Judy , McKay Michelle , Cope Gail , Fallon Tony
Published: June 2006

Aim.  This study aimed to ascertain whether a model of risk screening carried out by an experienced community nurse was effective in decreasing re‐presentations and readmissions and the length of stay of older people presenting to an Australian emergency department.

Objectives.  The objectives of the study were to (i) identify all older people who presented to the emergency department of an Australian regional hospital; (ii) identify the proportion of re‐presentations and readmissions within this cohort of patients; and (iii) risk‐screen all older patients and provide referrals when necessary to community services.

Design.  The study involved the application of a risk screening tool to 2139 men and women over 70 years of age from October 2002 to June 2003. Of these, 1102 (51·5%) were admitted and 246 (11·5%) were re‐presentations with the same illness. Patients presenting from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 16:00 hours were risk‐screened face to face in the emergency department. Outside of these hours, but within 72 hours of presentation, risk screening was carried out by telephone if the patient was discharged or within the ward if the patient had been admitted.

Results.  There was a 16% decrease in the re‐presentation rate of people over 70 years of age to the emergency department. Additionally during this time there was a 5·5% decrease in the readmission rate (this decrease did not reach significance). There was a decrease in the average length of stay in hospital from 6·17 days per patient in October 2002 to 5·37 days per patient in June 2003. An unexpected finding was the decrease in re‐presentations in people who represented to the emergency department three or more times per month (known as ‘frequent flyers’).

Conclusions.  Risk screening of older people in the emergency department by a specialist community nurse resulted in a decrease of re‐presentations to the emergency department. There was some evidence of a decreased length of stay. It is suggested that the decrease in re‐presentations was the result of increased referral and use of community services. It appears that the use of a specialist community nurse to undertake risk screening rather than the triage nurse may impact on service utilization.

Relevance to clinical practice.  It is apparent that older people presenting to the emergency department have complex care needs. Undertaking risk screening using an experienced community nurse to ascertain the correct level of community assistance required and ensuring speedy referral to appropriate community services has positive outcomes for both the hospital and the patient.
The effect of two fibre impregnation methods on the cytotoxicity of a glass and carbon fibre‐reinforced acrylic resin denture base material on oral epithelial cells and fibroblasts
Authors: SIPAHI CUMHUR , OZEN JULIDE , UGUR URAL A. , DALKIZ MEHMET , BEYDEMIR BEDRI
Published: June 2006

summary  Acrylic resin dentures may have cytotoxic effects on oral soft tissues. However, there is sparse data about the cytotoxic effect of fibre‐reinforced acrylic resin denture base materials. The purpose of this in vitro study was to determine the effect of two fibre impregnation methods on the cytotoxicity of a glass and carbon fibre‐reinforced heat‐polymerized acrylic resin denture base material on oral epithelial cells and fibroblasts. One hundred acrylic resin discs were assigned to five experimental groups (n = 20). One of the groups did not include any fibre. Two groups consisted of silane and monomer treated glass fibres (Vetrolex) impregnated into acrylic resin (QC‐20) discs. The other two groups consisted of silane and monomer treated carbon fibres (Type Tenox J, HTA). Untreated cell culture was used as positive control. The human oral epithelial cell line and buccal fibroblast cultures were exposed to test specimens. The cytotoxicity of the test materials was determined by succinic dehydrogenase activity (MTT method) after 24 and 72 h exposures. Data were analysed with a statistical software program (SPSSFW, 9·0). A one‐way analysis of variance (anova) test and Bonferroni test were used for the comparisons between the groups. All statistical tests were performed at the 0·95 confidence level (P < 0·05). After 24 and 72 h incubation, cell viability percentages of all experimental groups showed significant decrease according to the positive control cell culture. Fibroblastic cell viability percentages of silane and monomer treated fibre‐reinforced groups were lower than the unreinforced group. Cell viability of monomer‐treated groups displayed the lowest percentages. Elapsed incubation time decreased epithelial cell viability in silane‐treated groups. Fibroblastic cell viability was not influenced by elapsed time except the unreinforced group.
Increased Levels of IgE and Autoreactive, Polyreactive IgG in Wild Rodents: Implications for the Hygiene Hypothesis
Authors: Devalapalli A. P. , Lesher A. , Shieh K. , Solow J. S. , Everett M. L. , Edala A. S. , Whitt P. , Long R. R. , Newton N. , Parker W.
Published: June 2006

