bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical supervisors' views of their leadership role in the clinical supervision process within nursing care
Authors: Severinsson Elisabeth I , Hallberg Ingalill R
Published: November 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate nurse supervisors ‘views of their supervisory styles, their personal qualities and their leadership role, and the development of these styles The sample consisted of 18 clinical nurse supervisors The data were collected by interviews using 15 open‐ended questions, and a 10‐item questionnaire, and the analysis was a combination of hermeneutical and factor analysis The analysis revealed two specific styles the emotional and the cognitive supervisory style The supervisors’ personal qualities were willingness and preparedness to show understanding, bringing out genuine feelings and ‘confirming’, the latter being the most important in the nurse supervisors ‘styles The supervisors’ views of their leadership role showed that high values were given to the following three factors techniques in providing clinical supervision, responsibility for facilitating process, responsibility for creating a climate conducive to supervision and focusing on the main themes
Do clinical nurse specialists and nursing unit managers believe that the provision of quality care is important?
Authors: Duffield Christine , Donoghue Judith , Pelletier Dianne
Published: November 2003

The nursing profession has a long tradition of evaluating the quality of its product in order to ensure that the best possible care can be given However, in the climate of economic rationalism which prevails worldwide, it is possible that the emphasis on fiscal restraint has distracted nurses from their previous focus on quality This paper discusses the findings of two research studies designed to determine the competencies expected of nursing unit managers and clinical nurse specialists Discussion focuses specifically on their roles in the provision of quality care
An analysis and evaluation of Watson's theory of human care
Authors: Sourial Sarah
Published: November 2003

Despite a high priority placed on theory‐testing in nursing, there continues to be minimal research undertaken which adequately tests nursing theories A study was planned to contribute to theory‐testing in nursing by testing an aspect of Watson's (1988) theory of human care Watson essentially believes that nursing is an intersubjective human process and places a high value on the caring relationship between the nurse and the recipient of care Before proceeding with the intended study, the following analysis and evaluation of Watson's theory presented here was undertaken, with guidance from a tool developed by Fawcett & Downs (1992) In this tool, the analysis identifies the concepts and propositions that make up the theory and the evaluation includes the criteria of significance, internal consistency, parsimony, testability and empirical adequacy of the theory being tested Overall, this analysis and evaluation found two areas of Watson's work which were in need of further development
Patient participation: a concept analysis
Authors: DipN Jo Cahill
Published: November 2003

The purpose of this paper is to present an in‐depth analysis of the concept of patient participation The analysis was undertaken using the method described by Walker and Avant Patient participation is defined and the critical attributes are identified Model, borderline and contrary cases illustrate what the concept is and is not The meaning of patient participation is compared with patient partnership, patient collaboration and patient involvement, three related cases The antecedents and consequences of patient participation are investigated to further refine the critical attributes Empirical referents are illuminated The value of concept analysis in relation to precise communication, critical thinking and the advancement of the knowledge base of nursing is discussed.
Hope from the perspective of homeless families
Authors: Herth Kaye
Published: November 2003

Homeless families represent one‐third of the homeless population These families have few resources and experience multiple stressors This study explored the meaning of hope and the influence of specific characteristics on hope, and identified strategies that are used to foster hope in homeless families living in four homeless shelters Using the technique of methodological triangulation (interview, Herth Hope Index, and Background Data Form), the author collected cross‐sectional data on 52 homeless families and longitudinal data on 10 families over a 9‐month period of time in order to provide a clearer understanding of the hope process Hope was described as a power within the self that mobilizes one to move beyond the present situation and to envision a better tomorrow for one's self and others Six hope‐engendering strategies and four hope‐hindering factors were identified based on the interview responses of adult family members Overall hope levels in those residing in the homeless shelter were low and remained stable across the background variables with the exception of those receiving nurse‐provided health care on the premises Across time, hope levels were found to be low at interview time one, to rise significantly at time two, and to level off at time three An understanding of hope from the perspective of the homeless family could provide a basis upon which to develop interventions that engender hope
A qualitative analysis of student nurses' experiences of mentorship
Authors: Cahill Heather A
Published: November 2003

Increasing awareness of the incidence of stress amongst nurse learners, the introduction of continuous assessment of basic courses and successive and continuing ambiguous directives from the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting have led to widespread implementation of mentorship systems in this country Considerable variation in terms of mentor selection, preparation, role and function clearly exists, against a background of questionable cultural relevance and suspect research This small study, conducted as part of an honours' degree programme and completed in 1992, sought to find out what student nurses themselves thought about mentorship Using group discussion and individual interviews, the views of 16 third‐year students on a traditional RGN programme were explored, and the resulting qualitative data organized and presented using a method of thematic analysis A ward culture is revealed, that not only continues to separate those with knowledge from those who need to learn, but also reinforces the position of the student through both covert and overt mechanisms of control Examples of supportive, non‐supportive and dissupportive relationships were described Mentorship was described in terms of assessment and appraisal, the students apparent preoccupation with achieving a satisfactory ward report clearly influenced both then‐ relationships and behaviour with trained staff Mentorship for these students seemed to be more about control than support
The pursuit of excellence in nursing care: what does it mean?
Authors: Coulon Lyn , Mok Magdalena , Krause Kern‐Lee , Anderson Malcolm
Published: November 2003

