bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effectiveness of relative dose response to retinol intake as an evaluation of vitamin A status of cirrhotic patients
Authors: De Paula T. P. , Ramalho A. , Braulio V. B.
Published: May 2010

Background:  The liver is the main organ involved in homeostasis, metabolism and the storage of retinol. During the fibrotic process, hepatic stellate cells lose their lipid drops, and retinol reserves may deplete. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate serum retinol levels (RL), hepatic retinol storage and dietary vitamin A intake in cirrhotic patients.

Methods:  RL were measured by high‐performance liquid chromatography in fifty‐eight cirrhotic patients. Fasting RL <1.05 μmol L−1 indicates vitamin A deficiency (VAD). A relative dose response (RDR) to oral retinol ≥20% indicates an inadequate hepatic retinol reserve (positive test). Severe malnutrition was defined as a mid‐arm muscle circumference (MAMC) and/or triceps skinfold thickness (TSF) below the 5th percentile and moderate malnutrition as MAMC and/or TSF below the 10th percentile. Vitamin A daily intake was estimated by a specific questionnaire. The Child‐Pugh classification of liver disease severity and the Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease were used.

Results:  Low RL were found in 60% of the patients. Twenty‐three cirrhotic patients had adequate fasting RL (RL = 1.34; 1.05–2.12 μmol L−1) and negative RDR, indicating efficient liver stores. Among thirty‐five cirrhotic patients with low RL, 43% had negative RDR (RL = 0.42; 0.06–0.82 μmol L−1) and 57% had positive RDR (RL = 0.45; 0.09–0.93 μmol L−1). Malnutrition (36%) and inadequate vitamin A intake (55%) were not associated with fasting RL or RDR.

Conclusions:  VAD was highly prevalent in cirrhotic patients. However, in those with low serum RL and negative RDR, factors other than inadequate vitamin A intake, such as impaired hepatic vitamin A mobilization and intestinal vitamin A malabsorption, which were not examined in the present study, could have influenced the negative results obtained by the RDR method.
Discovery and Evolutionary History of Gonadotrophin‐Inhibitory Hormone and Kisspeptin: New Key Neuropeptides Controlling Reproduction
Authors: Tsutsui K. , Bentley G. E. , Kriegsfeld L. J. , Osugi T. , Seong J. Y. , Vaudry H.
Published: May 2010

Gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) is the primary hypothalamic factor responsible for the control of gonadotrophin secretion in vertebrates. However, within the last decade, two other hypothalamic neuropeptides have been found to play key roles in the control of reproductive functions: gonadotrophin‐inhibitory hormone (GnIH) and kisspeptin. In 2000, we discovered GnIH in the quail hypothalamus. GnIH inhibits gonadotrophin synthesis and release in birds through actions on GnRH neurones and gonadotrophs, mediated via GPR147. Subsequently, GnIH orthologues were identified in other vertebrate species from fish to humans. As in birds, mammalian and fish GnIH orthologues inhibit gonadotrophin release, indicating a conserved role for this neuropeptide in the control of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal axis across species. Subsequent to the discovery of GnIH, kisspeptin, encoded by the KiSS‐1 gene, was discovered in mammals. By contrast to GnIH, kisspeptin has a direct stimulatory effect on GnRH neurones via GPR54. GPR54 is also expressed in pituitary cells, but whether gonadotrophs are targets for kisspeptin remains unresolved. The KiSS‐1 gene is also highly conserved and has been identified in mammals, amphibians and fish. We have recently found a second isoform of KiSS‐1, designated KiSS‐2, in several vertebrates, but not birds, rodents or primates. In this review, we highlight the discovery, mechanisms of action, and functional significance of these two chief regulators of the reproductive axis.
Penicillin‐binding protein folding is dependent on the PrsA peptidyl‐prolyl cis‐trans isomerase in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Hyyryläinen Hanne‐Leena , Marciniak Bogumila C. , Dahncke Kathleen , Pietiäinen Milla , Courtin Pascal , Vitikainen Marika , Seppala Raili , Otto Andreas , Becher Dörte , Chapot‐Chartier Marie‐Pierre , Kuipers Oscar P. , Kontinen Vesa P.
Published: May 2010

The PrsA protein is a membrane‐anchored peptidyl‐prolyl cis‐trans isomerase in Bacillus subtilis and most other Gram‐positive bacteria. It catalyses the post‐translocational folding of exported proteins and is essential for normal growth of B. subtilis. We studied the mechanism behind this indispensability. We could construct a viable prsA null mutant in the presence of a high concentration of magnesium. Various changes in cell morphology in the absence of PrsA suggested that PrsA is involved in the biosynthesis of the cylindrical lateral wall. Consistently, four penicillin‐binding proteins (PBP2a, PBP2b, PBP3 and PBP4) were unstable in the absence of PrsA, while muropeptide analysis revealed a 2% decrease in the peptidoglycan cross‐linkage index. Misfolded PBP2a was detected in PrsA‐depleted cells, indicating that PrsA is required for the folding of this PBP either directly or indirectly. Furthermore, strongly increased uniform staining of cell wall with a fluorescent vancomycin was observed in the absence of PrsA. We also demonstrated that PrsA is a dimeric or oligomeric protein which is localized at distinct spots organized in a helical pattern along the cell membrane. These results suggest that PrsA is essential for normal growth most probably as PBP folding is dependent on this PPIase.
N‐acetyllactosamine‐induced retraction of bundle‐forming pili regulates virulence‐associated gene expression in enteropathogenic Escherichia coli
Authors: Humphries Romney M. , Griener Thomas P. , Vogt Stefanie L. , Mulvey George L. , Raivio Tracy , Donnenberg Michael S. , Kitov Pavel I. , Surette Michael , Armstrong Glen D.
Published: May 2010

