Showing papers by "Flinders University published in 2001"
TL;DR: To review the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Australian children and adolescents in two national samples, 10 years apart, using the new standard international definitions of the International Obesity Task Force Childhood Obesity Working Group is reviewed.
Abstract: Objective To review the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Australian children and adolescents in two national samples, 10 years apart, using the new standard international definitions of the International Obesity Task Force Childhood Obesity Working Group. Design Body mass index (BMI) cut-off points defining overweight and obesity were applied to the individual BMI values in the two cross-sectional samples. Setting Australian community. Participants 8,492 schoolchildren aged 7-15 years (Australian Health and Fitness Survey, 1985) and 2,962 children aged 2-18 years (National Nutrition Survey, 1995). Main outcome measure Prevalence of overweight and obesity. Results In the 1985 sample, 9.3% of boys and 10.6% of girls were overweight and a further 1.7% [corrected] of boys and 1.6% [corrected] of girls were obese. In the 1995 sample, overall 15.0% of boys (varied with age from 10.4% to 20.0%) and 15.8% of girls (varied with age from 14.5% to 17.2%) were overweight, and a further 4.5% of boys (2.4%-6.8%) and 5.3% of girls (4.2%-6.3%) were obese. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in the 1995 sample peaked at 12-15 years in boys and 7-11 years in girls. In schoolchildren aged 7-15 years, the rates represent a relative risk of overweight in 1995 compared with 1985 of 1.79 (95% CI, 1.59-2.00) and of obesity of 3.28 (95% CI, 2.51-4.29). Compared with previous estimates from these samples, the revised prevalence data are slightly higher for the 1985 data and considerably higher for the 1995 data. Conclusion The secular trend of increasing overweight and obesity in the decade from 1985 and the high prevalence rates in Australian children and adolescents are a major public health concern.
497 citations
TL;DR: Students see university study, and in particular the first year, as a survival course and adopt strategies suited to that task and are in general more successful in the tertiary environment.
Abstract: Background. Longitudinal studies of students’ approaches to learning in higher education can tell us much about the impact of the tertiary experience. More information about teaching and learning practices and how students respond to these may enable educators to better assist students to gain the maximum benefit from their tertiary studies. Aims. The study set out: (i) to monitor the change in approaches to learning over a three-year period; (ii) to evaluate the relationship between student age, sex and university entry mode on students’ approaches to learning; and (iii) to evaluate the predictive validity of the SPQ scales on one mode of learning outcome, that being annual GPA. Samples. The sample consisted of 200 commencing students studying in a science course at an Australian university. Method. The Biggs SPQ was administered in a first-year chemistry class and repeated at intervals of 4 and 8 months. This was followed by administration by post after 16 months and 30 months. Results. Student approach to learning is dynamic and amenable to change as a result of the learning experience. Of the three SPQ scales, the achieving approach appears to undergo the greatest change with time, while the deep approach showed a consistent positive correlation with assessment outcomes. Student age was a major factor in both the SPQ scores and assessment outcomes but no gender effect was evident. Conclusions. Students see university study, and in particular the first year, as a survival course and adopt strategies suited to that task. Older students adopt approaches to study which differ from their younger colleagues and as a consequence they are in general more successful in the tertiary environment.
365 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a large Caucasian population-based sample was used to establish body mass index (BMI) norms for standard figural stimuli using a large number of twins, and to determine the effectiveness of the Figurines to identify individuals as obese or thin.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To establish body mass index (BMI) norms for standard figural stimuli using a large Caucasian population-based sample. In addition, we sought to determine the effectiveness of the figural stimuli to identify individuals as obese or thin. DESIGN: All Caucasian twins born in Virginia between 1915 and 1971 were identified by public birth record. In addition, 3347 individual twins responded to a letter published in the newsletter of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). All adult twins (aged 18 and over) from both of these sources and their family members were mailed a 16 page ‘Health and Lifestyle’ questionnaire. SUBJECTS: BMI and silhouette data were available on 16 728 females and 11 366 males ranging in age from 18–100. MEASUREMENTS: Self-report information on height-weight, current body size, desired body size and a discrepancy score using standard figural stimuli. RESULTS: Gender- and age-specific norms are presented linking BMI to each of the figural stimuli. Additional norms for desired body size and discrepancy scores are also presented. Receiver operating curves (ROC) indicate that the figural stimuli are effective in classifying individuals as obese or thin. CONCLUSIONS: With the establishment of these norms, the silhouettes used in standard body image assessment can now be linked to BMI. Differences were observed between women and men in terms of desired body size and discrepancy scores, with women preferring smaller sizes. The figural stimuli are a robust technique for classifying individuals as obese or thin.
