bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Current perspectives on the Pleistocene archaeology of eastern Beringia
Authors: Morlan Richard E.
Published: July 2003

Most recent summaries of eastern Beringian (Alaska and Yukon) archaeology present the Nenana complex, beginning 11,500–12,000 14C yr B.P., as the beginning of the regional archaeological record. Either explicitly or tacitly, these summaries dismiss or ignore a body of older putative evidence of human occupation that may span the late Wisconsin stade and even extend into part of the mid-Wisconsin interstade. This paper summarizes the interpretive problems surrounding the older findings, bringing together data that have accumulated over a period of two decades, in the hope that a coherent presentation will encourage more careful appraisals of the materials. The paper concludes with a family of testable hypotheses concerning the beginnings of human occupation in eastern Beringia. The hypothesis that people were present during the mid-Wisconsin interstade has not yet been falsified.
Stratigraphy, fossils, and age of sediments at the upper pit of the Lost Chicken gold mine: new information on the late Pliocene environment of east central Alaska
Authors: Matthews John V. , Westgate J. A. , Ovenden Lynn , Carter L. David , Fouch Thomas
Published: July 2003

The “upper pit” at the Lost Chicken placer gold mine in east central Alaska contains fossils that provide information on the flora and insect fauna of interior Alaska just before the onset of global cooling at 2.5 myr. Fossils come from sediments interbedded with the Lost Chicken tephra (dated at 2.9 ± 0.4 myr—early Late Pliocene) and portray the floodplain and valley of a small creek within a region dominated by a coniferous forest richer in genera and species than the present one. Climate was wetter and less continental, and there was probably little or no permafrost. At least one other Pliocene tephra (the Fortymile tephra) occurs at the site and is also associated with plant and insect fossils. Among these fossils are extinct plants and insects like those found at other Tertiary sites in northern Canada and Alaska. The Lost Chicken sequence is the same age as the Beaufort Formation on Meighen Island, more than 1000 km to the north. Like Lost Chicken, Meighen Island sediments contain fossils representing a diverse boreal environment. This shows that the latitudinal climate gradient during early Late Pliocene time was shallower than at present and the boreal forest had a far greater latitudinal span than now.
Population dynamics and predictions in the Isle of Man fishery for the great scallop, Pecten maximus L.
Authors: Beukers-Stewart B.D , Mosley M.W.J , Brand A.R
Published: July 2003

There has been a fishery for the great scallop, Pecten maximus, around the Isle of Man, since 1937. Research up to the end of the 1980s suggested that these scallop stocks were in continuous decline. The fishery is now largely dependent on the strength of each recruiting year-class, placing it at considerable risk from recruitment failure. This study utilised data on the spat settlement, age structure, abundance and commercial catch rates of scallops, collected between 1975 and 2001, to examine recent population dynamics and the potential for predicting future catch rates. Spat settlement was generally low, but there were two exceptionally strong year-classes. Surveys of the stock revealed high exploitation rates during each fishing season (November to May inclusive) with variable recovery due to recruitment by the following October. In 1997/1998, scallop catch rates reached a 20-year high on several grounds and have generally remained high since. The strong spat settlements in 1989 and particularly 1994 were largely responsible for recent rises in catch rates, although the maintenance of high catch rates between 1999 and 2001 has occurred despite poor spat settlement between 1995 and 2000. Within stock surveys, the density of 2-year-old scallops was generally an accurate predictor of the density of 3- and 4-year-old scallops, 1–2 years later. The nature and strength of these relationships varied considerably between fishing grounds due to spatial variation in both scallop biology and patterns of exploitation. Results from fishery independent surveys did not always correlate well with commercial catch rates, however, suggesting the need for an expansion of the survey on some grounds. Overall, our study indicated that current levels of exploitation appear to be sustainable in the Isle of Man scallop fishery. Our results also demonstrated that monitoring of both spat settlement and the abundance of juveniles has considerable potential for predicting future catch rates of commercial sized scallops.
An overview of seabed-mapping technologies in the context of marine habitat classification☆
Authors: Kenny A.J , Cato I , Desprez M , Fader G , Schüttenhelm R.T.E , Side J
Published: July 2003

A wide range of seabed-mapping technologies is reviewed in respect to their effectiveness in discriminating benthic habitats at different spatial scales. Of the seabed attributes considered important in controlling the benthic community of marine sands and gravel, sediment grain size, porosity or shear strength, and sediment dynamics were highlighted as the most important. Whilst no one mapping system can quantify all these attributes at the same time, some may be estimated by skilful interpretation of the remotely sensed data. For example, seabed processes or features, such as bedform migration, scour, slope failure, and gas venting are readily detectable by many of the mapping systems, and these characteristics in turn can be used to assist a habitat classification (and monitoring) of the seabed. We tabulate the relationship between “rapid” continental shelf sedimentological processes, the seabed attributes affecting these processes, and the most suitable mapping system to employ for their detection at different spatial scales.
Impact of a large-scale area closure on patterns of fishing disturbance and the consequences for benthic communities
Authors: Dinmore T.A , Duplisea D.E , Rackham B.D , Maxwell D.L , Jennings S
Published: July 2003