This study explores the meaning of excellence in nursing care held by nurses Qualitative data were collected from 156 undergraduate and postgraduate nurses by means of an open‐ended questionnaire Respondents were asked to reflect on practice which enabled a clear understanding of the meanings given to excellence in nursing care In addition, details of their nursing background, level of nursing experience, and demographics were sought Responses were content‐analysed for themes by three coders Four major themes emerged (1) professionalism, (2) holistic care, (3) practice, (4) humanism The fourth theme comprised three sub‐themes (a) enabling personal qualities, (b) nurse‐patient relationships, and (c) nurse‐health team relationships Responses revealed that professionalism constituted an all‐encompassing theme subsuming all others Findings suggested that the client is the central focus of excellent nursing care at all times According to these respondents, nurses who deliver excellent nursing care implement nursing in a professional and competent manner, demonstrate a holistic approach to caring, possess certain personal qualities which enhance practice, and relate to patients, families, peers, hospital administrators and community members in a competent, cooperative manner An important aspect of this study is the differential quality of responses provided by respondents, who were students enrolled in a nursing degree programme compared to respondents who were state‐registered nurses and concurrently undertaking higher degree studies The final result is suggestive of the stages of transition through which nurses pass in their quest for excellence
Profiles of the response to noradrenaline in the whole and bisected rat vas deferens
Authors: Boselli C. , Bianchi L. , Grana E.
Published: November 2003

1 The present study was carried out to look at the differences between the whole and bisected rat vas deferens in response to cumulative and non‐cumulative administration of noradrenaline in terms of sensitivity and maximum response. An effort was made to quantify the parameters characterizing the various components of the mechanical response to single concentrations of the agonist.

2 The sensitivity, as measured by the ‐log EC50 value for noradrenaline, was significantly lower in the prostatic portion than in the whole vas deferens and epididymal portion. The maximum contractions reached by the epididymal and the prostatic half were 65.03 ± 10.43% and 13.84 ± 5.28% of the maximal contraction evoked by noradrenaline in the whole rat vas deferens.

3 Various concentrations of noradrenaline were tested as single concentrations in the three preparations. Three components of the response to noradrenaline were individualized, i.e. an early rapid phasic component followed by a second slower tonic component with spikes superimposed. The time‐course of these components, as well as their ratios, were different depending on the concentration of agonist tested and on which half of the vas deferens was considered.

4 The importance of oxidation of exogenous noradrenaline as well of the neuronal and extraneuronal uptake mechanisms was considered. EDTA was devoid of any action. Cocaine enhanced the potency and the maximum contraction of noradrenaline and all the parameters related to the different phases of the contraction were increased. Hydrocortisone at the highest concentration employed (2 × 10−5M) was able to reduce significantly the ‐log EC50 value of the cumulative concentration–response curve to noradrenaline and both the phasic and tonic components of the contraction to noradrenaline (3 × 10−6M).

5 In conclusion, our evaluation of the parameters of the mechanical response of the whole and bisected vas deferens to noradrenaline rationalize the, often contradictory, findings of the current litterature. Chiefly, the attainment of a careful description of the features of the response to noradrenaline can offer a dependable approach to the study of the underlying mechanisms of the three components.
Calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP)‐evoked inotropism during hyper‐ and hypo‐sensory‐motor innervation in rat atria
Authors: Rubino A. , Ralevic V. , Burnstock G.
Published: November 2003

1 Positive inotropic responses to calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP) were evaluated in atria isolated from in vivo rat models of hyper‐sensory‐motor innervation (following neonatal guanethidine treatment) and hypo‐sensory‐motor innervation (following neonatal capsaicin treatment), to explore the hypothesis that functional responsiveness of atrial myocardium to CGRP may correlate with tissue levels of the sensory‐motor neurotransmitters. Comparative evaluation of inotropic responses to CGRP following in vitro treatment of atria with guanethidine was also performed.

2 Following long‐term guanethidine treatment, positive inotropic responses to CGRP were significantly attenuated, while supersensitivity to the sympathetic transmitter noradrenaline was shown. Maximal inotropic responses to CGRP (30 nM) were 214.0 ± 28.1 (n = 8) and 146.8 ±21.7 mg (n = 8; P < 0.01) increase of the basal contractile tension in control and treated preparations, respectively. The pD2 values for noradrenaline were 6.71 ± 0.12 (n = 8) and 7.26 ± 0.13 (n = 6; P < 0.01) in control and treated atria, respectively. Acute application of guanethidine in vitro did not modify the positive inotropism by CGRP or the β‐adrenoceptor agonist isoprenaline.

3 Sensory‐motor hypoinnervation following chronic treatment with capsaicin did not affect the inotropic responses to CGRP. Neither guanethidine nor capsaicin treatment affected the contractile apparatus of myocytes, as demonstrated by similar basal contractile tension as well as calcium‐evoked inotropic responses in control and treated preparations.