347 citations
TL;DR: Results indicate that both the onset of instabilities and their subsequent growth and decay are intimately related to the structure and variance of the permeability field, which is a challenge for future research.
327 citations
TL;DR: It is now possible to take an individual nerve cell and use a few carefully chosen criteria to assign it to a functional class, providing a firm anatomical foundation for the systematic analysis of how the enteric nervous system normally functions and how it goes wrong in various clinically important disorders.
Abstract: The guinea-pig small intestine has been very widely used to study the physiology, pharmacology and morphology of the enteric nervous system. It also provides an ideal, simple mammalian preparation for studying how nerve cells are organised into functional circuits underlying simple behaviours. Many different types of nerve cells are present in the enteric nervous system and they show characteristic combinations of morphological features, projections, biophysical properties, neurochemicals, and receptors. To identify the different functional classes is an important prerequisite for systematic analysis of how the enteric nervous system controls normal gut behaviour. Based on combinations of multiple-labelling immunohistochemistry and retrograde tracing, it has been possible to account quantitatively for all of the neurones in the guinea-pig small intestine. This article summarises that account and updates it in the light of recent data. A total of 18 classes of neurones are currently distinguishable, including primary afferent neurones, motor neurones, interneurones, secretomotor and vasomotor neurones. It is now possible to take an individual nerve cell and use a few carefully chosen criteria to assign it to a functional class. This provides a firm anatomical foundation for the systematic analysis of how the enteric nervous system normally functions and how it goes wrong in various clinically important disorders.
323 citations
TL;DR: A continuously evolving, high quality medical education system is needed to assure the continued delivery of high quality medicine.
308 citations
TL;DR: This work shows that the proapoptotic activity of α‐TOS in hematopoietic and cancer cell lines involves inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC), since phorbol myristyl acetate prevented α-TOS‐triggered apoptosis.
Abstract: The vitamin E analog a-tocopheryl succinate (a-TOS) can induce apoptosis. We show that the proapoptotic activity of a-TOS in hematopoietic and cancer cell lines involves inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC), since phorbol myristyl acetate prevented a-TOS-triggered apoptosis. More selective effectors indicated that a-TOS reduced PKCa isotype activity by increasing protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity. The role of PKCa inhibition in a-TOS-induced apoptosis was confirmed using antisense oligonucleotides or PKCa overexpression. Gain- or loss-of-function bcl-2 mutants implied modulation of bcl-2 activity by PKC/PP2A as a mitochondrial target of a-TOS-induced proapoptotic signals. Structural analogs revealed that a-tocopheryl and succinyl moieties are both required for maximizing these effects. In mice with colon cancer xenografts, a-TOS suppressed tumor growth by 80%. This epitomizes cancer cell killing by a pharmacologically relevant compound without known side effects.
289 citations
TL;DR: This paper proposed an Attribution-Value model of prejudice, which hypothesizes that people are prejudiced against groups that they feel have some negative attribute for which they are held responsible, and found that people with both a negative value for fatness and a tendency to hold people responsible were more anti-fat than could be predicted from cultural value and attributions alone.
Abstract: The authors propose an Attribution-Value model of prejudice, which hypothesizes that people are prejudiced against groups that they feel have some negative attribute for which they are held responsible. The structure of prejudice against fat people was compared in six nations: Australia, India, Poland, Turkey, the United States of America, and Venezuela. Both a negative cultural value for fatness and a tendency to hold people responsible predicts anti-fat prejudice. Most important, a multiplicative hypothesis was supported—people with both a negative value for fatness and a tendency to hold people responsible were more anti-fat than could be predicted from cultural value and attributions alone. These effects were more pronounced in individualist cultures. The authors develop the Attribution-Value model of prejudice that can apply to prejudice of many sorts across many cultures.