Seasonal area closures of fisheries are primarily used to reduce fishing mortality on target species. In the absence of effort controls, fishing vessels displaced from a closed area will impact fish populations and the environment elsewhere. Based on the observed response of the North Sea beam trawl fleet to the closure of the “cod box” and an existing size-based model of the impacts of beam trawling, we predict the effects of seasonal area closures on benthic communities in the central North Sea. We suggest that repeated seasonal area closures would lead to a slightly more homogeneous distribution of annual trawling activity, although the distribution would remain patchy rather than random. The increased homogeneity, coupled with the displacement of trawling activity to previously unfished areas, is predicted to have slightly greater cumulative impacts on total benthic invertebrate production and lead to localized reductions in benthic biomass for several years. To ensure the effective integration of fisheries and environmental management, the wider consequences of fishery management actions should be considered a priori. Thus, when seasonal closures increase the homogeneity of overall disturbance or lead to the redistribution of trawling activity to environmentally sensitive or previously unfished areas, then effort reductions or permanent area closures should be considered as a management option. The latter would lead to a single but permanent redistribution of fishing disturbance, with lower cumulative impacts on benthic communities in the long run.
A simulation study of the implications of age-reading errors for stock assessment and management advice
Authors: Reeves Stuart A.
Published: July 2003

Catch-at-age data are a crucial input to many stock assessments, so errors in age determination could have an adverse effect on the quality of the stock assessment and the scientific advice based on that assessment. The results of simulation studies presented in this study are intended to quantify the effects of age-reading errors on the perception of stock trends and short-term management advice. The study is based on Eastern Baltic cod, in which problems with consistent interpretation of otolith structures result in the catch-at-age data being particularly problematic. The results indicate a clear distinction between the performance of the assessment, and the performance of catch forecasts and advice based on that assessment. The ageing error affected the absolute level of estimates of fishing mortality and spawning stock biomass from stock assessments, although overall trends are similar, and general conclusions about the state of the stock are likely to be broadly correct. Greater problems arose in catch forecasts and advice, for which ageing error led to discrepancies between the required and the effective fishing mortality, and a general tendency for ageing error to lead to advice on Total Allowable Catch that would be too optimistic and, therefore, less effective for stock conservation.
Evaluation of shell damage to the clam Chamelea gallina captured by hydraulic dredging in the Northern Adriatic Sea
Authors: Moschino V , Deppieri M , Marin M.G
Published: July 2003

The impact of experimental hydraulic dredging was assessed on Chamelea gallina populations in two sites along the north-western Adriatic coast (Lido and Jesolo) by detecting and quantifying shell damage caused by fishing operations on both captured and discarded clams. Various levels of stress were applied, the highest being that used by commercial fishing vessels, which employ high water pressure and mechanised sorting and the lowest manual sampling of clams by scuba divers. Water pressure and sorting significantly increased shell damage, the highest levels always being observed in commercially dredged clams. At Lido, damage was mostly due to the action of the mechanised sorter; at Jesolo, the effect of high water pressure was more clearcut. Moreover, clams collected at Jesolo had both higher mean damage level and higher numbers of damaged individuals compared to the Lido samples. These differences seem to be mostly related to differing bottom features in the two sites. A positive relationship was observed between damage level and clam size: small-sized samples (length <17 mm) were less damaged than medium-sized ones (25 mm > length >17 mm) and commercial size clams (>25 mm) showed the highest damage level. The severe and harmful physical impact of hydraulic dredging was apparent in captured and then discarded animals, a small fraction of which appears able to recover, as shown by the presence of clams with repaired shells.
An experimental study of the ecological impacts of hydraulic bivalve dredging on maerl
Authors: Hauton C , Hall-Spencer J.M , Moore P.G
Published: July 2003

A short-term experiment to assess the ecological impact of a hydraulic blade dredge on a maerl community was carried out during November 2001 in the Clyde Sea area on the west coast of Scotland. A fluorescent sediment tracer was used to label dead maerl, which was then spread out on the surface of sediment to act as a proxy for living maerl. The fauna collected by the dredge was dominated by the bivalves Dosinia exoleta and Tapes rhomboides, which were found to be intact. The target razor clams Ensis spp. were caught in low numbers, which reflected the low abundance of this genus within the maerl habitat. The hydraulic dredge removed, dispersed and buried the fluorescent maerl at a rate of 5.2 kg m−2 and suspended a large cloud of sediment into the water column, which settled out and blanketed the seabed to a distance of at least 8 m either side of the dredge track. The likely ecological consequences of hydraulic dredging on maerl grounds are discussed, and a case is made for protecting all maerl grounds from hydraulic dredging and establishing them as reservoirs to allow for the recruitment of commercial bivalve populations at adjacent fished sites.
Improved transfection efficiency of cultured human cells
Authors: Nikcevic Gordana , Kovacevic‐Grujicic Natasa , Stevanovic Milena
Published: July 2003

