bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical compressive force inhibits adipogenesis of adipose stem cells
Authors: Li G. , Fu N. , Yang X. , Li M. , Ba K. , Wei X. , Fu Y. , Yao Y. , Cai X. , Lin Y.
Published: August 2013

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate effects of mechanical compressive force on differentiation of adipose‐derived stem cells (ASCs) in vitro.

Materials and methods

Mice ASCs were treated with compressive force (2000 με, 1 Hz) for 2 or 6 h after adipogenic induction for 3 days, then oil red O staining was used to examine oil droplet‐filled cells. Adipogenic genes, PPAR‐γ1 and APN, were examined by real‐time PCR and immunofluorescence (IF) staining was performed to test expression of de‐PPAR‐γ and ph‐PPAR‐γ at the protein level.

Results

Our data showed that mechanical compressive force reduced numbers of oil droplet‐filled cells, and down‐regulated mRNA levels of both PPAR‐γ1 and APN and protein level of PPAR‐γ, in ASCs.

Conclusions

In culture medium containing adipogenic stimuli, mechanical compressive force inhibited adipogenesis of ASCs.
Location and characterization of female germline stem cells (FGSCs) in juvenile porcine ovary
Authors: Bai Y. , Yu M. , Hu Y. , Qiu P. , Liu W. , Zheng W. , Peng S. , Hua J.
Published: August 2013

Objectives

Existence of germline stem cells (GSCs) in juvenile mammalian female ovaries has been drastically debated recently since reports that adult mouse ovaries still have mitotically active germ cells have been proposed. In addition, definitive location of such female germline stem cells (FGSCs) had not been demonstrated.

Materials and methods

We segregated porcine FGSCs mechanically from ovary cortex, and tested our hypotheses by utilizing immunofluorescent staining, qRT‐PCR and western blotting.

Results

We attached emphasis to unambiguous location of FGSCs, which settle simultaneously in the theca. Dissected cells from porcine thecal layers maintained similar characteristics to mouse FGSCs and ESCs over 4‐months in vitro culture.

Conclusion

These results may provide a new resource for the study of oogenesis and therapy for ovarian sterility.
What are the preferred strategies for control of glycaemic variability in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus?
Authors: Zenari L. , Marangoni A.
Published: August 2013

The aim of therapy in type 2 diabetes in terms of blood glucose control is to reduce to target levels HbA1c and to reduce glycaemic variability in order to avoid both hypoglycaemia and wide excursions of postprandial glucose. The first approach to reduce glycaemic variability should consider a dietary and behavioural approach aiming to limit the glycaemic index and the glycaemic load of food and the prescription and implementation of a physical activity plan appropriate for the subject. From the pharmacological point of view, the diabetes specialist has now a much richer therapeutic armamentarium. The therapeutic algorithms can help the physician to choose the most appropriate drug. The traditional approach involves: i) metformin, acting mainly on fasting blood glucose; ii) sulphonylureas, that have shown a number of drawbacks, including the high risk of hypoglycemia; iii) pioglitazone, with a substantial effect on fasting and postprandial glucose and a low risk of hypoglycaemia; iv) insulin, that can be utilized with the basal or prandial approach. The new drugs belonging to the class of dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors have shown the reduction of postprandial glucose, a neutral effect on weight increase, a good safety profile and preliminary positive cardiovascular effects. When excess weight prevails, the glucagon‐like peptide‐1 agonists may be the preferred choice for their effect on weight reduction, reduction of hyperinsulinism and glycaemic variability.
Reversal strategy in antagonizing the P2Y12‐inhibitor ticagrelor
Authors: Hobl Eva‐Luise , Derhaschnig Ulla , Firbas Christa , Schoergenhofer Christian , Schwameis Michael , Jilma Bernd
Published: August 2013

Background

Patients on antiplatelet therapy have a higher incidence of bleeding complications. Reversal of antiplatelet drug effects is an important issue at trauma or emergency departments. For old and conventional anticoagulants, reversal strategies are established. While the effects of ticagrelor are reversible, developing a method to restore platelet function in patients is of importance due to its longer half‐life (approximately 8 h), compared with other P2Y12‐inhibitors.

Materials and methods

We report an ex vivo model to reverse the effects of the novel and highly effective P2Y12‐inhibitor ticagrelor in 20 healthy volunteers. To normalize platelet reactivity, we added increasing amounts of autologous platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) to whole blood which was obtained 3 h after the intake of 180 mg of ticagrelor. Platelet aggregation was assessed by whole blood multiple electrode aggregometry (MEA), which is based on impedance aggregometry.

Results

The basal ADP‐induced platelet aggregation averaged 71 ± 16 U (Units). Ticagrelor decreased ADP‐induced platelet aggregation to 16 ± 8 U. A clear dose‐response was obtained after spiking whole blood with increasing amounts of PRP. It is estimated that ≥2 units of apheresis platelet concentrates will be necessary to completely restore baseline platelet aggregation in the majority of patients after ticagrelor.