288 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors test the complete model proposed in objectification theory as it applies to disordered eating, and find that former dancers scored more highly on self-objectification, self-surveillance, and self-eating.
Abstract: In this study we aimed to test the complete model proposed in objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) as it applies to disordered eating. Two samples of women, 50 former students of classical ballet and 51 undergraduate psychology students, completed questionnaire measures of self-objectification and its proposed consequences. It was found, as predicted, that former dancers scored more highly on self-objectification, self-surveillance, and disordered eating, with the differences on disordered eating accounted for by the objectification measures. For both samples, the relationship between self-objectification and disordered eating was mediated by body shame but not by appearance anxiety, flow, or awareness of internal states. It was concluded that the findings provide strong support for objectification theory.
279 citations
Journal Article•
277 citations
TL;DR: A three-stage checklist summarizing strategies that worked for the authors and addressed some of the problems described in the literature is proposed, which involves the three stages of prepare, contact, and follow-up.
Abstract: In this article, the authors address the importance of sampling and recruiting for focus groups and in-depth interviews. They draw on a synthesis of the literature and their research experience and propose a three-stage checklist summarizing strategies that worked for them and addressed some of the problems described in the literature. The strategies proposed involve the three stages of prepare, contact, and follow-up. The prepare stage involves finding information sources and key contacts or champions, discovering related projects, and drafting alternative samples. The contact stage involves negotiation with key contacts and potential participants, confirmation, and plans for continued involvement. The follow-up stage involves feedback and continuing links in public events, action, and advocacy resulting from the research. The preparation and follow-up stages can require considerable time and resources, which, if not available within grants, can be provided through partnerships with community agencies or by seeking supplementary resources.
TL;DR: The results indicate that IGLEs are the mechanotransduction sites of low threshold, slowly adapting vagal tension receptors in the guinea‐pig upper stomach.
Abstract: 1. Distension-sensitive vagal afferent fibres from the cardiac region of the guinea-pig stomach were recorded extracellularly, then filled with biotinamide, using an anterograde tracing technique. 2. Most of the stretch-sensitive units of the guinea-pig stomach (41 out of 47; number of animals N = 26) had low thresholds (less than 1 mm) to circumferential stretch and showed slow adaptation. Twenty of these units fired spontaneously under resting conditions (mean: 1.9 +/- 0.3 Hz, n = 20, N = 14). 3. Adaptation of firing during slow or maintained stretch correlated closely with accommodation of intramural tension, but tension-independent adaptation was also present. 4. Nicardipine (3 microM) with hyoscine (3 microM) reduced stretch-evoked firing of gastric vagal afferents, by inhibiting smooth muscle contraction. Gadolinium (1 mM) blocked distension-evoked firing. 5. Focal stimulation of the stomach muscle wall with a von Frey hair (0.4 mN) identified one to six punctate receptive fields in each low threshold vagal distension-sensitive afferent. These were marked on the serosal surface of the stomach wall. 6. Anterograde filling of recorded nerve trunks revealed intraganglionic laminar endings (IGLEs) within 142 +/- 34 microm (n = 38; N = 10) of marked receptive fields. The mean distance from randomly generated sites to the nearest IGLE was significantly greater (1500 +/- 48 microm, n = 380, N = 10, P < 0.0001). Viscerofugal nerve cell bodies, intramuscular arrays and varicose axons were not associated with receptive fields. The results indicate that IGLEs are the mechanotransduction sites of low threshold, slowly adapting vagal tension receptors in the guinea-pig upper stomach.
TL;DR: The authors found that Australian companies are surprisingly behind other countries in environmental reporting trends, and there are some major differences between the content of their environmental policies and their disclosures, finding that while companies appear to be reporting on the environment internally, they place a low priority on providing environmental performance data to external parties.