4 In summary, increased sensory‐motor innervation, following long‐term sympathectomy with guanethidine, resulted in attenuation of the inotropic responses of the rat atrium to CGRP, while no changes in the inotropic responses were seen following sensory‐motor denervation with capsaicin. Down‐regulation of CGRP receptors or altered post‐receptor signalling may be involved in the reduced responsiveness to CGRP.
Biogeography of the phoracanthine beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
Authors: Wang Qiao , Thornton Ian , New Tim
Published: November 2003

Six biogeographic subregions of the phoracanthine beetles are proposed on the basis of 136 valid species in all eleven genera of this Australasian group of insects: the Kosciuskan, Western, Eyrean, Torresian, Timorian and New Guinean. Both phenetic and cladistic approaches are employed in the biogeographic study of these beetles. Phenetically, the Kosciuskan and Torresian fauna are the most similar and the least faunal similarity occurs between the New Guinean subregion and all others. Cladistically, two distinct peripheral faunas are divided: the southern Western+Kosciuskan and the northern New Guinean+Torresian+Timorian. The Eyrean fauna in the central Australian continent is more distantly related to the remainder than the latter are to each other. Biogeographic history of the phoracanthine beetles is discussed extensively.
Distribution of Proteus (Amphibia: Urodela: Proteidae) and its possible explanation
Authors: Sket Boris
Published: November 2003

Approximately 250 localities of the nominal species Proteus anguinus Laurenti 1768 have been evaluated and listed. The species is limited to the Dinaric Karst; it ranges from the Isonzo‐Soĉa River in southeastern Venezia Giulia, Italy, through the southern half of Slovenia, southern Croatia, and parts of Bosnia and Hercegovina, to the Trebišnica River in eastern Hercegovina. In some regions, populations have been extinguished or endangered by pollution or human‐induced hydrographical changes. The distribution of Proteus is compared with those of some cave Crustacea: Troglocaris (Crustacea: Decapoda), Monolistra, and Titanethes (Crustacea: Isopoda). The similarity of distribution patterns within this ecologically diverse assemblage supports their paleogeographic rather than ecological foundation. The paleogeographical and paleoclimatological data, in combination with the physiological requirements of Proteus, strongly suggest that these animals invaded the caves, at least in the NW parts of their ranges, only after the last glaciations, within the last 10,000 years. It is suggested that the high heterozygosity of populations can best be explained by fusion of some locally restricted immigration waves. The close morpho‐ logical similarity of nearly all populations of Proteus is probably due to the convergent evolution of previously differentiated populations (or even species) after their withdrawal underground.
Biogeography of Indonesian snakes
Authors: How R. A , Kitchener D. J
Published: November 2003

The islands of eastern Indonesia occupy the major zone of contact and overlap between the reptile faunas of the Asian and Australo–Papuan regions. A survey of reptiles on twenty‐eight islands in eastern Indonesia between 1988 and 1993 has documented several major range extensions and many new records of species on islands. The zoogeographic affinities of the snakes of Indonesian islands are re‐examined in the light of both recent surveys and taxonomic research and coupled with that published previously. The major boundary in the snake fauna of Indonesia occurs between Sulawesi and the Lesser Sunda islands to the west and the northern and southern Maluku group of islands to the east; it corresponds to the major biogeographic boundary known as Weber's Line. The biogeographic affinities of the snakes of the Tanimbar islands are equivocal. The snake fauna of islands within the Lesser Sunda group indicate that separation between islands during the Pleistocene played a role in determining current assemblages and variation within species The islands of eastern Indonesia form biogeographic subregions that have relatively high levels of endemism and evidence of incipient speciation as a consequence of changes in sea‐levels and climate during the Pleistocene.
The historic biogeography and community ecology of Polynesian pigeons and doves
Authors: Steadman David
Published: November 2003

The species richness, taxonomic diversity, and geographic distribution of pigeons and doves (Columbidae) have been altered irreversibly in Polynesia by 3500 years of human activity. Natural (without human influence) columbid faunas are estimated primarily by studying prehistoric bones. In all Polynesian island groups studied (except outlying Easter Island, Hawaiian Islands, or New Zealand), the prehistoric columbid faunas had more species, more genera, and more species per genus than modern faunas from the same island. Congeneric species pairs or triplets occurred on many islands for Ducula, Ptilinopus, and Gallicolumba. The losses of Polynesian columbids include the extinction of at least 9 species in the genera Ducula, Ptilinopus, Macropygia, Caloenas, Gallicolumba, and Didunculus as well as the extirpation of numerous island populations of extant species. If not for human impact, a typical East Polynesian island would support at least 5–6 species of columbids in 3–4 genera (compared to 0–3 species in 0–3 genera today). A typical West Polynesian island would support at least 6–7 species in 4–5 genera (compared to 1–6 species in 1–5 genera today). Since all Polynesian pigeons and doves are frugivorous and/or granivorous, their decline in recent millennia probably has affected the composition of Polynesian forests by limiting inter‐ and intra‐island dispersal of plant propagules.
Automatic assessment of elementary Standard ML programs using Ceilidh
Authors: Foubister S. P. , Michaelson G. J. , Tomes N.
Published: November 2003