We simultaneously tested the transfection efficiency of NT2/D1 and HeLa cells with Lipofectamine™ (Life Technologies) and Effectene™ (Qiagen) transfection reagents using the pCH110 eukaryotic assay vector, which contains the lacZ reporter gene. Under our culture conditions for NT2/D1 and HeLa cells, Effectene™ transfection efficiency could be augmented by simply increasing the amount of plasmid DNA 1.5–3 times above the recommended concentration without any visible cytotoxicity. With the Lipofectamine™ reagent, optimal transfection efficiency was obtained for both cell lines within the recommended concentrations, but at the top of the range. The results indicate that optimization of the transfection process should include plasmid DNA concentrations above the levels suggested by the manufacturers, in order to accomplish the highest transfection efficiency.
Central hemimaxillectomy and reconstruction using a superficial temporal artery axial pattern flap in a domestic short hair cat
Authors: Lester S , Pratschke K
Published: July 2003

A 2-year old, neutered male domestic short hair cat presented with a large mass involving the right upper lip and underlying gingiva. A previous attempt at mass excision had failed, and the histopathological diagnosis was reported to be a fibrosarcoma. The cat was otherwise in good health.

A central hemimaxillectomy was performed with extensive soft-tissue dissection and maxillofacial reconstruction achieved using an axial pattern flap based on the superficial temporal artery. This is the first reported clinical case of the use of the superficial temporal artery axial pattern flap in the cat. Histopathology identified a periodontal fibromatous epulis.
Belief in Control: Regulation of Religion in China
Authors: Potter Pitman B.
Published: July 2003

This article examines the regulation of religion in China, in the context of changing social expectations and resulting dilemmas of regime legitimacy. The post-Mao government has permitted limited freedom of religious belief, subject to legal and regulatory restrictions on religious behaviour. However, this distinction between belief and behaviour poses challenges for the regime's efforts to maintain political control while preserving an image of tolerance aimed at building legitimacy. By examining the regulation of religion in the context of patterns of compliance and resistance in religious conduct, the article attempts to explain how efforts to control religion raise challenges for regime legitimacy.
Healing Sects and Anti-Cult Campaigns
Authors: Chen Nancy N.
Published: July 2003

Charismatic forms of healing can be found both in Chinese medicine and spiritual practices. This article examines how qigong healing sects in contemporary China became subject to state regulation and medicalization. Such a move was intended to eradicate masters who were viewed as promoting superstition (mixin) or heterodox spiritual practices. Yet, the rise of masters who intertwined healing with spirituality was facilitated by market reforms that enabled entrepreneurial forms of medicine. When other popular forms of healing emerged in the late 1990s, the previous state response to qigong facilitated containment practices which continue into the 21st century. Recent state policy towards sectarian organizations based on the promotion of science are compared with the regulation of qigong a decade earlier.
Debating Human Rights in China: A Conceptual and Political History. By Marina Svensson. [Lanham, MD and Oxford: Rowman and Littlefield, 2002. 389 pp. $29.95. ISBN 0-7425-1697-0.] The Chinese Human Rights Reader. By Stephen C. Angle and Marina Svensson. [Armonk, NY and London: M. E. Sharpe, 2001. 476 pp. $29.95. ISBN 0-7656-0693-3.]
Authors: Li Xiaorong
Published: July 2003

Talk of ‘Asian values’ seems to have abated. Those who promoted such ‘values’ in order to license disregard for international human rights standards touted the ‘logic’ that ‘anything originated in Western culture is only valid in countries of Western cultural heritage and should not be applied elsewhere; human rights originated in Western culture. Therefore, they should not be applied in Asia.’
The Chinese National Character: From Nationhood to Individuality. By Lung-kee Sun. [Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe, 2002. xx+300 pp. $65.95. ISBN 0-7656-0826-X.]
Authors: Dirlik Arif
Published: July 2003

Readers of The Chinese National Character may well wonder if there is any book or article on the subject that the author has not consulted. This is not an easy book to read, partly because it is packed with information and partly because of the form in which the author presents the subject matter. But it should be required reading for every graduate class in Chinese history/studies not only for its bibliographical coverage but also for the insights into the subject that Sun provides.
Memories of the Future: National Identity Issues and the Search for a New Taiwan. Edited by Stéphane Corcuff. [Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe, 2002. xxvi+285 pp. Hard cover $64.95, ISBN 0-7656-0791-3; paperback $24.95, ISBN 0-7656-0792-1.]
Authors: Gold Thomas B.
Published: July 2003

The French Taiwan expert, Stéphane Corcuff, has assembled a group of mainly younger scholars, including many from Taiwan, to discuss, from different disciplinary perspectives and employing a range of methodologies, the politically sensitive and fascinating subject of Taiwan's identity.
One Quarter of Humanity: Malthusian Mythology and Chinese Realities. By James Z. Lee and Wang Feng. [Cambridge, MA and London: Harvard University Press, 1999. xiii+248 pages. £12.95. ISBN 0-674-0709-3.]
Authors: Harrell Stevan
Published: July 2003

This short, provocative, and important book makes two major claims: first, that the low fertility that is well documented for historical Chinese populations is due to rational demographic decision-making rather than to environmental stress; and secondly, that the source of this rational decision-making is the fundamental prevalence of collective authority in China, as opposed to the fundamental emphasis on individual rights in the West.
Fascists among themselves: some observations on west European politics in the 1930s
Authors: ORLOW DIETRICH
Published: July 2003