Abstract: Studies of environmental disclosure levels in companies’ annual reports have shown an increasing interest in the environment. A major part of this interest has become the development of a corporate environmental policy (CEP). This study considers the relationship between CEPs of Australian public companies and subsequent reporting and disclosure related to that policy found in their annual reports. The results show that Australian companies are surprisingly behind other countries in environmental reporting trends, and there are some major differences between the content of their environmental policies and their disclosures. Of particular importance is the finding that while companies appear to be reporting on the environment internally, they place a low priority on providing environmental performance data to external parties.
TL;DR: The explanation of disordered eating behaviour is likely to be refined more by specific constructs, such as those presented, rather than by the more general constructs measured by the original TFEZ-R, TFEQ-D and TFEq-H scales.
Abstract: The measurement of dietary restraint, disinhibition and hunger: an examination of the factor structure of the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ)
TL;DR: In airways, mast cells lie adjacent to nerves, blood vessels and lymphatics, which highlights their pivotal importance in regulating allergic inflammatory processes, and mast cell cytokine in asthmatic inflammation is TNF‐α, which induces adhesion molecules on endothelial cells and subsequent transmigration of inflammatory leucocytes.
Abstract: In airways, mast cells lie adjacent to nerves, blood vessels and lymphatics, which highlights their pivotal importance in regulating allergic inflammatory processes. In asthma, mast cells are predominantly activated by IgE receptor cross linking. In response to activation, preformed mediators that are stored bound to proteoglycans, for example, TNF-alpha, IL-4, IL-13, histamine, tryptase and chymase, are released. New synthesis of arachidonic acid metabolites (leukotriene C4 (LTC4), leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and prostaglandin D2 (PGD2)) and further cytokines is stimulated. Mediators from degranulating mast cells are critical to the pathology of the asthmatic lung. Mast cell proteases stimulate tissue remodelling, neuropeptide inactivation and enhanced mucus secretion. Histamine stimulates smooth muscle cell contraction, vasodilatation and increased venular permeability and further mucus secretion. Histamine induces IL-16 production by CD8+ cells and airway epithelial cells; IL-16 is an important early chemotactic factor for CD4+ lymphocytes. LTC4, LTB4 and PGD2 affect venular permeability and can regulate the activation of immune cells. The best characterized mast cell cytokine in asthmatic inflammation is TNF-alpha, which induces adhesion molecules on endothelial cells and subsequent transmigration of inflammatory leucocytes. IL-13 is critical to development of allergic asthma, although its mode of action is less clear.
TL;DR: There is an urgent need for a wider range of alternative care options for the adolescent population and unsatisfactory transition to foster care was found to be so prevalent among these children that conventional foster family care should be considered unsuitable for them.
Abstract: The placement movements of 235 children entering foster care over a 12-month period were followed up 4 months after referral into care Baseline and follow-up measures of the 170 children who were still in care at follow-up were also compared Results indicated that adolescents with mental health or behavioural problems were the least likely to achieve placement stability or to display improved psychological adjustment in care In fact, unsatisfactory transition to foster care was found to be so prevalent among these children that conventional foster family care should be considered unsuitable for them The paper concludes that there is an urgent need for a wider range of alternative care options for the adolescent population
TL;DR: Findings counter the notion of “burden” by revealing that strong positive emotions were experienced by these caregivers regarding the opportunity given to them to express their love through care, particularly in the bereavement phase when need is very apparent.
Abstract: This study documents the emotional experiences and coping strategies of a group of caregivers as they move from the diagnosis of a close family member with terminal cancer through the stages of caring and post bereavement. Supportive evidence, matching that of previous literature, was gathered regarding the impact of such care, but additional findings counter the notion of "burden" by revealing that strong positive emotions were experienced by these caregivers regarding the opportunity given to them to express their love through care. By contrast and post bereavement, however, intense grief was reported. There appeared to be a complete lack of emotional support throughout from health professionals, particularly in the bereavement phase when need is very apparent.