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) are a major cause of infant morbidity and mortality due to diarrhoea in developing countries. The pathogenesis of EPEC is dependent on a coordinated multi‐step process culminating in the intimate adherence of the organisms to the host's intestinal mucosa. During the initial stages of the EPEC colonization process, the fimbrial adhesin, bundle‐forming pili (BFP), plays an integral role. We previously reported that the major BFP structural subunit, bundlin, displays lectin‐like properties, which enables BFP to initially tether EPEC to N‐acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) glycan receptors on host cell surfaces. We also reported that incubating EPEC with synthetic LacNAc‐bearing neoglycoconjugates not only inhibits their adherence to host cells, but also induces BFP retraction and subsequent degradation of the bundlin subunits. Herein, we demonstrate that the periplasmic serine protease, DegP, is required for degrading bundlin during this process. We also show that DegP appears to act as a bundlin chaperone during BFP assembly and that LacNAc‐BSA‐induced BFP retraction is followed by transcriptional upregulation of the BFP operon and downregulation of the locus of enterocyte effacement operons in EPEC.
The alternative oxidase (AOX) gene in Vibrio fischeri is controlled by NsrR and upregulated in response to nitric oxide
Authors: Dunn Anne K. , Karr Elizabeth A. , Wang Yanling , Batton Aaron R. , Ruby Edward G. , Stabb Eric V.
Published: May 2010

Alternative oxidase (AOX) is a respiratory oxidase found in certain eukaryotes and bacteria; however, its role in bacterial physiology is unclear. Exploiting the genetic tractability of the bacterium Vibrio fischeri, we explore the regulation of aox expression and AOX function. Using quantitative PCR and reporter assays, we demonstrate that aox expression is induced in the presence of nitric oxide (NO), and that the NO‐responsive regulatory protein NsrR mediates the response. We have identified key amino acid residues important for NsrR function and experimentally confirmed a bioinformatically predicted NsrR binding site upstream of aox. Microrespirometry demonstrated that oxygen consumption by V. fischeri CydAB quinol oxidase is inhibited by NO treatment, whereas oxygen consumption by AOX is less sensitive to NO. NADH oxidation assays using inverted membrane vesicles confirmed that NO directly inhibits CydAB, and that AOX is resistant to NO inhibition. These results indicate a role for V. fischeri AOX in aerobic respiration during NO stress.
The economic impact of visceral leishmaniasis on rural households in one endemic district of Bihar, India
Authors: Sarnoff Rhonda , Desai Jaikishan , Desjeux Philippe , Mittal Atul , Topno Roshan , Siddiqui Niyamat Ali , Pandey Arvind , Sur Dipika , Das Pradeep
Published: May 2010

Objective  To estimate the economic burden of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) on the rural population of one VL endemic district of Bihar, the state with 85% of India’s cases.

Methods  Using a survey of a stratified multistage sampling of 15 178 households with 214 individuals with VL in the previous 12 months, the study provides data on VL treatment expenditures, financing and days of work lost in the context of overall household expenditures, income sources and assets.

Results  Median household expenditures on VL treatment represent, on average, 11% of annual household expenditures and an estimated 7 months of an individual’s income at the daily wage in rural Bihar. With 87% of households forced to take out loans to finance disease costs, VL can contribute to a spiral of increasing poverty. The current pattern of VL treatment, with multiple visits and treatments for a single episode of illness, significantly increases the economic burden on the household.

Conclusion  India’s National Elimination Program to make effective treatments accessible to the rural poor, if combined with expanded efforts to improve timely access to diagnosis by conducting rapid diagnostic tests closer to the community (and mobilizing the rural population to seek effective treatment earlier), can reduce VL’s economic burden on India’s rural households.
Epidemiology of Leishmania donovani infection in high‐transmission foci in Nepal
Authors: Rijal Suman , Uranw Surendra , Chappuis François , Picado Albert , Khanal Basudha , Paudel Ishwari S. , Andersen Elisabeth W. , Meheus Filip , Ostyn Bart , Das Murari L. , Davies Clive , Boelaert Marleen
Published: May 2010

Objective  Nepal reports a visceral leishmaniasis (VL) incidence of 5 per 10 000 per year on the basis of notification by health facilities, but little community‐based epidemiological information exists. We report data on prevalence rates of Leishmania donovani infection in ten communities in East Nepal.