Historians have long found it difficult to deal with fascism as a generic, Europe-wide, political phenomenon. The historiographic pendulum has swung from including virtually every right-wing movement under the label of fascism to denying altogether that generic fascism ever existed. Neither approach is historically valid. The fascists did not see themselves as a species of Conservatives; they looked upon themselves as a unique, international political phenomenon. Moreover, many of their non-fascist contemporaries accepted this claim. Both were right and, for this reason, it is necessary to renew efforts to delineate the ideological and stylistic parameters of generic fascism. An important aid in understanding fascism as a generic phenomenon is the analysis of the relations between the German Nazis and French and Dutch fascists in the years from 1933 to 1939, a topic that has been little studied until now.
Taxes and bribes: assessing the extraction burden in orderly and disorderly societies
Authors: TARSCHYS DANIEL
Published: July 2003

Countries with a low GDP per capita generally have a much lower fiscal quota than OECD countries, but many other factors push up the transaction costs in poor economies. High-tax societies provide more security, predictability and organizational discipline. The absence of such conditions is a powerful breeding-ground for corruption. If fiscal payments and bribes are added up to arrive at a composite measure of the ‘extraction burden’ in different countries, we might find that the costs of doing business do not diverge so much in various parts of the world.
Expression of a mouse selenocysteine lyase in Brassica juncea chloroplasts affects selenium tolerance and accumulation
Authors: Garifullina Gulnara F. , Owen Jennifer D. , Lindblom Stormy‐Dawn , Tufan Hale , Pilon Marinus , Pilon‐Smits Elizabeth A. H.
Published: July 2003

Selenium is an essential nutrient for many organisms, as part of certain selenoproteins. However, selenium is toxic at high levels, which is thought to be due to non‐specific replacement of cysteine by selenocysteine leading to disruption of protein function. In an attempt to prevent non‐specific incorporation of selenocysteine into proteins and to possibly enhance plant selenium tolerance and accumulation, a mouse selenocysteine lyase was expressed in Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) chloroplasts, the site of selenocysteine synthesis. This selenocysteine lyase specifically breaks down selenocysteine into elemental selenium and alanine. The transgenic cpSL plants showed normal growth under standard conditions. Selenocysteine lyase activity in the cpSL transgenics was up to 6‐fold higher than in wild‐type plants. The cpSL transgenics contained up to 40% less selenium in protein compared to wild‐type plants, indicating that Se flow in the plant was successfully redirected. Surprisingly, the selenium tolerance of the transgenic cpSL plants was reduced, perhaps due to interference of produced elemental selenium with chloroplastic sulphur metabolism. Shoot selenium levels were enhanced up to 50% in the cpSL transgenics, but only during the seedling stage.
DNA sequence profile of TP53 gene mutations in childhood B‐cell non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas: prognostic implications
Authors: Klumb Claudete Esteves , Furtado Daniel Rodrigues , Magalhães de Resende Lídia Maria , Carriço Maria Kadma , Coelho Arthur Moellman , de Meis Ernesto , Maia Raquel Ciuvalschi , Rumjanek Franklin David
Published: July 2003

Objectives: The TP53 gene encodes a nuclear protein implicated in the regulation of the cell cycle, DNA repair, and apoptosis. TP53 mutations and other alterations have been described in numerous types of tumors, and some of these have been associated with poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to characterize TP53 mutations in childhood B non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma, their correlation with clinical prognostic factors and response to therapy.

Patients and methods: Samples from 49 children with B non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma were examined for TP53 alterations by single‐strand conformation polymorphism analysis (SSCP) of exons 5–9, direct sequencing and by p53 immunohistochemistry.

Results: Mutations of TP53 were detected in 11 of 49 (22.5%) patients and more specifically in 20% of Burkitt's lymphoma. The sequence analysis showed missense mutations in 10 cases and an insertion mutation in one case. Mutations of the transition type occurred more frequently than transversions (seven of 11). Analysis of the spectrum of single‐nucleotide substitutions showed a 30% frequency of transition mutations in CpG dinucleotide sequences. The overall frequency of p53 immunostaining positivity was 36% (15 of 41). There was a very good agreement between protein expression and the presence of TP53 mutation (P = 0.0005). No significant correlation was found regarding age, gender, clinical stage and LDH level and TP53 mutations. Comparison of EFS curves using the log‐rank test were also not significant. However, the analysis of the effects of mutations on the core p53 structure identified biological and biochemical mutants with phenotypes probably related to different response to chemotherapy.

Conclusions: Our data suggest that some types of mutants can alter the protein distinctly and may be associated with a more aggressive phenotype. In addition, the impact of TP53 mutations on response to therapy may also be influenced by disruption of other genes.
Quantitative determination of the human MRP1 and MRP2 mRNA expression in FACS‐sorted peripheral blood CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, and CD56+cells
Authors: Oselin Kersti , Mrozikiewicz Przemyslaw M. , Pähkla Rein , Roots Ivar
Published: July 2003

Objectives: ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporters extrude a wide variety of endogenous and exogenous compounds. In cancer cells, they are known to confer multidrug resistance. The aim of the present study was to determine the expression of the multidrug resistance‐associated protein 1 (MRP1) and 2 (MRP2), which are members of the subfamily C of the ABC transporters family, in human hematopoietic cells.