TL;DR: The results were consistent with the involvement of a scotopic mechanism in the regulation of circadian phase and the shorter wavelengths of 470, 497, and 525 nm showed the greatest melatonin suppression.
Abstract: Different wavelengths of light were compared for melatonin suppression and phase shifting of the salivary melatonin rhythm. The wavelengths compared were 660 nm (red), 595 nm (amber), 525 nm (green...
TL;DR: This review is an attempt to evaluate the present knowledge of ecological aspects of artificial reefs, emphasising the role of sessile hard substratum biota.
Abstract: . Artificial reefs in marine environments are in most cases submerged structures consisting of dumped waste material or specific constructions made with the purpose of enriching the local fish populations and other marine life to the benefit of recreational and commercial fisheries. Such structures are susceptible to fouling and will successively develop assemblages, which may or may not resemble epibioses on natural substrata. Studies of artificial reefs have focused predominantly on fish assemblages and have largely disregarded the development of sessile biota and their structural and functional relationships. In addition, most studies are from tropical or subtropical environments. To manage and understand artificial reefs, a whole-ecosystem approach is necessary, incorporating studies of all aspects of hard substratum ecology including both structural and functional variables. This review is an attempt to evaluate the present knowledge of ecological aspects of artificial reefs, emphasising the role of sessile hard substratum biota.
TL;DR: Investigation of channels in protoplasts from root apices of near-isogenic wheat differing in Al(3+) tolerance at a single locus provides evidence that the difference inAl(3+)-induced malate efflux between Al(2+)-tolerant and Al( 3+)-sensitive genotypes lies in the differing capacity for Al (3+) to activate malate permeable channels and cation channels for sustained malate release.
Abstract: Aluminum (Al 3+ )-dependent efflux of malate from root apices is a mechanism for Al 3+ tolerance in wheat ( Triticum aestivum ). The malate anions protect the sensitive root tips by chelating the toxic Al 3+ cations in the rhizosphere to form non-toxic complexes. Activation of malate-permeable channels in the plasma membrane could be critical in regulating this malate efflux. We examined this by investigating Al 3+ -activated channels in protoplasts from root apices of near-isogenic wheat differing in Al 3+ tolerance at a single locus. Using whole-cell patch clamp we found that Al 3+ stimulated an electrical current carried by anion efflux across the plasma membrane in the Al 3+ -tolerant (ET8) and Al 3+ -sensitive (ES8) genotypes. This current occurred more frequently, had a greater current density, and remained active for longer in ET8 protoplasts than for ES8 protoplasts. The Al 3+ -activated current exhibited higher permeability to malate 2− than to Cl − ( P mal / P Cl ≥ 2.6) and was inhibited by anion channel antagonists, niflumate and diphenylamine-2-carboxylic acid. In ET8, but not ES8, protoplasts an outward-rectifying K + current was activated in the presence of Al 3+ when cAMP was included in the pipette solution. These findings provide evidence that the difference in Al 3+ -induced malate efflux between Al 3+ -tolerant and Al 3+ -sensitive genotypes lies in the differing capacity for Al 3+ to activate malate permeable channels and cation channels for sustained malate release.
TL;DR: It is shown that new minimum distance estimator performs close to the QAM bound and provides a large improvement over the power law estimator at moderate to high signal-to-noise ratios.
Abstract: In this paper, we present the true Cramer-Rao lower bounds (CRLBs) for the estimation of phase offset for common quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), PSK, and PAM signals in AWGN channels. It is shown that the same analysis also applies to the QAM, FSK, and PAM CRLBs for frequency offset estimation. The ratio of the modulated to the unmodulated CRLBs is derived for all QAM, PSK, and PAM signals and calculated for specific cases of interest. This is useful to determine the limiting performance of synchronization circuits for coherent receivers without the need to simulate particular algorithms. The hounds are compared to the existing true CRLBs for an unmodulated carrier wave (CW), BPSK, and QPSK. We investigated new and existing QAM phase estimation algorithms in order to verify the new phase CRLB. This showed that new minimum distance estimator performs close to the QAM bound and provides a large improvement over the power law estimator at moderate to high signal-to-noise ratios.