To probe the potential role of Th1 versus Th2 reactivity underlying the hygiene hypothesis, intrinsic levels of Th1‐associated and Th2‐associated antibodies in the serum of wild rodents were compared with that in various strains of laboratory rodents. Studies using rat lung antigens as a target indicated that wild rats have substantially greater levels of autoreactive, polyreactive immunoglobulin G (IgG), but not autoreactive, polyreactive IgM than do laboratory rats, both on a quantitative and qualitative basis. Increased levels of serum IgG and IgE were observed in both wild rats and wild mice relative to their laboratory‐raised counterparts, with the effect being most pronounced for IgE levels. Further, wild rats had greater intrinsic levels of both Th1‐ and Th2‐associated IgG subclasses than did lab rats. The habitat (wild versus laboratory raised) had a more substantial impact on immunoglobulin concentration than did age, strain or gender in the animals studied. The presence in wild rodents of increased intrinsic, presumably protective, non‐pathogenic responses similar to both autoimmune (autoreactive IgG, Th1‐associated) and allergic (IgE, Th2‐associated) reactions as well as increased levels of Th1‐associated and Th2‐associated IgG subclasses points toward a generally increased stimulation of the immune system in these animals rather than a shift in the nature of the immunoreactivity. It is concluded that, at least to the extent that feedback inhibition is a controlling element of immunoreactivity, an overly hygienic environment may affect the threshold of both types of immune responses more so than the balance between the different responses.
A revision of the genusTrogus(Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae)
Authors: WAHL DAVID B. , SIME KAREN R.
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe ichneumonine genusTrogusis revised, with descriptions, diagnoses and a key provided for the twelve recognized species. The species treated herein are:T. crustosusWahl,sp.n.;T. edwardsiiCresson (= T. fletcheriiHarrington,Macrojoppa californicaCressonsyn.n.);T. flavipennisCresson;T. fulvipesCresson (= Trogus apicatusDavis);T. ixcuinaeWahl,sp.n.;T. koreensisWahl,sp.n.;T. lapidator(Fabricius) (= Ichneumon coerulatorWeber,Ichneumon coerulatorFabricius,Ichneumon saxatorGravenhorst,Trogus fuscipennisGravenhorstsyn.n.,Psilomastax violaceusMocsárysyn.n.,Trogus cyaneipennisCostasyn.n.,Psilomastax cyaneusKriechbaumersyn.n.,Trogus lapidator romaniUchidasyn.n.,Trogus lapidator brevicaudaeHeinrichsyn.n.,Trogus lapidator panzeriCarlsonsyn.n.);T. pennator(Fabricius);T. picadoaeWahl,sp.n.;T. pompeji(Kriechbaumer);T. thoracicus(Cresson);T. vulpinusGravenhorst (= T. exesoriusBrullé,Dinotomus vulpinusvar.nigrithoraxStrandsyn.n.,T. pennatorssp.argutusHeinrichsyn.n.). A critical review and examination of preserved host material confirmed thatTrogusspecializes on the Papilionidae. Finer patterned host use within the genus is attributed to the chemistry of hosts and their food plants. SeveralTrogusspecies are polyphagous within the Papilionidae with substantial overlap amongst host ranges, indicating that ecological opportunism rather than host–parasite coevolution has most influenced the evolution of the genus.
Prevalence of intraspecific relationships between range size and abundance in Danish birds
Authors: Borregaard Michael Krabbe , Rahbek Carsten
Published: June 2006