Methods  Ten clusters with highest VL incidence rates were purposefully selected in Nepal. All households were mapped and socio‐demographic data and data on past VL incidence were collected. An exhaustive serological survey was performed of individuals aged >2 years, by collecting finger prick blood on filter paper in November–December 2006. The samples were tested by direct agglutination, and a titre ≥1:1600 was taken as marker of infection. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) model was used to assess risk factors for Direct Agglutination Test (DAT) positivity taking into account the clustering at household and village level.

Results  The sero‐survey (n = 5397) showed an infection prevalence rate of 9%, (range 5–15% per cluster) with higher prevalence in men (9.9%) than in women (8.3%) (P = 0.049). Male gender, increasing age and poverty were significant risk factors in the final GEE model.

Conclusion  Leishmania infection rate in high‐transmission areas in Nepal is associated with gender, age and socio‐economic status.
The epidemiology of Leishmania donovani infection in high transmission foci in India
Authors: Singh Shri P. , Picado Albert , Boelaert Marleen , Gidwani Kamlesh , Andersen Elisabeth W. , Ostyn Bart , Meheus Filip , Rai Madhukar , Chappuis François , Davies Clive , Sundar Shyam
Published: May 2010

Objective  Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is highly prevalent in Bihar, India. India and its neighbours aim at eliminating VL, but several knowledge gaps in the epidemiology of VL may hamper that effort. The prevalence of asymptomatic infections with Leishmania donovani and their role in transmission dynamics are not well understood. We report data from a sero‐survey in Bihar.

Methods  Demographic and immunological surveys were carried out in July and November 2006, respectively in 16 highly VL endemic foci in Muzaffarpur district in Bihar. Household and individual information was gathered and capillary blood samples were collected on filter papers. Direct agglutination test (DAT) was used to determine infected individuals (cut‐off titre 1:1600). DAT results were tabulated against individual and household variables. A multivariate generalized estimating equation (GEE) model was used to study the prevalence of serologically positive individuals taking into account the clustering at household and cluster levels.

Results  Of study subjects 18% were DAT positive, and this proportion increased with age. Women had a significantly lower prevalence than men >14 years old. Owning domestic animals (cows, buffaloes or goats) was associated with a higher risk of being DAT positive [OR 1.16 (95% CI 1.01–1.32)], but socio‐economic status was not.

Conclusions  Prevalence of leishmanial antibodies was high in these communities, but variable. Demographic factors (i.e. marriage) may explain the lower DAT positivity in women >14 years of age. Within these homogeneously poor communities, socio‐economic status was not linked to L. donovani infection risk at the individual level, but ownership of domestic animals was.
Family‐centred outcome measurement following paediatric stroke
Authors: Galvin Jane , Randall Melinda , Hewish Sara , Rice James , MacKay Mark T.
Published: May 2010

Background/aim:  Therapy programmes aim to provide services that are family‐centred and address the specific needs of children. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and the Perceived Efficacy and Goal Setting system (PEGS) are two measures that are available to assist in determining therapy priorities for children and their parents; however, the use of these measures has not been documented for children who have sustained a stroke. This project aimed to describe the functional concerns identified by children and their parents following paediatric stroke.

Methodology:  A cross‐sectional design was used. A total of 26 children were recruited from a paediatric stroke outpatient clinic, and functional concerns were identified using either the COPM or the PEGS.

Results:  Children and their parents identified similar issues. Of the 26 participants, 23 (88.5%) reported ongoing functional concerns at three months or more following stroke, whereas three participants did not identify any ongoing functional concerns. Functional concerns were grouped into categories of self‐care, productivity and leisure as outlined in the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance. Concerns were identified across all functional domains by both children and their parents.

Conclusions:  The COPM and PEGS provided useful information about functional issues that are important to children and their parents following paediatric stroke. Use of these client‐centred measures provides an opportunity to better understand the impact of paediatric stroke on children’s functional abilities, and allows greater scope for service provision and planning for this group of children.
Imbalance of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma and adiponectin predisposes Kawasaki disease patients to developing atherosclerosis
Authors: Fukunaga Hideo , Kishiro Masahiko , Akimoto Katsumi , Ohtsuka Yoshikazu , Nagata Satoru , Shimizu Toshiaki
Published: May 2010

Background:  It remains controversial whether Kawasaki disease (KD) is a risk factor for the onset of atherosclerosis. An imbalance of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and adiponectin appears to play a role in the onset of atherosclerosis in adults, and we therefore examined PPARγ mRNA expression and adiponectin profiles in the peripheral white blood cells obtained from KD patients.

Methods:  A total of 50 subjects were studied: nine patients with acute KD, 20 patients with convalescent KD, and 21 age‐matched controls. The gene expression of PPARγ, monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1, and CC chemokine receptor 2 present in the blood were quantified. The relative gene expression, adiponectin levels, and the three adiponectin isoforms were compared among the subjects.