11 Dec 2001
TL;DR: This review supports the hypothesis that specialist outreach can improve access, outcomes and service use, especially when delivered as part of a multifaceted intervention.
Abstract: BACKGROUND
Specialist medical practitioners have conducted clinics in primary care and rural hospital settings for a variety of reasons in many different countries. Such clinics have been regarded as an important policy option for increasing the accessibility and effectiveness of specialist services and their integration with primary care services.
OBJECTIVES
To undertake a descriptive overview of studies of specialist outreach clinics and to assess the effectiveness of specialist outreach clinics on access, quality, health outcomes, patient satisfaction, use of services, and costs.
SEARCH STRATEGY
We searched the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) specialised register (March 2002), the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (CCTR) (Cochrane Library Issue 1, 2002), MEDLINE (including HealthStar) (1966 to May 2002), EMBASE (1988 to March 2002), CINAHL (1982 to March 2002), the Primary-Secondary Care Database previously maintained by the Centre for Primary Care Research in the Department of General Practice at the University of Manchester, a collection of studies from the UK collated in "Specialist Outreach Clinics in General Practice" (Roland 1998), and the reference lists of all retrieved articles.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised trials, controlled before and after studies and interrupted time series analyses of visiting specialist outreach clinics in primary care or rural hospital settings, either providing simple consultations or as part of complex multifaceted interventions. The participants were patients, specialists, and primary care providers. The outcomes included objective measures of access, quality, health outcomes, satisfaction, service use, and cost.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Four reviewers working in pairs independently extracted data and assessed study quality.
MAIN RESULTS
73 outreach interventions were identified covering many specialties, countries and settings. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Most comparative studies came from urban non-disadvantaged populations in developed countries. Simple 'shifted outpatients' styles of specialist outreach were shown to improve access, but there was no evidence of impact on health outcomes. Specialist outreach as part of more complex multifaceted interventions involving collaboration with primary care, education or other services was associated with improved health outcomes, more efficient and guideline-consistent care, and less use of inpatient services. The additional costs of outreach may be balanced by improved health outcomes.
REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS
This review supports the hypothesis that specialist outreach can improve access, outcomes and service use, especially when delivered as part of a multifaceted intervention. The benefits of simple outreach models in urban non-disadvantaged settings seem small. There is a need for good comparative studies of outreach in rural and disadvantaged settings where outreach may confer most benefit to access and health outcomes.
TL;DR: 2-APB appeared to be a novel inhibitor of SOCs in liver cells with a mechanism of action which, in this cell type, is unlikely to involve an interaction of 2- APB with Ins(1,4,5)P(3) receptors.
Abstract: The compound 2-aminoethyl diphenylborate (2-APB), an inhibitor of Ins(1,4,5)P(3) receptor action in some cell types, has been used to assess the role of Ins(1,4,5)P(3) receptors in the activation of store-operated Ca2+ channels (SOCs) [Ma, Patterson, van Rossum, Birnbaumer, Mikoshiba and Gill (2000) Science 287, 1647-1651]. In freshly-isolated rat hepatocytes, 2-APB inhibited thapsigargin- and vasopressin-stimulated Ca2+ inflow (measured using fura-2) with no detectable effect on the release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores. The concentration of 2-APB which gave half-maximal inhibition of Ca2+ inflow was approx. 10 microM. 2-APB also inhibited Ca2+ inflow initiated by a low concentration of adenophostin A but had no effect on maitotoxin-stimulated Ca2+ inflow through non-selective cation channels. The onset of the inhibitory effect of 2-APB on thapsigargin-stimulated Ca2+ inflow was rapid. When 2-APB was added to rat hepatocytes in the presence of extracellular Ca2+ after a vasopressin-induced plateau in the cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+](cyt)) had been established, the kinetics of the decrease in [Ca2+](cyt) were identical with those induced by the addition of 50 microM Gd(3+) (gadolinium). 2-APB did not inhibit the release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores induced by the addition of Ins(1,4,5)P(3) to permeabilized hepatocytes. In the H4-IIE rat hepatoma cell line, 2-APB inhibited thapsigargin-stimulated Ca2+ inflow (measured using fura-2) and, in whole-cell patch-clamp experiments, the Ins(1,4,5)P(3)-induced inward current carried by Ca2+. It was concluded that, in liver cells, 2-APB inhibited SOCs through a mechanism which involved the binding of 2-APB to either the channel protein or an associated regulatory protein. 2-APB appeared to be a novel inhibitor of SOCs in liver cells with a mechanism of action which, in this cell type, is unlikely to involve an interaction of 2-APB with Ins(1,4,5)P(3) receptors. The need for caution in the use of 2-APB as a probe for the involvement of Ins(1,4,5)P(3) receptors in the activation of SOCs in other cell types is briefly discussed.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a universal vaccination of all age groups would be the best available strategy for protecting individuals, which would also reduce the potential for transmitting the disease to other susceptibles, particularly infants.