Conclusions

Platelets dose dependently improve ex vivo platelet aggregation of subjects after a loading dose of 180 mg of ticagrelor, making transfusion of platelet concentrates potentially useful in bleeding patients and those who need to undergo emergency surgery.
Asian Couples in Negotiation: A Mixed‐Method Observational Study of Cultural Variations Across Five Asian Regions
Authors: Lee Wai‐Yung , Nakamura Shin‐Ichi , Chung Moon Ja , Chun Young Ju , Fu Meng , Liang Shu‐Chuan , Liu Cui‐Lian
Published: August 2013

The purpose of this study was to explore variations in how contemporary couples from five different Asian regions negotiate disagreements. Video recordings of 50 couples (10 each from Japan, Korea, Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong) discussing unresolved disagreements provided raw data for quantitative and qualitative analyses. First, teams of coders from each region used a common protocol to make quantitative ratings of content themes and interaction patterns for couples from their own region. An interregional panel of investigators then performed in‐depth qualitative reviews for half of these cases, noting cultural differences not only in observed patterns of couple behavior but also in their own perceptions of these patterns. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed clear regional differences on dimensions such as overt negativity, demand‐withdraw interaction, and collaboration. The qualitative results also provided a richer, more nuanced view of other (e.g., gender‐linked) conflict management patterns that the quantitative analyses did not capture. Inconsistencies between qualitative and quantitative data and between the qualitative observations of investigators from different regions were most pronounced for couples from Korea and Japan, whose conflict styles were subtler and less direct than those of couples from the other regions.
Warming increases plant biomass and reduces diversity across continents, latitudes, and species migration scenarios in experimental wetland communities
Authors: Baldwin Andrew H. , Jensen Kai , Schönfeldt Marisa
Published: August 2013

Atmospheric warming may influence plant productivity and diversity and induce poleward migration of species, altering communities across latitudes. Complicating the picture is that communities from different continents deviate in evolutionary histories, which may modify responses to warming and migration. We used experimental wetland plant communities grown from seed banks as model systems to determine whether effects of warming on biomass production and species richness are consistent across continents, latitudes, and migration scenarios. We collected soil samples from each of three tidal freshwater marshes in estuaries at three latitudes (north, middle, south) on the Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America. In one experiment, we exposed soil seed bank communities from each latitude and continent to ambient and elevated (+2.8 °C) temperatures in the greenhouse. In a second experiment, soil samples were mixed either within each estuary (limited migration) or among estuaries from different latitudes in each continent (complete migration). Seed bank communities of these migration scenarios were also exposed to ambient and elevated temperatures and contrasted with a no‐migration treatment. In the first experiment, warming overall increased biomass (+16%) and decreased species richness (−14%) across latitudes in Europe and North America. Species richness and evenness of south‐latitude communities were less affected by warming than those of middle and north latitudes. In the second experiment, warming also stimulated biomass and lowered species richness. In addition, complete migration led to increased species richness (+60% in North America, + 100% in Europe), but this higher diversity did not translate into increased biomass. Species responded idiosyncratically to warming, but Lythrum salicaria and Bidens sp. increased significantly in response to warming in both continents. These results reveal for the first time consistent impacts of warming on biomass and species richness for temperate wetland plant communities across continents, latitudes, and migration scenarios.
Carbon cost of collective farming collapse in Russia
Authors: Kurganova Irina , Lopes de Gerenyu Valentin , Six Johan , Kuzyakov Yakov
Published: August 2013

The collapse of collective farming in Russia after 1990 and the subsequent economic crisis led to the abandonment of more than 45 million ha of arable lands (23% of the agricultural area). This was the most widespread and abrupt land use change in the 20th century in the northern hemisphere. The withdrawal of land area from cultivation led to several benefits including carbon (C) sequestration. Here, we provide a geographically complete and spatially detailed analysis of C sequestered in these abandoned lands. The average C accumulation rate in the upper 20 cm of mineral soil was 0.96 ± 0.08 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 for the first 20 years after abandonment and 0.19 ± 0.10 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 during the next 30 years of postagrogenic evolution and natural vegetation establishment. The amount of C sequestered over the period 1990–2009 accounts to 42.6 ± 3.8 Tg C per year. This C sequestration rate is equivalent to ca. 10% of the annual C sink in all Russian forests. Furthermore, it compensates all fire and postfire CO2 emissions in Russia and covers about 4% of the global CO2 release due to deforestation and other land use changes. Our assessment shows a significant mitigation of increasing atmospheric CO2 by prolonged C accumulation in Russian soils caused by collective farming collapse.
Managing water in agricultural landscapes with short‐rotation biomass plantations
Authors: Harper Richard J. , Sochacki Stanley J. , Smettem Keith R. J. , Robinson Nicole
Published: August 2013