In this study, we investigate patterns in the prevalence of dynamic range–abundance relationships of the Danish avifauna, using breeding bird atlases from 1971 to 1974 and from 1993 to 1996. We focus on differences between common and rare species by dividing the assemblage into range‐size quartiles. The trend in total population size was determined using an index. Range was determined as grid cell occupancy and standardized to facilitate comparisons between common and rare species. While narrow‐ranging species showed strong and consistent range–abundance relationships, the relationships for widespread species were weak and exhibited considerable variation. This may be due to differences in patterns of resource use, since widespread species generally have wider niches, and so may be less affected by resource‐based factors linking range and abundance. Since a tight and dynamic relationship is upheld for rare species, monitoring strategies based on range size surveys seem viable.
Biochemical changes and development of leaf tracheary elements of a desert plant Fouquieria splendens ssp. breviflora exposed to water stress
Authors: Dorantes Angélica Rodríguez , Sánchez José Luis Muñoz
Published: June 2006

Fouquieria splendens ssp. breviflora is a species of the family Fouquieriaceae, growing in arid zones of México, between 700 and 2100 m above sea level (a.s.l). This species characteristically forms leaf buds under conditions of adequate water supply. The physiological response of this species was studied under varying conditions of irrigation in soil and water, using stems collected during two seasons: dry and rainy; evaluating the foliar material produced the quantity of free proline and total protein and anatomical foliar changes in the water conduction systems. This species displayed distinctive adaptive mechanisms involving the development of foliar fascicles, differentiation of vessels with formation of tracheal elements, and, metabolically, a high proline and total protein content in the stems of the dry season, showing that the responses observed in F. splendens spp. breviflora are adaptive physiological responses that take place simultaneously, being evidence of the first mechanisms of response to water‐stress conditions. Thus, this species is regarded as a poikilohydric plant, as it is capable of the regulation of its metabolism during bud development when flooding events occur in the species' habitat after a prolonged dry and desiccation period.
Ipsilateral corticocortical projections to the primary and middle temporal visual areas of the primate cerebral cortex: area‐specific variations in the morphology of connectionally identified pyramidal cells
Authors: Elston Guy N. , Rosa Marcello G. P.
Published: June 2006

We quantified the morphology of over 350 pyramidal neurons with identified ipsilateral corticocortical projections to the primary (V1) and middle temporal (MT) visual areas of the marmoset monkey, following intracellular injection of Lucifer Yellow into retrogradely labelled cells. Paralleling the results of studies in which randomly sampled pyramidal cells were injected, we found that the size of the basal dendritic tree of connectionally identified cells differed between cortical areas, as did the branching complexity and spine density. We found no systematic relationship between dendritic tree structure and axon target or length. Instead, the size of the basal dendritic tree increased roughly in relation to increasing distance from the occipital pole, irrespective of the length of the connection or the cortical layer in which the neurons were located. For example, cells in the second visual area had some of the smallest and least complex dendritic trees irrespective of whether they projected to V1 or MT, while those in the dorsolateral area (DL) were among the largest and most complex. We also observed that systematic differences in spine number were more marked among V1‐projecting cells than MT‐projecting cells. These data demonstrate that the previously documented systematic differences in pyramidal cell morphology between areas cannot simply be attributed to variable proportions of neurons projecting to different targets, in the various areas. Moreover, they suggest that mechanisms intrinsic to the area in which neurons are located are strong determinants of basal dendritic field structure.
Horizontal cell receptive fields are reduced in connexin57‐deficient mice
Authors: Shelley Jennifer , Dedek Karin , Schubert Timm , Feigenspan Andreas , Schultz Konrad , Hombach Sonja , Willecke Klaus , Weiler Reto
Published: June 2006