Ceilidh is an interactive environment which supports computer programming course organisation, practical work and assessment. This paper describes its use to support a first level programming course for the functional language Standard ML. Automated program assessment systems are surveyed and the general Ceilidh approach to automatic assessment is discussed. Extensions to Ceilidh to assess Standard ML programs are considered and an evaluation is made of the effects of its use on student learning. The main conclusion is that Ceilidh use significantly reduces the burden of marking on the lecturer, while not affecting the overall level of achievement of the students.
Relating characteristics of teaching situations to learner activities
Authors: Tiberghien A. , De Vries E.
Published: November 2003

This paper compares collaborative problem solving by learners sitting side‐by‐side with computer‐mediated learning at a distance. Three aspects are studied: students' problem solving strategies and interpretation of the teaching situation, their use of components of the situation, and the cognitive processes involved in understanding domain knowledge, energy in physics. The analysis shows how situational characteristics affect the balance between discussion and construction activities, as well as the degree of salience of certain components of the situation. Furthermore, the simple and complex cognitive processes are not expressed to the same degree in side‐by‐side and distance cases. Implications of these results for the design of teaching situations are discussed.
An Activity Theory framework to explore distributed communities
Authors: Lewis R.
Published: November 2003

Technology‐mediated communication is having an influence on the working, learning and leisure activities of everyone. This paper looks at work and learning which have many features in common and yet remain different in many ways as the intentions are distinct. Research into computer support for working and computer support for learning emphasise the differences through rather traditional perspectives but it may be possible that each research domain can offer insights into the other. This paper attempts to draw on both research cultures and makes tentative steps in creating a framework for the new insights which are required if there is to be a better understanding of the ways that communications technology may be able to add new opportunities for distributed communities of learners.
Making hypertext lecture notes more interactive: undergraduate reactions
Authors: Crook C. K.
Published: November 2003

One hundred and eighty five undergraduates were resourced with hypertext lecture support documents that were readable with Internet browsers located throughout their campus. The materials included both a bulletin board facility and an email launcher. These features offered learners a more interactive engagement. Usage patterns and student attitudes to this resource were derived from system logs, questionnaires and focus group discussions. The materials were very popular but their study was assimilated to traditional patterns of paper‐based learning. No significant use was made of the interactive features. Findings are interpreted in relation to the resilience of established cultures of communication and study within higher education.
Meta‐analyses using individual patient data
Authors: Clarke Michael J. , Stewart Lesley A.
Published: November 2003

Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials often provide the most reliable information on which to base treatment policy. However, to be reliable, such reviews need to contain a high proportion of all the relevant randomized evidence. This relates both to the need to find all trials and the need to analyse data on all participants. One way to achieve this is through a collaboration in which those responsible for the trials supply data on each randomized patient for an individual patient data meta‐analysis. However, such projects require more time and resources than more conventional reviews and are still rare. This paper illustrates how they can help to achieve the aim of using complete data in a systematic review.
Medical fallibility and the autopsy in the USA
Authors: Hasson Jack
Published: November 2003

The theory of ‘necessary fallibility’, originated by Gorovitz & MacIntyre (1976, In Science, Ethics and Medicine, Hastings Center, NY), explains a major unfamiliar reason for unavoidable errors in medicine. A brief historical review is presented of autopsy studies assessing the accuracy of clinical diagnoses, and of changing perceptions of the public and physicians leading to the current misconception in the USA that all errors are avoidable. It is suggested that a prospective autopsy study is needed to test the theory of ‘necessary fallibility’. Validation of this theory would benefit an understanding of medical fallibility by the public and physicians, and challenge current practices in the management of malpractice and patient injury.
From audit to effectiveness: an historical evaluation of the changing role of Medical Audit Advisory Groups
Authors: Houghton Guy
Published: November 2003

MAAGs were introduced as a result of the 1989 White Paper ‘Working for Patients’, with the remit to direct, coordinate and monitor medical audit activities in general practice. They were funded through the new FHSA management budget and each MAAG was responsible to its own FHSA. They were accepted as a completely new institution as a part of the introduction of an innovative management structure in a reformed NHS. When viewed in an historical context, MAAGs can actually be seen as a part of an expanding culture of greater objectivity and critical analysis which has burgeoned in medical practice over the last two decades. Although MAAGs began with an educational role with uniprofessional medical audit, they have embraced multiprofessional clinical audit in primary care in the context of the wider aspects of quality in practice.