Bioenergy production using woody biomass is a major climate change mitigation strategy but is often considered in terms of competitive effects on water. This paper describes the use of a short‐rotation biomass system (Phase Farming with Trees PFT or ‘Kamikaze Forestry’) to manage water in dryland farming systems where this has accumulated below the root zone and has on and off‐site environmental impacts. This excess water can be utilized for growth by deep‐rooted, high‐density biomass plantations inserted as short rotations into agricultural land. The objective is to promote rapid growth and mining of deep stored water through strategies such as high planting densities, the use of fast‐growing species or fertilization each of which increases leaf area. Once the water is used, the trees are harvested and excess water is allowed to build up again in the subsequent cropping phase. Biomass production and water depletion were measured in a five‐year rotation of trees inserted into a dryland (367 mm yr−1 mean annual rainfall) cereal farming system in south‐western Australia. Both were markedly affected by tree age, planting density, and landscape position on a very minor slope. The greatest biomass production was achieved with high‐density (4000 stems ha−1) plantings of Eucalyptus occidentalis and Eucalyptus globulus in lower landscape positions. High‐density plots of these species in mid and upper landscape positions succumbed to drought after 3–4 years, but depleted available soil water to depths of >8 m, equivalent to 771 mm of stored available water. These results suggest that biomass yield can be readily manipulated through planting density and site selection. Moreover, biomass production can produce positive water management co‐benefits.
Effects of the reappearance of primitive reflexes on eating function and prognosis
Authors: Hobo Kimiko , Kawase Junko , Tamura Fumiyo , Groher Michael , Kikutani Takeshi , Sunakawa Hajime
Published: August 2013

Aim

Primitive reflexes can reappear with diseases of the brain, particularly those affecting the frontal lobes. Most studies on primitive reflexes have reported an association between such reflexes and brain damage, and the clinical symptoms of dementia. These reflexes can also be present during eating; however, their effects on eating function are difficult to evaluate. The purpose of the present study was to identify the frequency at which primitive reflexes reappear in elderly people, and to determine the effects that such reflexes have on eating function, nutritional status and prognosis.

Methods

We followed 121 nursing home residents for 6 months. All patients required long‐term care and were examined for the presence of a sucking reflex, snout reflex and phasic bite reflex for baseline measures. Demographic characteristics, physical and cognitive function, and nutritional status were obtained from chart reviews, interviews with nurses, and a brief physical examination at baseline and incidence of aspiration pneumonia during the study period.

Results

The sucking reflex was confirmed in 31 patients (25.6%), snout reflex in 15 patients (12.3%) and phasic bite reflex in 28 patients (23.1%). One or more of these reflexes was identified in 38 patients (31.4%). A relationship between the presence of a primitive reflex and nutritional status was shown. An association with the presence of these reflexes and the development of aspiration pneumonia during 6 months was also confirmed.

Conclusions

The appearance of primitive reflexes appears to be associated with the risk of malnutrition and developing aspiration pneumonia. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2014; 14: 190–197.
Room for improvement: complementary therapy users and the Australian health system
Authors: Lin Vivian , Canaway Rachel , Carter Bronwyn , Manderson Lenore
Published: August 2013

Context

People with chronic conditions who are often in contact with the health‐care system are well placed to reflect on how services meet their needs. Some research characterizes people who use complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) as a distinct group who opt out of the mainstream health system. However, many CAM users are people with chronic or terminal health conditions who concurrently use mainstream health‐care services. The difference in perspectives between people with chronic conditions who do or do not use CAM has received little attention by researchers.

Objective

To explore the views of CAM users with chronic conditions and identify their perspectives on the health system.

Design and Setting

In‐depth interviews and a self‐administered questionnaire were used to collect data on care‐seeking, self‐management and CAM use among people with type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease living in Victoria, Australia.

Results

One in four CAM practitioner users was partly motivated to use CAM as a result of their dissatisfaction with the mainstream health system. In general, their dissatisfaction mirrored the concerns of the general population. This included the perceived lack of a humanistic or person‐centred approach, which was central to problems relating to individuals' clinical encounters as well as to health system design.

Discussion and Conclusion

Participants' concerns suggest room for improvement in the Australian health system to better reflect patients' needs. A systems approach is needed to reorient health‐care practitioners to modify the organization of care because of the incentives embedded in the structure of the health‐care system.
Babies and machines that go ‘beep’: First‐year nursing students’ preferred areas of future practice
Authors: Birks Melanie , Missen Karen , Al‐Motlaq Mohammad , Marino Emma
Published: August 2013

Students of nursing enter their programmes of study with preconceived ideas of what a career in their chosen profession will entail. The literature suggests that images from the media and past experiences contribute to these perceptions. Although it is positive images of the profession that will usually attract an individual to a career in nursing, often more negative perceptions will direct students away from potentially rewarding areas of specialization. This paper describes career projections of nursing students enrolled in the first year of four preservice nursing programmes at the rural campus of one Australian university. Part of a larger study, the data reported here indicate that most respondents intend to practice in the areas of midwifery, paediatrics and emergency nursing. Oncology, community nursing, aged care and mental health nursing all ranked poorly across three rounds of surveys. These findings have implications for practicing nurses and nurse educators who seek to dispel inaccurate images of these important specializations.
Are protected areas maintaining bird diversity?
Authors: Rayner Laura , Lindenmayer David B. , Wood Jeffrey T. , Gibbons Philip , Manning Adrian D.
Published: August 2013