Results:  The abundance of PPARγ and CC chemokine receptor 2 mRNA was significantly increased in convalescent KD patients. The monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 level was also increased in convalescent KD patients. The level of high‐molecular‐weight adiponectin was significantly lower in convalescent patients compared to controls. The PPARγ transcription levels negatively correlated with apolipoprotein A‐I levels in acute KD patients.

Conclusions:  The transcript abundance of PPARγ and low levels of high‐molecular‐weight adiponectin in KD patients may have important clinical implications on the development of premature atherosclerosis. Because the potential risk for developing atherosclerosis has not yet been verified, long‐term observation is important, even in convalescent KD patients without coronary artery lesions.
Case–control study of giant coronary aneurysms due to Kawasaki disease: The 19th nationwide survey
Authors: Sudo Daisuke , Monobe Yoshiro , Yashiro Mayumi , Sadakane Atsuko , Uehara Ritei , Nakamura Yosikazu
Published: May 2010

Background:  The risk factors for recently reported cases of giant coronary aneurysms due to Kawasaki disease have not been elaborated.

Methods:  Fifty‐three patients with giant coronary aneurysms, diagnosed as Kawasaki disease in 2005 and 2006, were selected from the 19th nationwide survey of the disease in Japan. With all the other patients recorded at the same hospitals as a control group, OR and their 95%CI were calculated to delineate the risk factors.

Results:  In multivariate analyses, patients aged younger than 1 year (OR compared with 1–2‐year‐olds = 6.57) and those older than 5 years (OR compared with 1–2‐year‐olds = 4.24), those who received additional intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) without the use of steroid (OR = 8.38) and those who received steroid administration with or without the additional use of IVIG (OR = 220.51 and 83.83, respectively), showed significantly higher OR for giant coronary aneurysms. As for IVIG therapy, the additional use of IVIG (OR = 14.84), total dosage of IVIG exceeding 2500 mg/kg (OR compared with 1500–2499 mg/kg = 12.26) and the duration of IVIG administration for more than 3 days (OR = 30.12), were found to significantly increase the risk of developing giant aneurysms in univariate analyses that were adjusted for sex and age.

Conclusions:  The observation of 53 patients with giant coronary aneurysms due to Kawasaki disease among those included in the nationwide survey presented some risk factors, together with considerations about the associated aneurysms.
Systematic review of the impact of volume of oesophagectomy on patient outcome
Authors: Lauder Christopher I. W. , Marlow Nicholas E. , Maddern Guy J. , Barraclough Bruce , Collier Neil A. , Dickinson Ian C. , Fawcett Jonathon , Graham John C.
Published: May 2010

Purpose:  This systematic review aims to assess whether overall survival, mortality, morbidity, length of stay and cost of performing oesophagectomy are related to surgical volume.

Methods:  A systematic search strategy from 1997 until December 2006 was used to retrieve relevant studies. Inclusion of articles was established through application of a predetermined protocol, independent assessment by two reviewers and a final consensus decision.

Results:  A total of 55 studies were identified of which 27 studies, representing 68 882 patients, met the inclusion criteria. Twenty‐one of these solely examined hospital volume, 5 examined both hospital and surgeon volume, and 1 examined surgeon volume in isolation. All but one of the studies were retrospective in nature, and because of the heterogeneity of the literature, no meta‐analysis could be performed. Of the studies exploring the relationship between hospital volume and mortality, 20 reported a statistically significant benefit to large volume centres. Five of six included studies showed significant evidence for a reduced mortality risk with greater surgeon volume.

Conclusions:  Based on the evidence from these retrospective studies, oesophagectomy performed in high volume centres would appear to be associated with better outcome compared with low volume centres.
There is no health without mental health: Are we educating Australian nurses to care for the health consumer of the 21st century?
Authors: Wynaden Dianne
Published: May 2010

One in five Australians has a diagnosable mental illness and the impact of the illness on the individual, their family, and the community is significant. Since comprehensive nursing was introduced in the 1980s there have been repeated concerns raised regarding the preparedness of graduates from Australian undergraduate nursing programs to care for people who have a mental illness. In 2009, despite a recent comprehensive national review of the mental health/illness content in pre‐registration curricula, these concerns remain.

The nursing profession must have a responsibility to the global community to ensure that registered nurses are educated to meet evolving health challenges and the needs of the health consumer in the 21st Century. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the prevalence and impact of mental illness on health care outcomes in all settings and to challenge the profession to acknowledge that mental health nursing content must be a core area of all undergraduate curricula. A nationally coordinated response to address the long standing identified deficits in the educational preparation of comprehensive nurses is now a priority to ensure that nurses remain a major stakeholder group in the delivery of health care and key health informants and decision makers within the global health care arena.
Fitness costs of reproduction depend on life speed: empirical evidence from mammalian populations
Authors: Hamel Sandra , Gaillard Jean‐Michel , Yoccoz Nigel Gilles , Loison Anne , Bonenfant Christophe , Descamps Sébastien
Published: May 2010

Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 915–935

Fitness costs of reproduction play a key role in understanding the evolution of reproductive tactics. Nevertheless, the detection and the intensity of costs of reproduction vary according to which life‐history traits and species are studied. We propose an evolutionary model demonstrating that the chance of detecting a cost of reproduction should be lower when the fitness component studied has a low rather than high variance. Consequently, the fitness component that is affected the most by costs of reproduction should vary with life speed. Since long‐lived species have developed a strategy that avoids jeopardizing their survival and short‐lived species favour current reproduction, variance in survival is smaller and variance in reproduction higher in long‐lived vs. short‐lived species. We review empirical studies of costs of reproduction in free‐ranging mammals, comparing evidence of costs reported among species and focal traits. In support of our model, more studies reported evidence of reproductive costs of reproduction in ungulates than in rodents, whereas survival costs of reproduction were more frequent in rodents than in ungulates. The life‐history model we propose is expected to apply to any species, and hence provides a better understanding of life‐history variation, which should be relevant to all evolutionary ecologists.
Why Solidarity Matters: The Political Strategy of Welfare Design
Authors: HORTON TIM , GREGORY JAMES
Published: May 2010

Reporting on our recent book, The Solidarity Society, this article explores the way in which the design of welfare programmes interacts with and shapes the underlying quality of social relations between members of society—and, through this, public attitudes to welfare. Given that sustaining generous welfare over long timescales requires the support of electorates, this ‘relational’ dimension of welfare policy is crucial for the long‐term strategy of tackling poverty and inequality. The article looks in particular at the ‘welfare dilemmas’ that can arise from tensions between targeting and universalism and between need and entitlement, where the distributional and relational elements of welfare policy work against one another. We conclude that entrenching a generous welfare settlement will require strong elements of both universalism and reciprocity in the design of welfare.
Smoke but No Fire? The Politics of a ‘British’ Bill of Rights
Authors: ERDOS DAVID
Published: May 2010

This article systematically explores the political context behind Labour and the Conservatives' new commitment to a British Bill of Rights. This is linked to conflicting incentives to resist the current trajectory towards rights constitutionalism (‘Constitutional Freeze’), to further encourage further rights constitutionalism (‘Constitutional Fire’) and to engage in largely cosmetic change (‘Constitutional Smoke’). Ultimately, the latter has proved dominant for both parties. This demonstrates the difficulty of building political momentum behind significant revision of institutional responsibility for protecting human rights in stable, democratic settings. It specifically illustrates the strong barriers which both a hegemonic policy preserving and an ‘aversive’ constitutionalising dynamic must overcome to succeed.
‘I told him not to use condoms’: masculinities, femininities and sexual health of Aboriginal Canadian young people
Authors: Devries Karen M. , Free Caroline
Published: May 2010

Gendered power imbalances in heterosexual relationships are a key target of gender‐sensitive STI risk reduction interventions. Gendered aspects of sexual behaviour have not been explored among Canadian indigenous young people, who are at elevated risk for STI relative to other young Canadians. We used data from in‐depth qualitative interviews with 15 male and 15 female indigenous young people to explore gendered sexual behaviour and its implications for STI reduction. There was a pervasive ‘double standard’ where young men were expected to be sexually aggressive and young women were expected to resist sexual advances; but we also observed ‘alternative’ or non‐hegemonic behaviours. Specifically, young women were often very active participants in sexual negotiations, could refuse condom use and sometimes pressured their male partners to not use condoms. Young men also described being the object of coerced sex, and did not always perceive female sexual desire in negative terms, and were not always receptive to sex. The gendered sexual attitudes and behaviours in our sample were much more complex than usually described in the literature. Intervention work needs to take more realistic account of the sexual interactions that occur between young people.
Rule Violations and Organizational Search: A Review and Extension
Authors: Desai Vinit M.
Published: May 2010

Whether they are formally prescribed or informally agreed upon, rules delineate the types of behavior deemed acceptable or appropriate within organizations. Studies often find that negative outcomes such as decreased group cohesion and higher turnover result when rules are broken. However, research rarely examines the potential positive effects of rule violations. Rules describe expectations about behavior within routines, or patterns of activity in organizations. When rules are violated by individuals, it could be an indication that the associated patterns of activity are no longer appropriate and that changes to the routines are needed. Organizations may learn from these violations if the violations trigger a search for new ways to organize activities, but this connection between violations and the search for new routines is affected by several factors. Drawing from a review and discussion of rules, routines, and research on organizational search and learning, this paper develops propositions regarding how rule violations motivate the search for new routines. This perspective integrates the literatures on rule‐breaking and organizational search, and also suggests that managers who attend to patterns of rule‐breaking within their organizations may detect drift from their environments and take corrective action earlier than suggested by other organizational learning research.
Health Service Inpatient Units for People with Intellectual Disabilities and Challenging Behaviour or Mental Health Problems
Authors: Mansell Jim , Ritchie Fiona , Dyer Ricinda
Published: May 2010

Background  As institutions for people with intellectual disabilities have been replaced with community services, health care provision has developed to provide assessment and treatment, low and medium secure units for people with challenging behaviour or mental health problems. These include both public and private sector provision. Little is known about these services. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of the services studied and to compare the different types of service.

