Effects of seawater components on immature Culicoides molestus (Skuse) (Diptera : Ceratopogonidae)

Following analysis of beach sites and an indication that seawater components might influence larval occurrence, we studied the impact of increasing salinity and seawater concentration on survival of fourth-instar larvae of the canal biting midge, Culicoides molestus . While NaCl had little effect on immature survival, increasing the concentration of seawater increased mortality prior to the adult stage. Seawater at three and four times the normal concentration killed all immatures. Artificial elevation of seawater concentration in the sandy substrate preferred by larvae, therefore, has the potential to reduce immature midge survival. Diet also affected survival, with higher mortality of immatures that were fed fish-food flakes compared with those that were fed live nematodes.

Occurrence of immature Culicoides molestus (Skuse) (Diptera : Ceratopogonidae) in relation to habitat characteristics

Analysis of beach sites on the Gold Coast, Australia, found that 14 physical and chemical habitat characteristics differed significantly between sites where numerous immatures of the canal biting midge, Culicoides molestus (Skuse), were found and sites where no midge immatures occurred. Five of the chemical factors found to reliably distinguish C. molestus habitat are major components of seawater, while another, electrical conductivity, is related to the concentration of seawater components. Calcium was the only one of the six primary components of seawater that was not a statistically significant correlate of C. molestus habitation by sand analysis. It is likely that a causative variable in occurrence of immatures is the concentration of seawater present in canals, because larvae are found where seawater component concentration is low in relation to uninhabited sites of similar appearance.

Initiation of biological agents in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: results of a Delphi study by the ASAS Group

Background: There is ample evidence of important symptomatic efficacy of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) inhibition in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Moreover, studies suggest that anti-TNF could be considered as the first disease controlling antirheumatic treatment (DC-ART) for AS. Objective: To determine precisely which patients with AS are most likely to benefit from anti-TNFalpha treatment because of the cost and possible long term side effects of such treatment. Methods: Assessment in Ankylosing Spondylitis (ASAS) members were asked to use a Delphi technique to name the characteristics of patients with AS for whom they would start DC-ART, in three different clinical presentations (isolated axial involvement, peripheral arthritis, enthesitis). Results: Among the 62 invited ASAS members, more than 50% actively participated in the four phases of definition according to the Delphi technique. For each of the three clinical presentations, a combination of five to six domains was proposed, with an evaluation instrument and a cut off point defining a minimum level of activity for each domain. Conclusion: This study provides a profile for a patient with AS for considering initiation of biological agents that reflects the opinion of the ASAS members, using a Delphi exercise. Further studies are required to assess their relevance and their consistency with clinical practice.

The VCAM-1 gene that encodes the vascular cell adhesion molecule is a target of the Sry-related high mobility group box gene, Sox18

VCAM-1 (vascular cell adhesion molecule-1) and Sox18 are involved in vascular development. VCAM-1 is an important adhesion molecule that is expressed on endothelial cells and has a critical role in endothelial activation, inflammation, lymphatic pathophysiology, and atherogenesis. The Sry-related high mobility group box factor Sox18 has previously been implicated in endothelial pathologies. Mutations in human and mouse Sox18 leads to hypotrichosis and lymphedema. Furthermore, both Sox18 and VCAM-1 have very similar spatio-temporal patterns of expression, which is suggestive of crosstalk. We use biochemical techniques, cell culture systems, and the ragged opossum (RaOP) mouse model with a naturally occurring mutation in Sox18 to demonstrate that VCAM-1 is an important target of Sox18. Transfection, site-specific mutagenesis, and gel shift analyses demonstrated that Sox18 directly targeted and trans-activated VCAM-1 expression. Importantly, the naturally occurring Sox18 mutant attenuates the expression and activation of VCAM-1 in vitro. Furthermore, in vivo quantitation of VCAM-1 mRNA levels in wild type and RaOP mice demonstrates that RaOP animals show a dramatic and significant reduction in VCAM-1 mRNA expression in lung, skin, and skeletal muscle. Our observation that the VCAM-1 gene is an important target of SOX18 provides the first molecular insights into the vascular abnormalities in the mouse mutant ragged and the human hypotrichosis-lymphedematelangiectasia disorder.

Putting the group back into unions: A social psychological contribution to understanding union support

Industrial relations research that attempts to grapple with individuals' union-related sentiments and activities often draws on one of two traditions of psychological research—the individual-level factors tradition (for example, personality and attitude-behaviour relations) and the social context tradition (for example, frustration-aggression and relative deprivation). This paper provides an overview of research conducted from within these traditions to explain union-related phenomena and identifies some of the limitations that arise as a consequence of a shared tendency to treat people in an atomistic fashion. The paper argues for an understanding of the psychological processes that underpin group-based action. To this end, it elaborates a theoretical framework based on social identity theory and self-categorisation theory that would allow us to examine the dynamic interplay between the individual, their cognitions and their environment. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of a specific case of union mobilisation, to indicate how this theoretical framework might aid empirical analysis.