Methods: CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, and CD56+ cells were isolated from whole blood by FACS‐sort in 20 healthy volunteers. MRP1 and MRP2 mRNA levels were quantified using real‐time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) assays on a LightCyclerTM (Roche, Mannheim, Germany).

Results: The MRP1 mRNA exhibited the highest abundance in CD4+ cells (7.4 × 103 ± 3.19 × 103 molecules/ng of total RNA), followed by CD8+ > CD19+ > CD56+ cells. The MRP2 mRNA expression was highest in CD4+ cells (6.7 × 102 ± 2.84 × 102), followed by CD8+ > CD56+ > CD19+ cells. No correlation between the MRP1 and MRP2 mRNA expression was observed. Interestingly, β2‐microglobulin mRNA expression in CD19+ cells was found to be twofold lower in comparison with other cells.

Conclusions: On an mRNA level both MRP1 and MRP2 were expressed in peripheral blood cells, with more than sevenfold higher MRP1 expression in all cell populations investigated. The impact of the MRP1 and MRP2 transcription in these cells remains to study. The use of β2‐microglobulin as a housekeeping gene could have a critical impact on the interpretation of RT–PCR data.
Treatment of a patient with chronic renal failure with rituximab for a follicular lymphoma: safe and successful option of rituximab therapy
Authors: Abdelkefi A , Mellouli F , Béjaoui M
Published: July 2003

Abstract: A 47‐yr‐old woman presented a chronic renal failure for 5 yr, with a creatinine clearance of 12 mL/min. In June 2002, she had a right axillary lymph node (of 4 cm diameter). A biopsy revealed a follicular lymphoma (histology: follicular small cleaved‐cell). She had Ann Arbor stage III disease, with a high tumor burden according to the GELF criteria. She received rituximab as single first‐line treatment (375 mg/m2 by intravenous infusion for a total of four dosages: days 1, 8, 15 and 22). Rituximab therapy was extremely well tolerated, and we obtained a partial response, 4 wk after completing the treatment. In January 2003, she received one maintenance course of rituximab. Six weeks after maintenance therapy, a complete response was achieved.
Assessment of digestive enzyme activities during larval development of white bream
Authors: Cara J. B. , Moyano F. J. , Cárdenas S. , Fernández‐Díaz C. , Yúfera M.
Published: July 2003

Activity of some of the main enzymes involved in protein digestion and absorption (acid and alkaline proteases, leucine‐aminopeptidase, acid and alkaline phosphatases) as well as those of amylase and lipase, was assessed during larval development of white sea bream Diplodus sargus. All enzyme activity was detected at the moment of mouth opening. The variations observed in the activity profiles of the digestive enzymes were correlated either to developmental events, such as the functional start of the stomach (22 days after hatching), or to changes in the nature of the diet. The early and noticeable development of digestive enzyme activities was linked to a high survival after weaning.
Food habits of tilapiine cichlids of the Upper Zambezi River and floodplain during the descending phase of the hydrologic cycle
Authors: Winemiller K. O. , Kelso‐Winemiller L. C.
Published: July 2003

Habitat use and diets of five tilapiine populations of the Upper Zambezi River Basin in Zambia, south‐central Africa, were examined during the 8 month descending phase of the annual hydrological cycle. All species occurred across a range of habitats, with most individuals captured from lagoons. Tilapia rendalli, a macrophyte feeder, was the only dietary specialist. Ontogenetic diet shifts were not observed over the size range examined (30–320 mm LS). Algae were uncommon in tilapiine diets. Tilapia ruweti, the smallest tilapiine in the region, was the only species that consumed more algae (filamentous algae) than detritus. Oreochromis andersonii, Oreochromis macrochir and Tilapia sparrmanii had high dietary overlap and occurred in the same habitats in similar relative abundances. High overlap in habitat use and diet among tilapiines contrasted with findings from a comparable analysis of predatory haplochromine cichlids of the region that revealed strong ecological segregation and niche complementarity during the annual descending‐water phase.
Long‐term retention of surgically implanted radio transmitters in pikeperch
Authors: Jepsen N.
Published: July 2003

Radio‐tagged pikeperch Stizostedion lucioperca (55–74 cm LT) were recaptured in a reservoir by anglers 52–55 months after tagging. A total of four fish were recaptured during the summer of 2001. These recaptures are remarkable because of the long period between tagging and recapture and because only one (of 15 potential) tagged pikeperch had been caught in the long period since tagging.
Influences of photoperiod and alternate days of feeding on plasma growth hormone and thyroid hormone levels in juvenile rainbow trout
Authors: Reddy P. K. , Leatherland J. F.
Published: July 2003