Methods  A survey was carried out of National Health Service (NHS) and independent sector (IH) health settings providing specialist inpatient services for people with intellectual disabilities. Data were collected on setting and patient characteristics, staffing and management and care processes and outcomes.

Results  Services were very unevenly distributed across England. There were differences between NHS and IH settings. IH assessment and treatment units were bigger, had higher occupancy and lower staff ratio. In all three types of unit, IH units had fewer visits to patients, used more seclusion, physical restraint and had more locked areas. They had more complaints in more services from users and (for assessment and treatment units and low secure units only) from relatives. In low secure units, they had more adult protection referrals. On the other hand, IH units used fewer agency staff in assessment and treatment units (though more in medium secure units) and provided more appraisals, more visits from commissioners, more consultations with GPs and dentists and more use of whistleblowing procedures by staff. A quarter of people in NHS assessment and treatment units had finished treatment but had no plan for discharge.

Conclusions  Further research is required to determine the reasons for differences observed between IH and NHS units. The large number of people who have finished treatment emphasizes the importance of developing housing in the community with sufficiently skilled support. The large number of patients in low secure services raises the question whether this type of service is recreating the intellectual disability institutions which government policy intends to close.
How to Spend it: Putting a Labour Market Modernization Fund in Place of the European Globalization Adjustment Fund
Authors: KOUTSIARAS NIKOS
Published: May 2010

In this article a case is made for the establishment of a Labour Market Modernization Fund aiming at stimulating national labour market reforms, via rewarding effective policy effort and alleviating political economic constraints. It also is argued that the Labour Market Modernization Fund should take the place and, at least, the dowry of the European Globalization Adjustment Fund, the economics of which is weak and its politics questionable, hence making its relevance doubtful and poorly providing for meaningful adaptation.
Dynamics of Equity Market Integration in Europe: Impact of Political Economy Events
Authors: AGGARWAL RAJ , LUCEY BRIAN , MUCKLEY CAL
Published: May 2010

Unlike most prior literature in finance and economics, this article focuses on events in the political economy and examines the integration of European equity markets over the 1988 through 2002 period using two innovative techniques that assess how the level of integration in equity price indices changes over time. The results show that notwithstanding the rising interdependencies between the European and US equity markets during the mid‐ to late 1990s, the long‐run integrative relationships governing the European markets strengthen only in the late 1980s. This evidence suggests that despite several years of political willingness by European leaders to integrate economies, the equity markets only responded to the Delors Report (1989) and the Strasbourg Declaration (1989) that the European Economic Community would move towards European Monetary Union, but they provided little positive long‐run response to subsequent developments pertaining to European Monetary Union.
Explaining the Enforcement of Democracy by Regional Organizations: Comparing EU, Mercosur and SADC
Authors: VAN DER VLEUTEN ANNA , HOFFMANN ANDREA RIBEIRO
Published: May 2010

Regional organizations sometimes intervene to preserve democracy in one of their Member States. When a regional organization has developed a democratic identity, non‐intervention in case of violation of democratic principles would damage its credibility domestically and internationally. Nonetheless, violations of democratic principles sometimes go unsanctioned. Building on case studies of (non‐)interventions by the EU, Mercosur and SADC, we show that the ideational costs of pressure by third parties and the interests of the regional leading powers can explain the enforcement of democracy by regional organizations. Third party pressure remains ineffective, however, when there is a clash between regional identities.
Structure of the mouthparts of the larvae of the flies Rhagio and Sargus in relation to feeding habits
Authors: ROBERTS MICHAEL J.
Published: May 2010

The morphology of the head and action of the mouthparts during feeding are described for the primitive brachyceran larva, Rhagio scolopaceus. This is then compared with the larva of the stratiomyid, Sargus bipunctatus Scopoli. Both may be found in the same type of habitat, such as dung compost, but whilst Rhagio is a carnivore, Sargus is a detritus feeder. The evolution of the mouthparts is discussed and the mode of feeding of these larvae is compared with that of other Brachycera.
Population systematics of the gorilla
Authors: Groves Clin P.
Published: May 2010

The systematics of the gorilla are reviewed in the light of abundant new material, examined with the aid of techniques of multivariate analysis. Defects are pointed out in the usually accepted view that there are two clear‐cut subspecies (G. g. gorilla and G. g. beringei); the existence of morphological intergradation is shown, and an intermediate subspecies, G. g. grueri, is recognized in addition.
The gaits of the Macropodinae (Marsupialia)
Authors: Windsor D. E. , Dagg A. I.
Published: May 2010

The gaits of 19 species of Macropodinae were studied from 360 m of movie film taken in zoos. Four gaits were identified: (1) the slow progression involving all the limbs plus the tail which was similar in all the species and used mainly while grazing; (2) the walk, the only gait in which the pairs of limbs were not used synchronously and confined to the sole arboreal species of Dendrolagus; (3) the quadrupedal bound involving the use of the hindfeet and then the forefeet in sequence and believed to be a primitive gait because it is only found in the relatively primitive species of Setonix and Dendrolagus; and (4) the bipedal hop, the fastest gait, which is often correlated with the habitat of a species. The probable phylogeny of the Macropodinae is presented, based on gaits and other available taxonomic criteria.
Some parameters of growth in Octopus vulgaris
Authors: Nixon Marion
Published: May 2010