Evaluating the effectiveness of protected areas for sustaining biodiversity is crucial to achieving conservation outcomes. While studies of effectiveness have improved our understanding of protected‐area design and management, few investigations (< 5%) have quantified the ecological performance of reserves for conserving species. Here, we present an empirical evaluation of protected‐area effectiveness using long‐term measures of a vulnerable assemblage of species. We compare forest and woodland bird diversity in the Australian Capital Territory over 11 yr on protected and unprotected areas located in temperate eucalypt woodland and matched by key habitat attributes. We examine separately the response of birds to protected areas established prior to 1995 and after 1995 when fundamental changes were made to regional conservation policy. Bird diversity was measured in richness, occurrence of vulnerable species, individual species trajectories and functional trait groups. We found that protected areas were effective in maintaining woody vegetation cover in the study region, but were less effective in the protection of the target bird species assemblage. Protected areas were less species rich than unprotected areas, with significant declines in richness across sites protected prior to 1995. Small, specialised and vulnerable species showed stronger associations with unprotected areas than protected areas. Our findings indicate that recently established reserves (post‐1995) are performing similarly to unprotected woodland areas in terms of maintaining woodland bird diversity, and that both of these areas are more effective in the conservation of woodland bird populations than reserves established prior to 1995. We demonstrate that the conservation value of protected areas is strongly influenced by the physical characteristics, as well as the landscape context, of a given reserve and can diminish with changes in surrounding land use over time. Both protected areas and off‐reserve conservation schemes have important roles to play in securing species populations.
A randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of a therapeutic play intervention on outcomes of children undergoing inpatient elective surgery: study protocol
Authors: He Hong Gu , Zhu Lixia , Li Ho Cheung William , Wang Wenru , Vehviläinen‐Julkunen Katri , Chan Sally Wai Chi
Published: August 2013

Aim

To report a trial protocol to determine if a therapeutic play intervention leads to significant reduction in perioperative anxiety, negative emotional manifestations and postoperative pain of children undergoing inpatient elective surgery and in their parents' perioperative anxiety.

Background

Children undergoing surgery often experience anxiety, exhibit negative emotional manifestations pre‐operatively and postoperative pain. Previous studies report that therapeutic play intervention has positive effects on anxiety reduction, while few studies have examined the effects of such intervention on children undergoing major elective surgery.

Design

Randomized controlled trial with repeated measures is proposed.

Methods

This study will recruit 106 pairs of 6–14‐year‐old children undergoing elective surgery in a Singaporean public hospital and their parents (protocol approved in October 2011). Eligible participants will be randomly allocated to either a control group (receiving routine care) or an experimental group (receiving 1‐hour therapeutic play intervention plus routine care). Outcome measures include children's anxiety, emotional manifestation and postoperative pain, their parents' anxiety and process evaluation. Data will be collected at baseline (3–7 days before the operation), on the day of surgery and around 24 hours after the surgery.

Discussion

This study will identify a clinically useful and potentially effective approach to prepare children for surgery by reducing anxiety of both children and their parents during the perioperative period. The reduction of anxiety may lead to reduction of postoperative pain, which will eventually improve the physical and psychological well‐being of children. This study was funded by the National Medical Research Council in Singapore.
The nurse rostering problem: from operational research to organizational reality?
Authors: Drake Robert G.
Published: August 2013

Aim

To examine the practical applicability of the ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ constraints associated with the ‘nurse rostering problem’ as defined in operations management research literature and thereby investigate the objectivity of the rostering process.

Background

In practice, rostering nursing staff is often unrecognized, unrewarded and undervalued; yet, despite four decades of research, operations management has little to offer in terms of faster, safer, fairer or more effective rosters. This paper contrasts the theoretical perceptions of roster ‘constraints’ with the subjective, often political, rules governing practical rosters.

Design

Using both qualitative and quantitative data, this inductive study compares the practical process of rostering with that theorized in the nurse rostering problem.

Methods

This research spanned 4 years examining the rosters from 28 wards in 14 hospitals. Interviews with senior nursing staff regarding staff levels and with ward managers regarding rules defining the roster were complemented by analysis of actual roster data to establish the number and type of unfilled shifts and rule breakages. Interviews were analysed using thematic content analysis and roster data were evaluated using the HealthRoster™ e‐rostering system.

Findings

Often the rules governing how nursing staff are scheduled are undocumented, tacit and informal. Furthermore, the roster process can be highly politicized, leading to forms of ‘information anarchy’ or ‘information feudalism’ on the ward.