The diurnal patterns of plasma growth hormone (GH), thyroid hormone and cortisol concentrations in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss held under three photoperiod (L : D) regimes (6 : 18, 12 : 12 and 18 : 6), and fed either daily (DF) or on alternate days (ADF) with 2·0% body mass per day of a commercial trout diet were determined. The ADF groups had reduced total mass gain and specific growth rates compared with DF fish, but photoperiod had no affect on growth for either of the feeding regime groups. In the ADF groups, the mean 24 h plasma thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations were significantly lower, both on days of feeding and days of fasting, than in DF fish held under all three photoperiod regimes, but for GH, only the 18L : 6D DF group was higher than the comparable ADF groups. There were no significant differences in mean 24 h plasma cortisol concentrations of DF and ADF groups. Diurnal patterns of plasma GH, cortisol, T4 and T3 were found in DF fish held under all three photoperiod regimes. Increases in plasma cortisol changes were associated with the onset of the light phase; elevations in plasma GH and T4 concentrations were more closely associated with clock time, regardless of photoperiod; increases in plasma T3 concentrations were strongly associated with time of feeding. In ADF groups, these diurnal changes in plasma GH, T4 and T3 concentrations were suppressed for both the fed and fast days, and plasma cortisol concentrations were suppressed on the fasting day. The observations are discussed in terms of the proposed anabolic, catabolic and growth regulating roles of these hormones in different growth and metabolic modifying situations in teleosts.
Shedding new light on the life cycle of mackerel icefish in the Southern Ocean
Authors: Kock K.‐H. , Everson I.
Published: July 2003

Mackerel icefish have a widespread distribution in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean sectors of the low‐Antarctic region. Biological characteristics differ considerably between populations in the southern Scotia Arc and those living further to the north. Fish living in the north mature 1 year earlier than in the south. They have a much shorter life span and die after they have spawned two to three times. The number of eggs produced per gram of body mass is higher in the north. Stocks have declined in most parts of the distributional range due to the impact of fishing and due to natural causes. Increases in populations of Antarctic fur seals at South Georgia and parts of the Indian Ocean appear to have led to increased predation on stocks of icefish. Shifts in hydrological regimes in the northern part of the distributional range have either started to lead or will lead to deteriorating living conditions for mackerel icefish in the near future. Fish stock assessment needs to take these constraints into consideration when providing advice on total allowable catches for fisheries management.
Conservation of the syntenies between porcine chromosome 7 and human chromosomes 6, 14 and 15 demonstrated by radiation hybrid mapping and linkage analysis
Authors: Tanaka M. , Matsumoto T. , Yanai S. , Domukai M. , Toki D. , Hayashi T. , Kiuchi S. , Yasue H. , Uenishi H. , Kobayashi E. , Awata T.
Published: July 2003

Comparative mapping studies facilitate the identification of genes located in quantitative trait locus (QTL) regions in domestic animals by utilizing information from the human genome. Radiation hybrid (RH) mapping is effective for this purpose because of its high resolution in ordered gene mapping on chromosomes. We constructed an RH map of pig chromosome 7, by adding 23 markers associated with genes. This RH map clearly demonstrated the mosaic of homology between pig chromosome 7 (SSC7) and human chromosomes 6, 14 and 15 at a ‘gene’ level, and was confirmed by linkage analysis. Clarification of the homology of SSC7 to human chromosomes will contribute to the elucidation of the gene(s) responsible for QTL detected on this chromosome.
Chromosome localization of the 31 type I Texas bovine markers in sheep and goat chromosomes by comparative FISH‐mapping and R‐banding
Authors: Di Meo G. P. , Perucatti A. , Gautier M. , Hayes H. , Incarnato D. , Eggen A. , Iannuzzi L.
Published: July 2003

Bovine BAC clones containing the 31 genes, referred to as the Texas markers used earlier to definitively assign the 31 bovine syntenic groups (U) to cattle chromosomes, were mapped by fluorescent in situ hybridization to sheep and goat R‐banded chromosomes according to ISCNDB2000. All 31 markers were localized on homoeologous chromosomes and chromosome bands of the two species in agreement with previous localizations obtained both in cattle and river buffalo, definitively confirming chromosome homoeologies between Caprinae and Bovinae. In addition, we have extended physical maps of sheep and goat as 11 genes (HSD3B1, INHBA, CSN10, IGF2R, PIGR, MAP1B, DSC1, ELN, TNFRSF6, CGN1, IGF2) and 14 genes (SOD1, HSD3B1, CSN10, IGF2R, RB1, TG, PIGR, MAP1B, IGH@, LTF, DSC1, TNFRSF6, CGN1, IGF2) were assigned for the first time to goat and sheep chromosomes, respectively.
Association of transforming growth factor β genes with quantitative trait loci for antibody response kinetics in hens
Authors: Zhou H. , Lamont S. J.
Published: July 2003