Horizontal cells are coupled by gap junctions; the extensive coupling of the horizontal cells is reflected in their large receptive fields, which extend far beyond the dendritic arbor of the individual cell. In the mouse retina, horizontal cells express connexin57 (Cx57). Tracer coupling of horizontal cells is impaired in Cx57‐deficient mice, which suggests that the receptive fields of Cx57‐deficient horizontal cells might be similarly reduced. To test this hypothesis we measured the receptive fields of horizontal cells from wildtype and Cx57‐deficient mice. First, we examined the synaptic connections between horizontal cells and photoreceptors: no major morphological alterations were found. Moreover, horizontal cell spacing and dendritic field size were unaffected by Cx57 deletion. We used intracellular recordings to characterize horizontal cell receptive fields. Length constants were computed for each cell using the cell's responses to concentric light spots of increasing diameter. The length constant was dependent on the intensity of the stimulus: increasing stimulus intensity reduced the length constant. Deletion of Cx57 significantly reduced horizontal cell receptive field size. Dark resting potentials were strongly depolarized and response amplitudes reduced in Cx57‐deficient horizontal cells compared to the wildtype, suggesting an altered input resistance. This was confirmed by patch‐clamp recordings from dissociated horizontal cells; mean input resistance of Cx57‐deficient horizontal cells was 27% lower than that of wildtype cells. These data thus provide the first quantification of mouse horizontal cell receptive field size and confirm the unique role of Cx57 in horizontal cell coupling and physiology.
Cold‐seeking behavior as a thermoregulatory strategy in systemic inflammation
Authors: Almeida Maria C. , Steiner Alexandre A. , Branco Luiz G. S. , Romanovsky Andrej A.
Published: June 2006

Systemic inflammation (SI) is a leading cause of hospital death. Although fever and hypothermia are listed as symptoms in every definition of SI, how SI affects thermoregulatory behavior is unclear. SI is often modeled by systemic administration of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to rats. When rats are not allowed to regulate their body temperature (Tb) behaviorally, LPS causes either fever or hypothermia, and the direction of the response is determined by LPS dose and ambient temperature (Ta). However, in many studies in which rats were allowed to regulate Tb behaviorally (by selecting their preferred Ta in a thermogradient apparatus), they consistently expressed warmth‐seeking behavior and developed fever. We hypothesized that SI can cause not only warmth‐seeking behavior but also cold‐seeking behavior; we then tested this hypothesis by studying LPS‐induced thermoregulatory behavior in adult Wistar rats. A multichannel thermogradient apparatus, implantable data loggers and infrared thermography were used; multiple control experiments were conducted; and the ability of the apparatus to reliably register the changes in rats' preferred Ta induced by thermal (external cooling or heating) or chemical (TRPV1 or TRPM8 agonist) stimuli was confirmed. The rats responded to a low dose of LPS (10 µg/kg i.v.) with warmth‐seeking behavior and a polyphasic fever, but to a high dose (5 mg/kg i.v.) with marked cold‐seeking behavior and hypothermia followed by warmth‐seeking behavior and fever. This is the first well‐controlled study to report SI‐associated cold‐seeking behavior in rats. Cold‐seeking behavior is likely to be an important defense response in severe SI.
GABAA receptor activation suppresses Period 1 mRNA and Period 2 mRNA in the suprachiasmatic nucleus during the mid‐subjective day
Authors: Ehlen J. Christopher , Novak Colleen M. , Karom Mary C. , Gamble Karen L. , Paul Ketema N. , Albers H. Elliott
Published: June 2006

The mammalian circadian clock can be entrained by photic and nonphotic environmental time cues. γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a nonphotic stimulus that induces phase advances in the circadian clock during the middle of the subjective day. Several nonphotic stimuli suppress Period 1‐ and Period 2 mRNA expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN); however, the effect of GABA on Period mRNA is unknown. In the present study we demonstrate that microinjection of the GABAA receptor agonist muscimol into the SCN region suppresses the expression of Period 1 mRNA in the hamster. A significant suppression of Period 2 mRNA following microinjection of muscimol was not observed in free‐running conditions. However, Period 2 mRNA was significantly reduced following muscimol treatment when animals were maintained under a light cycle and transferred to constant darkness 42 h prior to treatment. An additional study investigated the maximum behavioural phase advance inducible by GABAA receptor activation.Together, these data indicate that, like other nonphotic stimuli, GABA suppresses Period 1‐ and Period 2 mRNA in the SCN.
Altered geographic and temporal variability in phenology in response to climate change
Authors: Menzel A. , Sparks T. H. , Estrella N. , Roy D. B.
Published: June 2006

Aim  In response to recent climate warming, numerous studies have reported an earlier onset of spring and, to a lesser degree, a later onset of autumn, both determined from phenological observations. Here, we examine whether these reported changes have affected the synchronization of events on a regional level by examining temporal and spatial variability in phenology. In particular, we study whether years with earlier springs are associated with an altered spatial variability in phenology.