Conclusions

Hospital managers must understand that roster design has a major impact on ward performance and must develop clear roster policies that define staff levels, skill mix, shift patterns and the rules used in preparing the roster.
Telocytes and stem cells in limbus and uvea of mouse eye
Authors: Luesma María José , Gherghiceanu Mihaela , Popescu Laurenţiu M.
Published: August 2013

The potential of stem cell (SC) therapies for eye diseases is well‐recognized. However, the results remain only encouraging as little is known about the mechanisms responsible for eye renewal, regeneration and/or repair. Therefore, it is critical to gain knowledge about the specific tissue environment (niches) where the stem/progenitor cells reside in eye. A new type of interstitial cell–telocyte (TC) (www.telocytes.com) was recently identified by electron microscopy (EM). TCs have very long (tens of micrometres) and thin (below 200 nm) prolongations named telopodes (Tp) that form heterocellular networks in which SCs are embedded. We found TCs by EM and electron tomography in sclera, limbus and uvea of the mouse eye. Furthermore, EM showed that SCs were present in the anterior layer of the iris and limbus. Adhaerens and gap junctions were found to connect TCs within a network in uvea and sclera. Nanocontacts (electron‐dense structures) were observed between TCs and other cells: SCs, melanocytes, nerve endings and macrophages. These intercellular ‘feet’ bridged the intercellular clefts (about 10 nm wide). Moreover, exosomes (extracellular vesicles with a diameter up to 100 nm) were delivered by TCs to other cells of the iris stroma. The ultrastructural nanocontacts of TCs with SCs and the TCs paracrine influence via exosomes in the epithelial and stromal SC niches suggest an important participation of TCs in eye regeneration.
Up‐regulation of sortilin mediated by amyloid‐β and p75NTR: safety lies in the middle course
Authors: Coulson Elizabeth J. , Nykjaer Anders
Published: August 2013

Read the full article ‘Amyloid beta1–42 (Aβ42) up‐ regulates the expression of sortilin via the p75NTR/RhoA signaling pathway’ on doi: 10.1111/jnc.12383
Biogeographic variation in the baboon: dissecting the cline
Authors: Dunn Jason , Cardini Andrea , Elton Sarah
Published: August 2013

All species demonstrate intraspecific anatomical variation. While generalisations such asBergman's andAllen's rules have attempted to explain the geographic structuring of variation with some success, recent work has demonstrated limited support for these in certainOldWorld monkeys. This study extends this research to the baboon: a species that is widely distributed across sub‐SaharanAfrica and exhibits clinal variation across an environmentally disparate range. This study uses trend surface analysis to map the pattern of skull variation in size and shape in order to visualise the main axes of morphological variation. Patterns of shape and size‐controlled shape are compared to highlight morphological variation that is underpinned by allometry alone. Partial regression is used to dissociate the effects of environmental terms, such as rainfall, temperature and spatial position. The diminutiveKinda baboon is outlying in size, so analyses were carried out with and without this taxon. Skull size variation demonstrates an east–west pattern, with small animals at the two extremes and large animals in Central and SouthernAfrica. Shape variation demonstrates the same geographical pattern as skull size, with small‐sized animals exhibiting classic paedomorphic morphology. However, an additional north–south axis of variation emerges. After controlling for skull size, the diminutiveKinda baboon is no longer an outlier for size and shape. Also, the east–west component is no longer evident and discriminant function analysis shows an increased misclassification of adjacent taxa previously differentiated by size. This demonstrates the east–west component of shape variation is underpinned by skull size, while the north–south axis is not. The latter axis is explicable in phylogenetic terms: baboons arose in SouthernAfrica and colonisedEast andWestAfrica to the north, diverging in the process, aided by climate‐mediated isolating mechanisms. Environmental terms appear poorly correlated with shape variation compared with geography. This might indicate that there is no simple environment–morphology association, but certainly demonstrates that phylogenetic history is an overbearing factor in baboon morphological variation.
Neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio: a novel predictor for short‐term prognosis in acute‐on‐chronic hepatitis B liver failure
Authors: Liu H. , Zhang H. , Wan G. , Sang Y. , Chang Y. , Wang X. , Zeng H.
Published: August 2013

Acute‐on‐chronic hepatitis B liver failure (ACHBLF) has a poor prognosis in patients with hepatitis B virus infection. The role of the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), which reflects the inflammatory status of the patient before treatment, has never been studied in this setting. To investigate the predictive value of NLR in patients with ACHBLF, a retrospective cohort with 216 patients and a prospective validation cohort with 73 patients were recruited. Multivariate analyses showed that total bilirubin (TBIL), NLR, age and model for end‐stage liver disease (MELD) score had prognostic significance for survival. Both NLR (0.781) and MELD score (0.744) had higher ROC curves, which differed significantly from those for age (0.615) and TBIL (0.691), but not from each other (P = 0.94). NLR ≤2.36 predicted lower mortality (with 91.6% sensitivity and 86.0% negative predictive value), and NLR >6.12 was a warning sign for higher mortality risk (with 90.1% specificity and 80.3% positive predictive value). These results demonstrated that pretreatment NLR was associated with the prognosis of patients with ACHBLF, and elevated NLR predicted poor outcome within 8 weeks. We suggest that NLR cut‐offs of ≤2.36 and >6.12 are powerful markers for predicting mortality in ACHBLF.
Using genetic techniques to quantify reinvasion, survival and in situ breeding rates during control operations
Authors: Veale A. J. , Edge K.‐A. , McMurtrie P. , Fewster R. M. , Clout M. N. , Gleeson D. M.
Published: August 2013