The last 20 years have seen the development of clinical guidelines, evidence‐based medicine and application of business management theory to clinical quality. All these have reflected the increasing demand for explicit standards of care which has also formed the basis of clinical audit and MAAG activity. MAAGs should be seen as an inevitable concomitant of this historical trend to improve the application of scientific rigour in medical practice. With the adoption of clinical effectiveness, incorporating all these themes, as one of the NHS Executive's six medium‐term priority areas, MAAGs are uniquely placed to act as agents of change to enhance the quality of primary health care.
Improving clinical effectiveness: a practical approach
Authors: Waters E. A.
Published: November 2003

The publication of the government white paper ‘Working for Patients’ (1989, HMSO) and implementation of subsequent NHS reforms has led to the development of a great number of initiatives designed to improve the quality of patient care and to make the provision of care more clinically and cost effective. Many of these initiatives, whilst laudable, have been developed in isolation and often without proper consideration of how they relate to one another or might practically be implemented throughout the NHS. It has commonly been the case that attempts to transfer the initiative from an environment of high enthusiasm and, often, high resource to the NHS in general has either failed or led to poor application. Strategies to improve clinical effectiveness have not become a feature of the everyday practice of many, let alone most or all, clinicians in the NHS. The result has been their failure significantly to raise standards of care across the NHS as a whole.

It is suggested that many of the initiatives are closely related, and more effective implementation in the NHS as a whole may follow attempts to integrate them in a more practical approach to care management within an organization‐wide clinical effectiveness strategy. It is further suggested that this is best achieved by a continuous quality improvement approach focusing on the care process as the centrepiece of the initiative, and that this method will lead to significant improvements not only in clinical effectiveness but also in cost effectiveness. This paper describes a proposed method of achieving these goals.
Developing a quality of care index for outpatient methadone treatment programmes
Authors: Oyefeso Adenekan , Clancy Carmel , Ghodse Hamid
Published: November 2003

This article describes the development and evaluation of a psychometric instrument for assessing quality of care in outpatient methadone substitution therapy (MST) programmes. The instrument, termed the Quality of Care Index‐1 (QCI‐1), is a seven‐item scale evaluated in two studies. Its psychometric properties are consistently acceptable across both studies. The QCI‐1 reveals three distinct quality criteria relevant to the condition of the patients in methadone treatment. These are drug use hygiene, sharing of injecting equipment and partner's drug use status.
The use of clinical audit in evaluating maternity services reform: a critical reflection
Authors: Beake S. , McCourt C. , Page L. , Vail A.
Published: November 2003

The clinical evaluation described here, using a casenote study, was part of a larger study evaluating the changes made to part of the maternity services in one NHS Trust, in response to the recommendations of Changing Childbirth (Department of Health 1993a). Results of the audit showed no evidence of a lowering of clinical standards within the study group and provided reassurance that a radical change in the model of care, with greatly enhanced continuity of carer, an emphasis on community‐based and midwifery‐led care, and some reductions in labour interventions, could be implemented without compromising safety of care. The audit process raised a number of methodological problems which will need to be addressed in developing audit approaches which are able to reflect quality of care. It is important to recognize that the record of care is not a direct mirror of the care provided but a secondary source, kept for different purposes and designed to cover a different set of priorities from those which audit may seek to capture. The audit approach used in this study will be modified in continuing evaluation of the service as it moves from a pilot stage towards providing a mainstream service. Additional methods, including direct observation of care, will be employed in a sample of cases in order to assist in interpretation of audit findings.
Identification and elimination of mycoplasmas in fish cell line cultures
Authors: Frerichs G N
Published: November 2003

Mycoplasma contamination was identified in 11 cell lines derived from both coldwater and warmwater fish using DNA staining, microbiological culture and ELISA test detection methods. Acholeplasma laidlawii and Mycoplasma arginini were present as single or combined infections. Treatment of cells over three to six serial subcultivations with the addition of 0.5 μg m−1 mycoplasma removal agent (MRA) or 10 μg m−1 ciprofloxacin to culture growth medium effectively eliminated all contaminants except for one instance of M. arginini infection.
Histopathological effects of cadmium on the gills of the freshwater fish, Macropsobrycon uruguayanae Eigenmann (Pisces, Atherinidae)
Authors: Randi A S , Monserrat J M , Rodriguez E M , Romano L A
Published: November 2003

Evaluations of histopathological lesions in gill tissue were carried out in the freshwater fish Macropsobrycon uruguayanae following 30 and 60 days of exposure to 1.5 mg 1‐1 of cadmium. The study was conducted on both fed and starved animals in order to determine the influence of feeding condition on cadmium toxicity. The main lesions observed and quantified were: (1) hyperplasia of primary lamellar epithelium; (2) hyperplasia of secondary lamellar epithelium; (3) separation of respiratory epithelium; (4) shortening of secondary lamellae; (5) epithelial necrosis; (6) fusion of adjacent secondary lamellae; (7) hypertrophy of respiratory epithelium; (8) lamellar telangiectasis; (9) hyperplasia of chloride cells; (10) mucinous metaplasia; and (11) inflammatory infiltration. Lesions 6, 8, 9 and 11 were only induced by exposure to cadmium, while lesion 4 could be produced only by starvation. Starved fish also showed a reduction in total body weight and length. Lesion 2 was shown to be non‐specific, and produced by either cadmium, starvation or even exposure time. The possible mode of action of the experimental factors are discussed in relation to the observed pathologies.
Coronary arteriosclerosis in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), is related to heart size rather than sex or reproductive status
Authors: Davie P S , Thorarensen H
Published: November 2003