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of brief and long daytime naps following nocturnal sleep restriction were compared with subjective alertness and cognitive performance measures and subjective performance measures were taken before, then 5, 35, and 60 minutes after the termination of the nap, and concluded that the detrimental effects of sleep restriction are more rapidly and significantly ameliorated by a 10-minute afternoon nap.
Abstract: STUDY OBJECTIVES: The purpose was to remedy the lack of experimental studies directly comparing the effects of brief and long daytime naps following nocturnal sleep restriction DESIGN: Twelve young adult healthy sleepers participated in a repeated measures design comparing the effects of no nap, a 10-minute nap, and a 30-minute afternoon nap in each case following a night of 47 hours of total sleep time Objective and subjective alertness measures and cognitive performance measures were taken before, then 5, 35, and 60 minutes after the termination of the nap SETTING: N/A PARTICIPANTS: N/A INTERVENTIONS: N/A MEASUREMENTS and RESULTS: In the no nap condition measures showed either no change or a decreases of alertness and performance across the testing period Following the 10-minute nap there was an immediate improvement in subjective alertness and cognitive performance which was sustained for the hour of post nap testing Immediately following the 30 minute nap most measures of alertness and performance declined but showed some recovery by the end of testing CONCLUSIONS: Because the delayed benefits following the 30-minute nap may be due to sleep inertia, longer post-nap testing periods should be investigated However, we conclude that the detrimental effects of sleep restriction were more rapidly and significantly ameliorated, at least within the hour following the nap, by a 10-minute afternoon nap Language: en
TL;DR: The focus of this review is on recent research that has sought to elucidate the role of DHA in retinal function, particularly within the rod photoreceptor outer segments where DHA is found at its highest concentration.
Abstract: An important role for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) within the retina is suggested by its high levels and active conservation in this tissue. Animals raised on n-3-deficient diets have large reductions in retinal DHA levels that are associated with altered retinal function as assessed by the electroretinogram (ERG). Despite two decades of research in this field, little is known about the mechanisms underlying altered retinal function in n-3-deficient animals. The focus of this review is on recent research that has sought to elucidate the role of DHA in retinal function, particularly within the rod photoreceptor outer segments where DHA is found at its highest concentration. An overview is also given of human infant studies that have examined whether a neonatal dietary supply of DHA is required for the normal development of retinal function.
TL;DR: In this article, an explanatory study of the impact of financial reporting practices upon business growth and performance outcomes among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engaged in manufacturing in Australia is presented.
Abstract: This article describes an explanatory study of the impact of financial reporting practices upon business growth and performance outcomes amongst small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engaged in manufacturing in Australia. The study is able to establish some statistically significant bivariate associations between the extent and frequency of financial reporting undertaken and certain measures of SME growth and performance. However, the state of financial reporting practices becomes subsumed by other important influences in multivariate analysis. Management is a complex activity affected by a myriad of interacting internal and external factors, and must inevitably be undertaken in an holistic manner in SMEs. Particular practices make a contribution to the whole task without necessarily standing out as all-embracing solutions to problems generally encountered. Thus, it is argued that improved financial reporting should be realistically viewed as simply part of a broader competence in financial management which, taken together with other functional capabilities, is likely to lead to more effective and efficient management of SMEs and significantly improve their prospects.