Antibody responses (primary and secondary phases) were measured in an F2 population. The resource population was derived from grandsires of two highly inbred major histocompatibility complex (MHC)‐congenic Fayoumi chicken lines (named M5.1 and M15.2) mated with highly inbred Leghorn G‐B1 hens. Secondary phase parameters of maximum titres (Ymax) and time required to achieve Ymax (Tmax) were estimated from post‐secondary titres by using a non‐linear regression model. Associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in transforming growth factor β2 (TGFB2), 3, and 4 genes with antibody response parameters were evaluated. Multiple immune response parameters were significantly associated with the TGFB2 gene primarily in the lineage of the M5.1 grandsire, suggesting that TGFB2 or linked genes affect antibody response in hens. Significant main effects of the three genes were mostly found in the lineage of the M5.1 grandsire. Significant two‐way interactions on antibody response were primarily detected between TGFB3 and TGFB4 genes, and in the lineage of the M15.2 grandsire. Effects preferentially detectable in only one of the MHC‐congenic lineages suggest that there was interaction between the MHC and TGFB genes. The characterized TGFB SNPs might be applied in marker‐assisted selection to improve antibody production.
The diagnostic value of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the assessment of palpable supraclavicular lymph nodes: a study of 218 cases
Authors: Gupta R. K. , Naran S. , Lallu S. , Fauck R.
Published: July 2003

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the assessment of palpable supraclavicular lymph nodes. The material was analysed in 218 cases with enlarged supraclavicular lymph nodes in which FNAC was performed by the conventional method. In all cases cytological examination was performed on‐site after staining the smears by the Papanicolaou method. In addition, air‐dried smears, fixed smears, filter preparations from needle washings and cell blocks were studied. The FNAC diagnosis was supported by examining cell blocks which added the reliability of histological architecture; further support was obtained by tissue biopsy and/or comparison with the primary tumour in some of the cases. Eleven cases were diagnosed as inflammatory lesions and 41 cases were unsatisfactory because of scanty/acellular samples (despite two to three repeat samplings). However, in five of these, malignant tumours were later found on biopsy, which was done for persistent enlargement of the supraclavicular lymph node(s). Fifty‐three cases were diagnosed as negative for malignancy (normal cellular elements, n = 15; reactive elements, n = 38) and 12 cases were suspicious of malignancy. In 11 cases a diagnosis of lymphoma was made on histology and in 90 cases metastatic tumours were diagnosed. The overall sensitivity was 92.7%, specificity 98.5%, positive predictive value 97.3% and the negative predictive value was 94.8%. Based on our study we feel that FNAC of palpable supraclavicular lymph nodes as a first line of investigation is a cost‐effective procedure and is not only useful in the diagnosis of various lesions but can also help in deciding on appropriate management. Furthermore, the histological architecture from cell blocks can be correlated with cytology, and such material can be used for appropriate histochemical and immunomarker studies, which can be useful in enhancing the diagnosis.
Extramammary metastatic neoplasms in the breast: a cytomorphological study of 11 cases
Authors: Hejmadi R. K. , Day L. J. , Young J. A.
Published: July 2003

The occurrence of metastatic tumours in the breast is uncommon and it is crucial for cytologists to be aware and distinguish them cytologically from primary breast tumours in fine needle aspirates. In the present retrospective study of 11 cases, over a 20‐year period, we discuss the cytological features of extramammary metastatic tumours in the breast. A brief attempt has been made to discuss the past literature. The 11 metastatic tumours included four haematolymphoid neoplasms, two melanomas, two metastatic sarcomas and three metastatic carcinomas. A prior clinical diagnosis of the primary tumour was obtained in seven cases. Immunohistochemistry or histology following a cytological diagnosis confirmed all the cases. The main objective of this study was to highlight the use of cytology and at the same time caution the cytologist to be aware of the clinical/imaging findings and if necessary to utilize immunohistochemical facilities to consider/rule out the possibility of metastatic tumour in the breast.
Fine needle aspiration cytology of mammary hamartoma: a review of nine cases with histological correlation
Authors: Gómez‐Aracil V. , Mayayo E. , Azua J. , Mayayo R. , Azua‐Romeo J. , Arraiza A.
Published: July 2003

Mammary hamartoma is a breast lesion rarely reported by fine‐needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). We report on our experience of FNAC in nine cases confirmed by biopsy. We searched hospital case files for mammary hamartoma or similar lesions (fibrolipomas, lipomas, fibromas, etc.), and cases included were only those in which both FNAC and a histopathological study had been performed. The cytological features that were analysed included epithelial components, mesenchymal fragments and isolated cells dispersed in the background. The patients ranged in age from 25 to 58 years (mean 40 years), and the lesions were predominantly in the right breast and upper outer quadrant. The duration varied from 1 to 20 years. Mammographic features were characteristic revealing well‐circumscribed masses of heterogeneous radiodensity and by ultrasonography were hypoechoic without calcification. Grossly, these lesions were oval to round, well‐demarcated masses, ranging in diameter from 10 to 80 mm. The tumours were firm, rubbery and white, consisting largely of dense fibroconnective tissue with variable amounts of adipose tissue and glandular elements. Cytological samples showed two components, epithelial and mesenchymal. The cellularity was variable and was composed of lobular cells forming acini, ductal cells, occasional apocrine and foamy cells; myoepithelial cells and isolated naked nuclei were also observed. Adipose tissue and dense fibrous tissue were observed, occasionally with epithelial cells attached, and this finding was an important feature for diagnosis. We considered that the cytological findings could help to diagnose mammary hamartoma, FNAC making a rapid and very important technique for the diagnosis of this pathology.
Pitfalls in fine needle aspiration cytology*
Authors: Orell Svante R.
Published: July 2003