Prevelence and severity of coronary arteriosclerosis of rainbow trout is consistently and significantly related to the absolute size of the heart. Treatment of immature and mature and female trout with natural and synthetic sex streroids had the effect of increasing the relative size of the heart by an average of 54%. The disease state of the coronary arteries was not significantly affected by streroid treatment, sex of the fish or season during which the experiments were conducted.
Histopathological and haematological changes in amago salmon, Oncorhynchus rhodurus (Jordan & McGregor), fed a vitamin‐D‐free diet
Authors: Taveekijakarn P , Miyazaki T , Matsumoto M , Aral S
Published: November 2003

Two purified diets supplemented with 0 or 20 000 IU vitamin D3 kg−1 of diet were fed to amago salmon, Oncorhynchus rhodurus (Jordan & McGregor), for 22 weeks. The feeding stopped when fish with deficiency signs including reduced growth, and caudal region and fin tip damage increased in number. Deficient fish had a thinned epidermis consisting of atrophied and necrotic epidermal cells over the basal cells. In lesions of the caudal peduncle, the skin and the underlying musculature were extensively necrotized. The liver showed degenerated and necrotic hepatocytes. Respiratory epithelium and cardiac muscle fibres were swollen. Hypocalcaemia was evident. No pathological changes were found in bone, eyes, brain and alimentary tract. The control groups fed a nutritionally complete diet grew well and displayed no pathological changes. The pathological changes were reversed after 4 weeks of feeding of vitamin‐D3‐suppliemented diet.
Antibiotic protection against recrudescence of latent Aeromonas salmonicida during furunculosis vaccination
Authors: Inglis V , Robertson D , Miller K , Thompson K D , Richards R H
Published: November 2003

Problems of temporary immunosuppression following vaccination against Aeromonas salmonicida infection had to be overcome in the development of a furunculosis vaccine. Empirical observations have indicated that immunosuppression persists for some time after vaccination, rendering fish, especially subclinical carriers of A. salmonicida, highly vulnerable to bacterial invasion. The efficacy of simultaneous application of furunculosis vaccine and a long‐lasting amoxycillin preparation to a population of Atlantic salmon smolts was evaluated. Control groups were treated with either vaccine alone, amoxycillin alone or were untreated. Moderate stress, simulating smolt transfer with a 5°C temperature rise, resulted in a rapid outbreak in mortalities reaching 100% in the vaccinates. Losses among the untreated controls were more gradual and rose to about 50%. Both amoxycillin‐treated groups survived well. Further severe stress resulted in total mortalities among the untreated fish but no further losses in the amoxycillin groups. Four months after vaccination, evidence of a specific immune response was confirmed by ELISA, demonstrating circulating antibodies in the blood of vaccinates. In a severe and in a moderate challenge with A. salmonicida., the relative specific protection was 63 and 86%, respectively. Thus, effective protection against furunculosis was achieved without jeopardizing the stock during the vaccination process and with elimination of the carrier state.
Vibrio carchariae associated with a chronic skin ulcer on a shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo)
Authors: Bertone S , Gili C , Moizo A , Calegari L
Published: November 2003

Bacteria were cultured from a chronic skin ulceration on a shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo), kept in the Genoa Aquarium, Italy. Sixteen out of 18 isolated strains belonged to Vibrio spp. Identification through fatty acid composition analysis and biochemical tests showed that V. carchariae, the most recently described Vibrio species, were the predominant bacteria isolated from the ulcer.
The immunomodulatory effect of laminaran [β(1,3)‐D‐glucan] on Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., anterior kidney leucocytes after intraperitoneal, peroral and peranal administration
Authors: Dalmo R A , Bogwald J , Ingebrigtsen K , Seljelid R
Published: November 2003

Anterior kidney leucocytes obtained from Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., 2 days after administration of laminaran, were assayed for their capacity to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium to formazan, and for their activity of lysosomal acid phosphatase after intraperitoneal (15 mgkg−1), peroral (150 mg kg−1) or peranal (150 mg kg−1) administration. Leucocytes obtained from salmon treated by an intraperitoneal injection of laminaran produced significantly more superoxide anion than cells obtained from fish treated with dextran or sodium chloride immediately after cell isolation. Immediately after extraction, the activity of acid phosphatase in anterior kidney leucocytes obtained from salmon injected with laminaran was significantly higher than in cells harvested from fish treated with dextran or sodium chloride. Furthermore, cells obtained from salmon treated by peroral instillation of laminaran showed significantly enhanced production of superoxide anion compared with leucocytes from fish treated with either sodium chloride or dextran. The acid phosphatase activity in anterior kidney leucocytes from salmon treated by peroral and peranal instillation of laminaran was significantly higher than in cells from fish treated either with sodium chloride or dextran. Finally, fluorescence microscopic examination of tissue sections from fish treated peranally by intubation with fluorescein labelled laminaran revealed fluorescent vesicles in intestinal epithelial cells and in anterior kidney macrophages.
Pharmacokinetic and efficacy studies on bath‐administering potentiated sulphonamides in Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus L.
Authors: Samuelsen O.B. , Lunestad B.T. , Jelmert A.
Published: November 2003