The total length, the dorsal mantle length and the weight of the lens of Octopus vulgaris Lamarck have been related to the live body weight. The effect of fixation on the body weight and dorsal mantle length has been tested on six small octopuses.
Respiratory surfaces and respiration in three New Zealand intertidal ophiuroids
Authors: Pentreath R. J.
Published: May 2010

The possible respiratory surfaces of three New Zealand intertidal ophiuroids, Ophionereis fasciata, Ophiactis resiliens and Ophiopteris antipodum are reviewed and a detailed description given of the structure of the bursae in each species. Respiration rates of each species are calculated and an attempt is made to evaluate the relative importance of both bursae and podia as respiratory surfaces. Qw values are also given for each species over a size range at 15° and 25°C.
Total reproductive performance of captive house mice at two temperatures
Authors: Barnett S. A. , Smart J. L. , Stoddart R. C.
Published: May 2010

Wild house mice, Mus musculus L., were trapped on a farm, and bred in the laboratory at two environmental temperatures, 21°C and −3°C. The reproductive performance of 12 pairs of the second generation reared in the laboratory was recorded to the age of two years; ten pairs of the first generation were transferred to −3°C at mating, and were similarly observed for two years. The wild mice at 21°C resembled inbred laboratory mice in litter size and the weight of young at three weeks, but produced many more litters: nestling mortality was about 16%. The fertility of the wild mice was, however, inferior to that of some outbred laboratory mice. At −3°C the number of litters per pair was about half that at 21°C, and nestling mortality was over 50 % losses were mainly of whole litters. Litters at birth tended to be larger at −3°C; the young aged three weeks were heavier in the cold environment. At birth, fifth litters were largest at 21°C, and fourth litters at −3°C. Weights of individual young aged three weeks tended to rise with parity in both temperatures. Some mice, in both temperatures, continued to produce litters for the full two years.
Example of substrate competition and phobotropism between two clionid sponges
Authors: Bromley R. Granville , Tendal O. Secher
Published: May 2010

X‐radiography revealed that borings of Cliona celata in a shell belonged to two individuals which showed strict avoidance of coalescence. A special development of small branches of the borings occurs along the “zone of proximity” between the two sponges. Possible reasons for the non‐coalescence are discussed.
A comparative histochemical survey of enzymes associated with the processes of digestion in Ostrea edulis and Crassostrea angulata (Mollusca: Bivalvia)
Authors: Mathers Nigel F.
Published: May 2010

No major differences in either concentration or location of enzymes were noted between the two species. An increase in enzyme production was noted in “fed” individuals–this being a direct response to the presence of food material. The gastric shield of both species was found to possess enzymic activity. The epithelium responsible for secretion of the crystalline style was also seen to secrete digestive enzymes which would be incorporated into the matrix of the style. Exopeptidases were identified in the walls of blood vessels and are attributed with the role of continued digestion of food material, prior to transport around the body. The mid‐gut contains a number of enzymes in high concentrations and serves a digestive as well as an absorptive role. Lipid is seen to be an important storage product, especially in the connective tissue surrounding the digestive diverticula.
A comparative study of the biology of the Giant wetas Deinacrida heteracantha and D. fallai (Orthoptera : Henicidae) from New Zealand
Authors: Richards Aola M.
Published: May 2010

The complete life cycle of Deinacrida fallai Salmon and D. heteracantha White takes a little over two years. In neither species is the cycle tied very rigidly to the seasons. About four months is required for the development of the egg; nymphal stages last 12 to 14 months in D. fallai, and about 18 months in D. heteracantha; adult females of D. fallai live about eight months and males about 11 months; adult females of D. heteracantha live about four and a half months and males about seven months. Nymphs of D. heteracantha have a marked winter diapause. This is much less pronounced in D. fallai. D. fallai become adult in the late autumn, and D. heteracantha in the spring. The sex ratio is uneven with a preponderance of females to males. Maturation of the gonads is more rapid in D. heteracantha than in D. fallai. Mating occurs through most of the year, normally during daylight. Four different body positions have been observed, vertical turning of the male under the female being most common. This position has not previously been recorded in the Gryllacridoidea. Only one spermatophore is produced at a time, but up to six or eight may be produced in a day. Deinacrida possesses four of the seven hypothetical primitive characters for genetalic structure and copulatory behaviour suggested by Alexander & Otte (1967). Oviposition occurs at night and eggs are laid individually in the soil, with a mean of 27 laid at any one time. They are laid over a three months period in D. fallai, and a two months period in D. heteracantha. Nine nymphal instars are passed through in D. fallai, and 10 in D. heteracantha. After the first four instars D. heteracantha is heavier than D. fallai. Before oviposition the female body weight increases up to 200% in D. heteracantha, and up to 100% in D. fallai. Regeneration of portions of appendages occurs in both species. Reduplication may also occur. The process of ecdysis is similar to that in other species of Orthoptera. The exuvia is colourless. It is eaten in D. fallai, and discarded in D. heteracantha. Variations in colour of different instars are recorded. The mortality rate in both species is very high. Favourite habitats for wetas are on kanuka, pohutukawaand fan palms. Both species are primarily vegetarian, but in captivity cannibalism occurs. Both species are nocturnal. Harriers and moreporks are predators of the wetas. A number of potential predators are listed. Protective behaviour consists of burrowing head first into soft earth, or hiding under loose bark or inside holes in rotten wood. In both species males are more aggressive than females, and can display sexual aggression. Two distinctive types of sound producing mechanisms are present in both sexes and are a generic characteristic. Apart from Deinacrida, abdominal stridulation has not been recorded amongst Orthoptera. This is the first detailed study of the biology of species belonging to the Henicidae.
Autotomy in Carcinus maenas (Decapoda: Crustacea)
Authors: McVean A. R.
Published: May 2010