Determining the origin of individuals caught during a control/eradication programme enables conservation managers to assess the reinvasion rates of their target species and evaluate the level of success of their control methods. We examine how genetic techniques can focus management by distinguishing between hypotheses of ‘reinvasion’ and ‘survivor’, and defining kin groups for invasive stoats (Mustela erminea) on Secretary Island, New Zealand. 205 stoats caught on the island were genotyped at 16 microsatellite loci, along with 40 stoats from the opposing mainland coast, and the age and sex were determined for each individual. Using these data, we compare and combine a variety of genetic techniques including genetic clustering, population assignment and kinship‐based techniques to assess the origin of each stoat. The population history and individual movement could be described in fine detail, with results indicating that both in‐situ survival and breeding, and reinvasion are occurring. Immigration to the island was found to be generally low, apart from in 1 year where around 8 stoats emigrated from the mainland. This increased immigration was probably linked to a stoat population spike on the mainland in that year, caused by a masting event of southern beech forest (Nothofagus sp.) and the subsequent rodent irruption. Our study provides an example of some of the ways genetic analyses can feed directly into informing management practices for invasive species.
Genetics at the verge of extinction: insights from the Iberian lynx
Authors: Casas‐Marce M. , Soriano L. , López‐Bao J. V. , Godoy J. A.
Published: August 2013

Population viability might become compromised by the loss of genetic diversity and the accumulation of inbreeding resulting from population decline and fragmentation. The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) provides a paradigmatic example of a species at the verge of extinction, and because of the well‐documented and different demographic histories of the two remaining populations (Doñana and Andújar), it provides the opportunity to evaluate the performance of analytical methods commonly applied to recently declined populations. We used mitochondrial sequences and 36 microsatellite markers to evaluate the current genetic status of the species and to assess the genetic signatures of its past history. Mitochondrial diversity was extremely low with only two haplotypes, alternatively fixed in each population. Both remnant populations have low levels of genetic diversity at microsatellite markers, particularly the population from Doñana, and genetic differentiation between the two populations is high. Bayesian coalescent‐based methods suggest an earlier decline starting hundreds of years ago, while heterozygosity excess and M‐ratio tests did not provide conclusive and consistent evidence for recent bottlenecks. Also, a model of gene flow received overwhelming support over a model of pure drift. Results that are in conflict with the known recent demography of the species call for caution in the use of these methods, especially when no information on previous demographic history is available. Overall, our results suggest that current genetic patterns in the Iberian lynx are mainly the result of its recent decline and fragmentation and alerts on possible genetic risks for its persistence. Conservation strategies should explicitly consider this threat and incorporate an integrated genetic management of wild, captive and re‐introduced populations, including genetic restoration through translocations.
Convergence of gut microbiomes in myrmecophagous mammals
Authors: Delsuc Frédéric , Metcalf Jessica L. , Wegener Parfrey Laura , Song Se Jin , González Antonio , Knight Rob
Published: August 2013

Mammals have diversified into many dietary niches. Specialized myrmecophagous (ant‐ and termite‐eating) placental mammals represent a textbook example of evolutionary convergence driven by extreme diet specialization. Armadillos, anteaters, aardvarks, pangolins and aardwolves thus provide a model system for understanding the potential role of gut microbiota in the convergent adaptation to myrmecophagy. Here, we expand upon previous mammalian gut microbiome studies by using high‐throughput barcoded Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to characterize the composition of gut microbiota in 15 species representing all placental myrmecophagous lineages and their close relatives from zoo‐ and field‐collected samples. We confirm that both diet and phylogeny drive the evolution of mammalian gut microbiota, with cases of convergence in global composition, but also examples of phylogenetic inertia. Our results reveal specialized placental myrmecophages as a spectacular case of large‐scale convergence in gut microbiome composition. Indeed, neighbour‐net networks and beta‐diversity plots based on UniFrac distances show significant clustering of myrmecophagous species (anteaters, aardvarks and aardwolves), even though they belong to phylogenetically distant lineages representing different orders. The aardwolf, which diverged from carnivorous hyenas only in the last 10 million years, experienced a convergent shift in the composition of its gut microbiome to become more similar to other myrmecophages. These results confirm diet adaptation to be a major driving factor of convergence in gut microbiome composition over evolutionary timescales. This study sets the scene for future metagenomic studies aiming at evaluating potential convergence in functional gene content in the microbiomes of specialized mammalian myrmecophages.
Ordered to the Good: Final Causality and Analogical Predication in Thomas Aquinas
Authors: Barnes Corey L.
Published: August 2013