The uptake, metabolism, tissue distribution and excretion of four sulphonamides and trimethoprim following bath treatment of Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus L., were studied. Bath treatment using a concentration of 200 μg ml–1 for 72 h resulted in peak sulphadimidine concentrations in muscle and abdominal organ homogenates of 32·6 and 68·2 μg g–1, respectively. The corresponding values were 24·4 and 73·4 μg g–1 for sulphaguanidine, 6·1 and 45·1 μg g–1 for sulphamethoxazole, 2·1 and 15·1 μg g–1 for sulphadimethoxine, and 99 and 169 μg g–1 for trimethoprim. After a 72‐h treatment, approximately 90% of the sulphadimethoxine and sulphamethoxazole present in tissues was found as the N4‐acetylated metabolite, whereas for sulphadimidine and sulphaguanidine, the N4‐acetylations were from 9 to 23%. Based on these preliminary absorption studies, sulphadimidine was chosen as the companion sulphonamide to trimethoprim. Using a combination of 500 μg ml–1 sulphadimidine and 100 μg ml–1 trimethoprim in the bath for 72 h, peak muscle and liver concentrations of 262 and 312 μg g–1, respectively, for sulphadimidine and 32·8 and 83·6 μg g–1, respectively, for trimethoprim were achieved. Elimination half‐lives (t1/2β) for sulphadimidine were calculated to be 35 and 48 h for muscle and liver, respectively. The corresponding values for trimethoprim were 98 and 116 h. Using the 95% confidence limit for single observations (95% prediction limit) and a maximum residue limit (MRL) value of 0·05 μg g–1 for trimethoprim and 0·1 μg g–1 for sulphadimidine, the elimination times (Et95) for muscle and liver were calculated to be 18 and 26 days, respectively, for sulphadimidine and 40 and 55 days, respectively, for trimethoprim. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) values against selected strains of Vibrio sp. were equal to or above 128 μg ml–1 for sulphadimidine, between 0·25 and 4·00 μg ml–1 for trimethoprim and between 0·4 and 8·8 μg ml–1 for various ratios of the sulphadimidine:trimethoprim combination. In the tested ratios, the combined antimicrobial action of trimethoprim and sulphadimidine were synergistic, as revealed by their fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indices. In general, the 1:5 trimethoprim sulphadimidine ratio showed the highest degree of synergism. Using a combination of 500 μg ml–1 sulphadimidine and 100 μg ml–1 trimethoprim in the bath for 72 h, concentrations greater than a MIC value of 0·8 μg ml–1 were maintained for 22 days in muscle and 29 days in liver. In a laboratory challenge experiment using Vibrio anguillarum strain HI 11347, a significantly lower mortality was observed in the drug‐treated group (40%) compared to the untreated control group (93%).
The effect of iron limitation growth conditions on the cell and extracellular components of the fish pathogen Pasteurella piscicida
Authors: Bakopoulos V , Adams A , Richards R. H
Published: November 2003

The effect of iron limitation, using the iron‐chelating agent 2,2 dipyridyl, on the electrophoretic profiles of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) and extracellular products (ECPs) from 21 Pasteurella piscicida strains isolated from Europe and Japan was investigated. In addition, the effect of iron‐limited and iron‐surplus growth conditions on caseinase activity in culture supernatants of the pathogen was examined. The majority of P. piscicida strains, from Greece, Italy and France, cultured under iron‐limited conditions, produced four novel OMPs (63 and three at and above 200 kDa). In contrast, iron‐regulated outer membrane proteins were not induced in Japanese strains. Electrophoretic analysis of the ECPs from the pathogen grown under iron surplus and iron limitation revealed a large range of products and additional high molecular mass (MM) bands were evident under iron‐limited conditions. When culture supernatants were analysed for their activity, most of the bacteria tested showed elevated activities under iron limited conditions. Finally, neither hydroxamate nor phenolate type siderophores could be detected with any of the chemical assays used.
Cellular responses of goldfish, Carassius auratus (L.), to metacercariae of Ribeiroia marini (Faust & Hoffman, 1934)
Authors: Huizinga H.W. , Nadakavukaren M.J.
Published: November 2003