A review of pitfalls encountered in fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of all organs and tissues and based mainly on the author's 35‐year experience of diagnostic FNAC in clinical practice is presented. Diagnostic difficulties are usually related to deviations from common cytological criteria that may occur in some lesions. Others are due to the effects of the sampling procedure or of the preparation of samples. A few basic rules are proposed, which may help to avoid some of the diagnostic pitfalls.
Partnership in education: working toward the baccalaureate degree as entry to nursing practice in Canada
Authors: McQueen Marilyn E , Grenier Fereshteh J
Published: July 2003

In the early 1980s Canadian professional nursing associations officially adopted the goal of baccalaureate entry to practice by the year 2000 In the ensuing years, nursing educators have explored a variety of means to work toward achieving this goal This paper describes a collaborative model of baccalaureate programme delivery developed between a university school and a hospital‐based diploma school in Vancouver, British Columbia The paper documents the history of the collaboration and the organization of human and physical resources for implementation The issues and challenges encountered in the transition, the strategies used to facilitate the process, and the benefits gained by each partner are discussed
Teachers' experiences of their role following the implementation of Project 2000: a qualitative approach
Authors: Hardiman Rabab Halaseh
Published: July 2003

This study focuses upon the experiences of a group of six nurse teachers who experienced change in their role following the implementation of Project 2000 at their place of work. The teachers were interviewed using the informal interview method which allowed the researcher to obtain detailed information and get to know them as people Qualitative analysis based on a modified grounded theory approach revealed four recurrent themes which were discussed in terms of the context of the study and existing theories The study highlights the feasibility of the grounded theory approach and the informal interviews as a means of collecting detailed data and eliciting in‐depth understanding of the participants’ experience of their changed role from their perspective The informal interviews and the researcher's knowledge of the participants and the context in which the study was conducted have proved to be helpful in generating categories which describe the teachers’ experiences of the changes in their role
Number of nursing staff and falls: a case‐control study on falls by stroke patients in acute‐care settings
Authors: Tutuarima Joan A , de Haan Rob J , Limburg Martien
Published: July 2003

Falls occur frequently in patients with a stroke and have serious consequences discharge delays and hip fractures can result In order to evaluate the impact of nursing workload on stroke‐patient falls, we assessed the patients per nurse ratio in a detailed case‐control study earned out in nine Dutch hospitals There were 49 first falls by 349 stroke patients Between the cases and controls there was no difference in the means of these ratios for any type of nurse and any type of patient on the day and evening shift We found that the greatest number of falls (n= 26) occurred on the day shift when most nursing staff were present On the night shift, we found a significant difference between the means of the patient per nurse ratios (95% confidence interval 0 28–2 20), but the number of cases was very small Of the falls, 35% occurred within the first week of admission We found 19 cases in a subgroup of 138 patients that could be checked with the hospital incidents report committees This review yielded three additional cases, but nine cases were not reported to these committees We conclude that simply increasing number of nurses is not likely to diminish the number of falls
Euthanasia, dying well and the slippery slope
Authors: Allmark Peter
Published: July 2003

Arguments in favour of voluntary euthanasia tend to be put in utilitarian terms This paper suggests an alternative, neo‐Aristotelian argument justifying certain individual acts of both suicide and voluntary euthanasia It goes on to examine the slippery slope arguments against legalizing euthanasia It is suggested that such arguments cut both ways However, the suggestion that we ought therefore to permit a social experiment in voluntary euthanasia is set alongside the Dutch experience The latter seems to imply that if such experiments are to take place then great caution needs to be applied
A history of the training of asylum nurses
Authors: Nolan Peter W
Published: July 2003

The national training scheme for asylum attendants, devised in the late 19th century, did not arise ex nihilo Several philanthropic and imaginative madhouse keepers of the previous century had understood the link between successful treatment of lunatics and the quality of staff who cared for them They had therefore aimed to recruit a ‘good class’ of person to work in their institutions, and to create an environment which would tend towards the civilization of the patients A few even entertained the notion that training attendants would enhance their ability to understand and care for those in their charge Training received increasing attention in both medical and political circles throughout the 19th century until a national scheme was inaugurated in 1891 The scheme achieved only a modest success in that, while it drew upon the undoubted enthusiasm of those who trained under it, it did not enhance the attendants’ career opportunities or their pay once they had qualified Training as a means of solving management problems was doomed to failure, and widespread dissatisfaction amongst asylum nurses erupted during the 1920s, only 30 years after the scheme had started
Demography, nursing and community care: a review of the evidence
Authors: Shaw Ian , Shaw Glenys
Published: July 2003

Demography is a most powerful influence upon social policy making Policy making cannot be divorced from the constitution and the characteristics of the population for which it is intended This paper commences by identifying and reviewing the most potent of those trends, and then examines the implications, first for the capacity of the community to cope with its dependents and then for the supply of nurses, before illustrating the importance of community nursing to government policies on community care