Location  Germany and the United Kingdom.

Methods  Plant phenological observations of 35 different phases (events such as flowering and leafing) collected by the German Weather Service (1951–2002) and butterfly phenological records of 29 species collected by the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (1976–2003) are used. In these long‐term records, we examine the temporal (year‐to‐year) variability and the spatial (geographic or between site) variability with particular emphasis on how they vary with time of the year and with earliness or lateness of the phase.

Results  Early phenological events (i.e. spring) are more variable than later events, both in time and in space, although the pattern is clearer for plants than for butterflies. Confirming previous results, we find a clear relationship between the mean date of spring and summer phases and the degree to which they have become earlier. The spatial variability of spring events is greater in warmer years that have faster plant development. However, late spring and summer events do not show a consistent relationship. Autumn events are somewhat more spatially variable in years characterized by later seasons.

Main conclusions  This is the first examination of spatial variability of plant and animal phenological events at a multinational scale. Earlier spring events are likely to be associated with increased spatial variability in plants, although this is unlikely to also be true for summer events. If species experience differential changes in geographic variation this may disrupt interactions among them, e.g. in food webs. On the other hand, these may offer advantages for mobile species. Further research on linked species is recommended.
Stress, subjective and objective health
Authors: Lundberg Ulf
Published: June 2006

The aim of this article is to describe the main physiological stress responses and to analyse under which conditions these responses are health‐promoting versus health‐damaging, and how subjective and objective health is related. The brain communicates with the rest of the body through nerves, hormones and the immune system. Thus, perceived stress affects various systems and organs in the body, such as the cardiovascular and the gastrointestinal systems, sleep and breathing patterns, healing processes, the effectiveness of the immune system and, by feedback mechanisms, the brain itself. These bodily responses to stress have developed during evolution and are necessary for survival and protection of the body. However, activation of the stress systems means energy mobilisation, and in modern society, where stress is often induced by mental and psychosocial conditions, the mobilisation of energy for fight or flight may have harmful consequences on various bodily systems. To maintain health, repeated or long‐term activation of these systems, i.e. catabolic processes, has to be followed by periods of rest and restitution to allow growth, healing and buildup of new resources, i.e. anabolic processes.
Molecular Variability of the 16p13.3 Region in Amerindians and its Anthropological Significance
Authors: Battilana J. , Cardoso‐Silva L. , Barrantes R. , Hill K. , Hurtado A. M. , Salzano F. M. , Bonatto S. L.
Published: June 2006

A total of 1558 base pairs in the 16p13.3 region were investigated in 98 individuals of Mongolian, Northern Arctic and Amerindian affiliation, and the results compared with those obtained in a previous worldwide study of the same genomic region. Fifty‐five polymorphic sites could be classified into thirty‐five haplotypes from the total data. A median joining network based on the haplotypes revealed two distinct clusters: one with low diversity, with haplotypes found in all five geographic‐ethnic categories; while the other, with the most divergent haplotypes, was composed mainly of Africans and a few Amerindians. Almost all neutrality parameters yielded significantly negative values. Demographic simulations with the exclusively Amerindian dataset rejected all scenarios, including a bottleneck beginning more than 12,000 years ago. The demographic scenarios tested considering population growth were similar among the Amerindian and worldwide or Eurasian data sets. The results suggest that Amerindians are a representative sample of Eurasian populations, preserving the signal of demographic growth from the out of Africa exodus and, together with data from uniparental markers, support a scenario of a bottleneck of moderate intensity during the peopling of the New World.
‘Set in the silver sea’: English national identity and European integration
Authors: SMITH ANTHONY D.
Published: June 2006