TL;DR: Overall, the data reveal that tapasin quantitatively and qualitatively influences ligand selection by class I molecules.
Abstract: Tapasin is critical for efficient loading and surface expression of most HLA class I molecules. The high level surface expression of HLA-B*2705 on tapasin-deficient 721.220 cells allowed the influence of this chaperone on peptide repertoire to be examined. Comparison of peptides bound to HLA-B*2705 expressed on tapasin-deficient and -proficient cells by mass spectrometry revealed an overall reduction in the recovery of B*2705-bound peptides isolated from tapasin-deficient cells despite similar yields of B27 heavy chain and β 2 -microglobulin. This indicated that a proportion of suboptimal ligands were associated with B27, and they were lost during the purification process. Notwithstanding this failure to recover these suboptimal peptides, there was substantial overlap in the repertoire and biochemical properties of peptides recovered from B27 complexes derived from tapasin-positive and -negative cells. Although many peptides were preferentially or uniquely isolated from B*2705 in tapasin-positive cells, a number of species were preferentially recovered in the absence of tapasin, and some of these peptide ligands have been sequenced. In general, these ligands did not exhibit exceptional binding affinity, and we invoke an argument based on lumenal availability and affinity to explain their tapasin independence. The differential display of peptides in tapasin-negative and -positive cells was also apparent in the reactivity of peptide-sensitive alloreactive CTL raised against tapasin-positive and -negative targets, demonstrating the functional relevance of the biochemical observation of changes in peptide repertoire in the tapasin-deficient APC. Overall, the data reveal that tapasin quantitatively and qualitatively influences ligand selection by class I molecules.
TL;DR: Tea tree oil components suppress the production of superoxide by monocytes, but not neutrophils, suggesting the potential for selective regulation of cell types by these components during inflammation.
Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the regulatory properties of the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree oil) on the production of oxygen derived reactive species by human peripheral blood leukocytes activated in vitro.¶Materials and methods: The ability of tea tree oil to reduce superoxide production by neutrophils and monocytes stimulated with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) was examined.¶Results: The water-soluble fraction of tea tree oil had no significant effect on agonist-stimulated superoxide production by neutrophils, but significantly and dose-dependently suppressed agonist-stimulated superoxide production by monocytes. This suppression was not due to cell death. Chemical analysis identified the water-soluble components to be terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol and 1,8-cineole. When examined individually, terpinen-4-ol significantly suppressed fMLP- and LPS- but not PMA-stimulated superoxide production; α-terpineol significantly suppressed fMLP-, LPS- and PMA-stimulated superoxide production; 1,8-cineole was without effect.¶Conclusion: Tea tree oil components suppress the production of superoxide by monocytes, but not neutrophils, suggesting the potential for selective regulation of cell types by these components during inflammation.¶
TL;DR: More evaluative research of this type will be important if the rhetoric of healthy settings is to become a reality, and a typology of four approaches of organizational arrangement to health promotion is presented.
Abstract: This paper draws on a review of the literature about the types of health promotion activities conducted by health promoting hospitals and an observation of how some Australian hospitals have structured the organizational arrangements to be more health promoting. This paper also draws on the experiences of one of the authors (A.J.) in managing and evaluating an organizational change process at a major specialist hospital in Adelaide, South Australia, that sought to re-orientate the hospital towards placing more emphasis on health promotion. From these three sources, a typology of four approaches of organizational arrangement to health promotion is presented. These approaches are: 'doing a health promotion project'; 'delegating it to the role of a specific division, department or staff'; 'being a health promotion setting'; and 'being a health promotion setting and improving the health of the community'. For the re-orientation of the specialist hospital to occur and be sustainable, the research indicated that over the case study period of 1994-1998 there had to be strong organizational commitment to change, supported at multiple levels of the organization, and reflected in policy and practice change. The paper concludes that more evaluative research of this type will be important if the rhetoric of healthy settings is to become a reality.