Autotomy is the specific action by which a limb of an animal is rejected by a reflex action. In Carcinus maenas (L.) any single pereiopod may be rejected following gross inflicted damage. Tension measurements of the muscles involved in this action indicate that previous accounts of the mechanism of autotomy cannot be entirely correct. There are two basi‐ischiopodite levators of which the anterior one is by far the larger. This muscle is responsible for both walking movements and autotomizing the limb but both actions are reliably separated as autotomy requires the specific intervention of the posterior levator. The tendon of the posterior levator rests against that of the anterior levator. Rotation of the posterior levator tendon separates a hitherto unsuspected preformed breakage plane in the tendon of the anterior levator which radically alters the action of this muscle.

The mechanism proposed here by which autotomy in Carcinus maenas is effected, shows that the shedding of a limb is a specific act and not merely an extension of a normal limb movement as has been supposed.
Observations on the morphology, behaviour and salinity tolerance of downstream migrating River lampreys (Lampetra fluviatitis)
Authors: Potter I. C. , Huggins R. J.
Published: May 2010

Downstream migrating Lampetra fluviatitis were caught at night in elver trawls from the lower reaches of the River Severn during the high spring tides of 1970,1971 and 1972. The length and weight‐frequency curves indicated that in 1970 and 1972, the populations consisted mainly of animals of single year class. On the basis of previous estimates of the duration of larval life, they were thus probably five years old, while a small group of larger animals may have been one year older. In 1971, there was a greater proportion of larger animals, several of which differed in their weight/length relationship from others in this sample and from those of 1971 and 1972, possibly reflecting differences in feeding conditions during larval life. Laboratory studies on the activity rhythms of downstream migrants showed that emergence from the substrate and swimming was primarily nocturnal, with an initial large peak in free‐swimming activity at the onset of darkness and a smaller peak at the transition from the dark to the light phase. During the light period, these animals showed a significant preference for burrowing or lying in regions of gravel and pebbles. Downstream migrants examined in May/June 1972 were capable of being acclimated to full strength sea water (34–35°/00) and a large proportion (80%) survived for three weeks or more after direct transfer. Parallels are drawn between the biology of this stage in the lamprey life cycle with that of similar stages in salmonid fishes.
The systematics and ecology of a new genus of sand beach isopod (Sphaeromatidae) from Kenya
Authors: Holdich D. M. , Jones D. A.
Published: May 2010

Quantitative sampling of sand beaches at Watamu, Kenya, has revealed the presence of a new eubranchiate sphaeromatid isopod. A detailed description of this isopod is given together with details of its vertical distribution, ecology, and behaviour. Sphaeromopsis amathitisgen. et sp. n. appears to be herbivorous and is fossorial in habit prefering fairly exposed, coarse grained beaches, where it occurs most abundantly at the MLWN level. Comparison is made with eurydicid isopods from the same habitat.
The structure of a population of mole‐rats, Tachyoryctes splendens, (Rodentia: Rhizomyidae)
Authors: Jarvis Jennifer U. M.
Published: May 2010

803 mole‐rats, Tachyoryctes splendens, trapped at Nairobi, Kenya, were used in a population study. Because of their discrete burrow systems and solitary fossorial nature, mark‐release methods for population assessment were impracticable and a method was devised using kill‐trapped animals.

A significantly higher number of adult female than adult male Tachyoryctes were trapped, this however, was found to be due to preferential trapping of females.

Tachyoryctes has an average (pre‐resorption) litter size of 1.9. The uterine placental scars produced by each litter persist for considerable periods, probably throughout life. It was possible to use the number of placental scars to divide the female population into groups based on the number of litters they had had.

Young female mole‐rats mature in about 120 days. The average time between successive litters was calculated to be 173 days and it was possible to estimate the age of each female mole‐rat from the number of litters she had had. Using this data a life table was constructed.

Except for a period of lowered mortality on first attaining sexual maturity, the death rate of the female population was fairly constant, suggesting that fossorial life offers equal protection to all age groups.

Tachyoryctes has a low annual rate of recruitment (1.37) which again is probably directly attributable to the protection offered by their fossorial mode of life.