ABSTRACT.Although many short‐term reasons for a specificallyEnglishEuro‐scepticism have been proposed, a long‐term perspective is required to provide a fuller and more rounded treatment of this important and topical political issue. It needs to be grasped in terms of cultural, political and religious factors in English history, specifically, the antiquity and political character of a sense of English national identity, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the nature and impact of Protestant covenantalism. Among the factors that have shaped a sense of English national identity are its insular, geopolitical situation, the early development of a centralised English state, and the concomitant growth of a unified English legal system. To the existing sense of national identity under the Tudors was added a strong current of religious separatism, manifested first through Henry VIII's break with Rome and his vindication of monarchical supremacy in a national church, and second through the Puritan return to the idea of election modelled on the Old Testament narrative of the Exodus and Covenant of the Israelites. These currents have lent to the sense of English national identity a strong oppositional character, in contrast to the transterritorialism of Christendom characteristic of the leading Roman Catholic powers. This can be seen both by comparing English with French historical trajectories, and more recently, in terms of the separate, but allied, position of England in relation to European integration.
The regulation of acetylcholinesterase by cis‐elements within intron I in cultured contracting myotubes
Authors: Cohen Tatiana V. , Randall William R.
Published: June 2006

The onset of spontaneous contraction in rat primary muscle cultures coincides with an increase in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. In order to establish whether contractile activity modulates the rate of AChE transcript synthesis, and what elements of the gene are determinant, we examined the promoter and intron I in contracting muscle cultures. Ache genomic fragments attached to a luciferase reporter were transfected into muscle cultures that were either electrically stimulated or paralyzed with tetrodotoxin to enhance or inhibit contractions, respectively. Cultures transfected with intron I‐containing constructs showed a 2‐fold increase in luciferase activity following electrical stimulation, compared to tetrodotoxin treatment, suggesting that this region contains elements responding to contractile activity. Deleting a 780 bp distal region within intron I, containing an N‐box element at +890 bp, or introducing a 2‐bp mutation within its core sequence, eliminated the contraction‐induced response. In contrast, mutating an N‐box element at +822 bp had no effect on the response. Furthermore, co‐transfecting a dominant negative GA‐binding protein (GABP), a transcription factor known to selectively bind N‐box elements, reduced the stimulation‐mediated increase. Our results suggest that the N‐box within intron I at +890 bp is a regulatory element important in the transcriptional response of Ache to contractile activity in muscle.
Cyclooxygenase‐1 and ‐2 enzymes differentially regulate the brain upstream NF‐κB pathway and downstream enzymes involved in prostaglandin biosynthesis
Authors: Choi Sang‐Ho , Langenbach Robert , Bosetti Francesca
Published: June 2006

We have recently reported that cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2‐deficiency affects brain upstream and downstream enzymes in the arachidonic acid (AA) metabolic pathway to prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), as well as enzyme activity, protein and mRNA levels of the reciprocal isozyme, COX‐1. To gain a better insight into the specific roles of COX isoforms and characterize the interactions between upstream and downstream enzymes in brain AA cascade, we examined the expression and activity of COX‐2 and phospholipase A2 enzymes (cPLA2 and sPLA2), as well as the expression of terminal prostaglandin E synthases (cPGES, mPGES‐1, and − 2) in wild type and COX‐1–/– mice. We found that brain PGE2 concentration was significantly increased, whereas thromboxane B2 (TXB2) concentration was decreased in COX‐1–/– mice. There was a compensatory up‐regulation of COX‐2, accompanied by the activation of the NF‐κB pathway, and also an increase in the upstream cPLA2 and sPLA2 enzymes. The mechanism of NF‐κB activation in the COX‐1–/– mice involved the up‐regulation of protein expression of the p50 and p65 subunits of NF‐κB, as well as the increased protein levels of phosphorylated IκBα and of phosphorylated IKKα/β. Overall, our data suggest that COX‐1 and COX‐2 play a distinct role in brain PG biosynthesis, with basal PGE2 production being metabolically coupled with COX‐2 and TXB2 production being preferentially linked to COX‐1. Additionally, COX‐1 deficiency can affect the expression of reciprocal and coupled enzymes, COX‐2, Ca2+‐dependent PLA2, and terminal mPGES‐2, to overcome defects in brain AA cascade.
Peptide neuroprotection through specific interaction with brain tubulin
Authors: Divinski Inna , Holtser‐Cochav Miri , Vulih‐Schultzman Inna , Steingart Ruth A. , Gozes Illana
Published: June 2006