Thomas Aquinas's treatments of analogical predication of the divine names have generated perennial and polarizing debates. This article expands the framework for analysis by examining the divine names through the lens of final causality and the convertibility of being and good, stressing agathological participation as crucial for understanding the metaphysical foundation for analogical predication of the divine names. This approach specifies how analogical predication of the divine names functions as an intermediary end subordinate to the ultimate end of the beatific vision and how the ultimate end of the beatific vision causes the intermediate end of analogical predication.
Arabidopsis GOLDEN2‐LIKE (GLK) transcription factors activate jasmonic acid (JA)‐dependent disease susceptibility to the biotrophic pathogen Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis, as well as JA‐independent plant immunity against the necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea
Authors: Murmu Jhadeswar , Wilton Michael , Allard Ghislaine , Pandeya Radhey , Desveaux Darrell , Singh Jas , Subramaniam Rajagopal
Published: August 2013

Arabidopsis thaliana GOLDEN2‐LIKE (GLK1 and 2) transcription factors regulate chloroplast development in a redundant manner. Overexpression of AtGLK1 (35S:AtGLK1) in Arabidopsis also confers resistance to the cereal pathogen Fusarium graminearum. To further elucidate the role of GLK transcription factors in plant defence, the Arabidopsis glk1 glk2 double‐mutant and 35S:AtGLK1 plants were challenged with the virulent oomycete pathogen Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis (Hpa) Noco2. Compared with Col‐0, glk1 glk2 plants were highly resistant to Hpa Noco2, whereas 35S:AtGLK1 plants showed enhanced susceptibility to this pathogen. Genetic studies suggested that AtGLK‐mediated plant defence to Hpa Noco2 was partially dependent on salicylic acid (SA) accumulation, but independent of the SA signalling protein NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS‐RELATED 1 (NPR1). Pretreatment with jasmonic acid (JA) dramatically reversed Hpa Noco2 resistance in the glk1 glk2 double mutant, but only marginally affected the 35S:AtGLK1 plants. In addition, overexpression of AtGLK1 in the JA signalling mutant coi1‐16 did not increase susceptibility to Hpa Noco2. Together, our GLK gain‐of‐function and loss‐of‐function experiments suggest that GLK acts upstream of JA signalling in disease susceptibility to Hpa Noco2. In contrast, glk1 glk2 plants were more susceptible to the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea, whereas 35S:AtGLK1 plants exhibited heightened resistance which could be maintained in the absence of JA signalling. Together, the data reveal that AtGLK1 is involved in JA‐dependent susceptibility to the biotrophic pathogen Hpa Noco2 and in JA‐independent resistance to the necrotrophic pathogen B. cinerea.
Antibacterial effects on dry‐fast and traditional water‐based surgical scrubbing methods: A two‐time points experimental study
Authors: Chen Shu‐Hwa , Chou Chuan‐Yu , Huang Jui‐Chen , Tang Ya‐Fen , Kuo Yur‐Ren , Chien Li‐Yu
Published: August 2013

This study determined the in‐use effects of dry‐fast and traditional hand‐washing surgical scrubs among operating room staff members. This is a static group comparison study with purposive sampling. A total of 156 staff members were recruited in an operating room in a medical center located in southern Taiwan. The participants were divided into traditional and dry‐fast hand‐washing groups. Microbial counts were measured right after the two groups finished surgical scrubbing and at the completion of surgery. The results showed that the use of dry‐fast antisepsis has a better persistent effect (P = 0.001), more nurses chose dry‐fast antisepsis than surgeons (P = 0.012), and the post‐operation number of colonies for nurses was significantly higher than that for surgeons (P = 0.003). Operating room nurses are long‐term and frequent users of antibacterial agents, and their requirement of skin protection is higher. The dry‐fast technique has the advantage of being less irritating to the skin and less time consuming; therefore, brush‐free and dry‐fast antisepsis is recommended.
Effectiveness of a first‐aid intervention program applied by undergraduate nursing students to preparatory school children
Authors: Wafik Wagida , Tork Hanan
Published: August 2013

Childhood injuries constitute a major public health problem worldwide. First aid is an effective life‐preservation tool at work, school, home, and in public locations. In this study, the effectiveness of a first‐aid program delivered by undergraduate nursing students to preparatory school children was examined. This quasi‐experimental study was carried out on 100 school children in governmental preparatory schools in Egypt. The researchers designed a program for first‐aid training, and this was implemented by trained nursing students. The evaluation involved immediate post‐test and follow‐up assessment after two months. The results showed generally low levels of satisfactory knowledge and inadequate situational practice among the school students before the intervention. Statistically‐significant improvements were shown at the post‐ and follow‐up tests. Multivariate regression analysis identified the intervention and the type of school as the independent predictors of the change in students' knowledge score, while the intervention and the knowledge score were the predictors of the practice score. The study concluded that a first‐aid training program delivered by nursing students to preparatory school children is effective in improving their knowledge and practice.
Cultural responses to pain in UK children of primary school age: A mixed‐methods study
Authors: Azize Pary M. , Endacott Ruth , Cattani Allegra , Humphreys Ann
Published: August 2013