Goldfish, Carassius auratus (L.), mobilized an acute, non‐specific cellular inflammatory response against experimental infection with metacercariae of the digenean Ribeiroia marini in lateral line scale canals. The host cellular response to primary infection consisted of a rapid infiltration of neutrophilic granulocytes and macrophages that adhered to the metacercial cyst wall. Granulocytes released cytoplasmic granules, forming a necrotic zone around the cyst. Outside the necrotic zone, a fibrocytic zone and epithelioid cells formed a matrix upon which reactive leucocytes were attached in a progressive granulomatous encapsulation. Interdigitating epitheliod cells formed a syncytial border separating the necrotic zone from the outer fibrocytic region of the granuloma. Acute inflammatory response preceded the expulsion of most metacercariae from the scale canals. Few cysts remained encapsulated in epidermal tissue. Cellular response to challenge infections was more intense, but no major differences in leucocyte composition between primary and challenge infections suggested a continuum of inflammation and cell‐mediated responses. In late primary and challenge infections, the predominant eosinophilic granular cell released cytoplasmic granules. We propose that the eosinophilic granular cell of the goldfish has an antiparasitic function, releasing bioactive granules that alter the environment of the scale canal and cause the expulsion of parasites.
Cephalic osteochondritis and necrotic scleritis in intensively reared salmonids associated with Flexibacter psychrophilus
Authors: Ostland V.E. , McGrogan D.G. , Ferguson H.W.
Published: November 2003

Three cases of pyogranulomatous cephalic osteochrondritis of intensively reared rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), and Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in Canada and Chile, respectively, were examined for histopathological and bacteriological changes, and by using immunohistochemistry. Bilateral exophthalmia and intraocular haemorrhage were the most common gross lesions seen in the Ontario fish. Histologically, the major pathological changes seen in all cases involved the developing bone and cartilage of the head region, including the eye. Necrosis and pyogranulomatous inflammation of the scleral cartilage (necrotic scleritis) were the major ocular changes. Similarly, lysis of cephalic cartilage and immature bone, accompanied by pyogranulomatous inflammation, usually progressing to fibrosis, were the most common lesions associated with the cranial changes in both the rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon. Routine histological staining, including special stains, failed to reveal the presence of pathogens associated with these lesions. However, immunohistochemical staining of representative sections from all cases with rabbit anti‐Flexibacter psychrophilus serum (ATCC 49510) demonstrated significant numbers of antigenically related bacteria within the leading edge of some of the scleral and cephalic osteochondritic lesions. Axenic cultures of Flexibacter psychrophilus were recovered from the eye lesions of the rainbow trout, but it was not possible to reproduce ocular lesions experimentally. However, mortality was produced following intramuscular injection of rainbow trout with bacteria.
Lectin histochemical studies on Sphaerospora sp. (Myxosporea) from Italian brown trout, Salmo trutta L.
Authors: De Mateo M. , Bovo G. , Comuzzi M. , Adams A.
Published: November 2003

A Sphaerospora sp. (Myxosporea) infection (presumably S. truttae) was identified on a trout farm in northeastern Italy. Parasites were detected in kidneys from infected brown trout, Salmo trutta L., over a 2‐year period. Extrasporogonic, sporogonic stages and mature spores were simultaneously detected in the same fish. Traditional diagnostic methods for Sphaerospora spp. rely on the detection of the myxosporean developmental stages in Giemsa‐stained kidney smears or haematoxylin‐eosin stained tissue sections. A histochemical method was employed where 10 biotinylated lectins (Con‐A, DBA, SBA, GS‐I, PHA‐P, LEA, PWM, RCA1, WGA and UEA‐I) and the avidin‐biotin‐peroxidase complex (ABC) were used on Sphaerospora‐infected brown trout renal tissues and kidney imprints. Five monoclonal antibodies against PKX (Mab12, MabA3, MabC5, MabD4 and MabB4) were also tested. A lectin glycoconjugate binding pattern for Sphaerospora spp. is presented. This staining method shows that SBA lectin (Glycine max agglutinin) is a useful tool for the detection of the Sphaerospora spp. Only MabB4 bound some of the most mature sporogonic stages. In contrast Mabs12, A3, C5 and D4, and GS‐I lectin (Griffonia simplicifolia agglutinin) did not stain any of the Sphaerospora spp. stages, but did bind very specifically to the sporogonic and extrasporogonic stages of PKX, the causative agent of proliferative kidney disease (PKD).
The contribution of specific dietary patterns to energy and nutrient intakes in 7–8‐year‐old Scottish schoolchildren. III. Snacking habits
Authors: Ruxton C.H.S. , Kirk T.R. , Belton N.R.
Published: November 2003

The contribution of snacks to dietary intakes was investigated in a sample of 136 7–8‐year‐old children. Mean daily energy and nutrient intakes were estimated using the 7‐day weighed inventory method and the contribution of snacks was analysed separately. Snacks contributed 26% of energy intake and a large proportion of macronutrient intakes. The influence of a high intake of snacks on overall diet was investigated by classifying children as low or high snackers based on the proportion of daily energy intakes from snacks. There were no significant differences in anthropometry, and few significant differences in energy and nutrient intakes between children classified as ‘low’ and ‘high’ snackers. This was partly because ‘high’ snackers had a lower energy and macronutrient intake from meals, although this does not explain the lack of significant differences in micronutrient intakes between the snacking groups given that snacks were less nutrient dense than meals. It is concluded that snacks made an important contribution to energy and nutrient intakes in this sample but that further research is required to investigate how a high intake of snacks affects the quality of children's diets.