This study aimed to identify the neuronal target for the potent neuroprotective peptide NAP. When added to pheochromocytoma cells (neuronal model), NAP was found in the intracellular milieu and was co‐localized with microtubules. NAP induced neurite outgrowth and protected primary neurons against microtubule‐associated ZnCl2toxicity. Rapid microtubule reorganization into distinct microtubules ensued after NAP addition to both pheochromocytoma cells and primary cerebral cortical neurons, but not to fibrobalsts. While binding neuronal tubulin and protecting pheochromocytoma cells against oxidative stress, NAP did not bind tubulin extracted from fibroblasts, nor did it protect those cells against oxidative stress. Affinity chromatography identified the brain‐specific βIII‐tubulin as a major NAP binding protein. Paclitaxel (a microtubule aggregating agent that interacts with β‐tubulin) reduced NAP tubulin binding. Thus, the underlying mechanism for the neuroprotection offered by NAP is targeting neuronal microtubules that are essential for neuronal survival and function.
Neurotoxic mechanisms of 2,9‐dimethyl‐β‐carbolinium ion in primary dopaminergic culture
Authors: Hamann Juliane , Rommelspacher Hans , Storch Alexander , Reichmann Heinz , Gille Gabriele
Published: June 2006

β‐Carbolines are potential endogenous and exogenous neurotoxicants that may contribute to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. The 2,9‐dimethyl‐β‐carbolinium ion (either 2,9‐dimethyl‐β‐norharmanium or 2,9‐Me2NH+) was found to be neurotoxic in primary mesencephalic cultures and to be a potent inhibitor of mitochondrial complex I. However, the precise mechanisms of cell death remained obscure. Here, we investigated the mechanism of cell death in primary dopaminergic cultures of the mouse mesencephalon mediated by 2,9‐Me2NH+. The β‐carboline caused preferential death of dopaminergic neurones, which could not be attributed to cellular uptake via the dopamine transporter. Transient incubation with 2,9‐Me2NH+ for 48 h caused a progressive deterioration in the morphology of dopaminergic neurones during a 5‐day recovery period and persistent damage to the overall culture. An increase in free radical production and caspase‐3 activity, as well as a decrease of respiratory activity, mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP content, contributed to toxicity and pointed to an apoptotic mode of cell death, although a significant quantity of cells dying via necrosis were present simultaneously. These data underline the preferential susceptibility of dopaminergic neurones to 2,9‐Me2NH+ as a potent, oxidative stress generating neurotoxin.
Do axonal defects in tau and amyloid precursor protein transgenic animals model axonopathy in Alzheimer's disease?
Authors: Götz Jürgen , Ittner Lars M. , Kins Stefan
Published: June 2006

The subcellular localization of organelles, mRNAs and proteins is particularly challenging in neurons. Owing to their extended morphology, with axons in humans exceeding a meter in length, in addition to which they are not renewed but persist for the entire lifespan, it is no surprise that neurons are highly vulnerable to any perturbation of their sophisticated transport machinery. There is emerging evidence that impaired transport is not only causative for a range of motor disorders, but possibly also for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related neurodegenerative disorders. Support for this hypothesis comes from transgenic animal models. Overexpression of human tau and amyloid precursor protein (APP) in mice and flies models the key hallmark histopathological characteristics of AD, such as somatodendritic accumulation of phosphorylated forms of tau and β‐amyloid (Aβ) peptide‐containing amyloid plaques, as well as axonopathy. The latter has also been demonstrated in mutant mice with altered levels of Alzheimer‐associated genes, such as presenilin (PS). In Aβ‐producing APP transgenic mice, axonopathy was observed before the onset of plaque formation and tau hyperphosphorylation. In human AD brain, an axonopathy was revealed for early but not late Braak stages. The overall picture is that key players in AD, such as tau, APP and PS, perturb axonal transport early on in AD, causing impaired synaptic plasticity and reducing survival rates. It will be challenging to determine the molecular mechanisms of these different axonopathies, as this might assist in the development of new therapeutic strategies.