Pain‐measurement tools are often criticized for not addressing the influence of culture and ethnicity on pain. This study examined how children who speak English as a primary or additional language discuss pain. Two methods were used in six focus group interviews with 34 children aged 4–7 years: (i) use of drawings from the Pediatric Pain Inventory to capture the language used by children to describe pain; and (ii) observation of the children's placing of pain drawings on red/amber/green paper to denote perceived severity of pain. The findings demonstrated that children with English as an additional language used less elaborate language when talking about pain, but tended to talk about the pictures prior to deciding where they should be placed. For these children, there was a positive significant relationship between language, age, and length of stay in the UK. The children's placement of pain drawings varied according to language background, sex, and age. The findings emphasize the need for sufficient time to assess pain adequately in children who do not speak English as a first language.
Associations between overuse of the internet and mental health in adolescents
Authors: Yoo Yang‐Sook , Cho Ok‐Hee , Cha Kyeong‐Sook
Published: August 2013

This study examined the factors influencing internet addiction levels and mental health in a nationally‐representative sample of 74,980 Korean middle‐ and high‐school students who completed the 2010 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web‐Based Survey. The prevalence rates of potential internet addiction and internet addiction were 14.8% and 3%, respectively. The odds ratios for potential internet addiction were higher in both boys and girls who reported suicidal ideation, depressive mood, moderate or higher subjective stress, moderate or more happiness, or ever having engaged in problematic substance use. Adolescents at high risk for internet addiction had poor mental health outcomes. The findings indicate the need for measures to prevent and manage internet addiction in adolescents that consider the severity of factors related to internet addiction.
Effectiveness of a behavior modification program for older people with uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Ounnapiruk Liwan , Wirojratana Virapun , Meehatchai Nitaya , Turale Sue
Published: August 2013

This quasi‐experimental study examined the effectiveness of a behavior modification program for diabetic control in Thai elders with uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes. Purposive sampling was used to select 30 elders from one community as an intervention group, and 30 from a neighboring community as a control group. The intervention group participated in a program of 12 weeks' duration involving activities related to group counseling, group discussion, and an empowerment process that enhanced appropriate consumption of healthy diet, medication taking, and exercise. Data were collected by interviews using a questionnaire to assess knowledge of diabetes, perceived self‐efficacy, and diabetes control behavior, including fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin, were examined at the baseline and three months thereafter. At program completion, the intervention group had significantly higher scores of knowledge, self‐efficacy, and health behaviors than those in the control group, but blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin were not significantly different. Although nurses can use aspects of this program to benefit elders with diabetes who require support and education, further research is required to provide improved health outcomes such as better glycemic control.
Exploring risk in professional nursing practice: an analysis of work refusal and professional risk
Authors: Beardwood Barbara A , Kainer Jan M
Published: August 2013

This article explores risk in professional nursing practice. Professional risk refers to the threat of professional discipline if it is found that a registered nurse has violated professional nursing practice standards. We argue professional risk is socially constructed and understood differently by nurse regulatory bodies, unions, professional associations and frontline nurses. Regulatory bodies emphasize professional accountability of nurses; professional associations focus on system problems in health‐care; unions undertake protecting nurses' right to health and safety; and frontline nurses experience fear and uncertainty in their attempt to interpret practice standards to avoid professional discipline. Perspectives of professional risk are investigated by analyzing three professional nursing bodies' views of professional codes governing the right of nurses to refuse unsafe work assignments. The workplace dynamics surrounding work refusal experienced by frontline nurses are illustrated primarily through the lens of the 2003 SARS influenza outbreak in Ontario, Canada. We conclude that frontline nurses in Ontario are required to manage risk by following professional protocols prioritizing patient care and professional accountability which disregard the systemic, unpredictable and hazardous circumstances in their everyday practice. Moreover, we argue professional protocols cannot anticipate every eventuality in clinical practice creating the fear of professional discipline for nurses.
Assessing leaf photoprotective mechanisms using terrestrial LiDAR: towards mapping canopy photosynthetic performance in three dimensions
Authors: Magney Troy S. , Eusden Spencer A. , Eitel Jan U. H. , Logan Barry A. , Jiang Jingjue , Vierling Lee A.
Published: August 2013

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) data allow spatially explicit (x, y, z) laser return intensities to be recorded throughout a plant canopy, which could considerably improve our understanding of how physiological processes vary in three‐dimensional space. However, the utility of TLS data for the quantification of plant physiological properties remains largely unexplored. Here, we test whether the laser return intensity of green (532‐nm) TLS correlates with changes in the de‐epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle and photoprotective non‐photochemical quenching (NPQ), and compare the ability of TLS to quantify these parameters with the passively measured photochemical reflectance index (PRI).

We exposed leaves from five plant species to increasing light intensities to induce NPQ and de‐epoxidation of violaxanthin (V) to antheraxanthin (A) and zeaxanthin (Z). At each light intensity, the green laser return intensity (GLRI), narrowband spectral reflectance, chlorophyll fluorescence emission and xanthophyll cycle pigment composition were recorded.

Strong relationships between both predictor variables (GLRI, PRI) and both explanatory variables (NPQ, xanthophyll cycle de‐epoxidation) were observed.

GLRI holds promise to provide detailed (mm) information about plant physiological status to improve our understanding of the patterns and mechanisms driving foliar photoprotection. We discuss the potential for scaling these laboratory data to three‐dimensional canopy space.