Young Registered Nurses’ Intent to Leave the Profession in Finland - A Mixed-Method Study

The purpose of this study was to examine and expand understanding concerning young Finnish registered nurses (RN) with an intention to leave the profession and the related variables, specifically when that intention has emerged before the age of 30. The overall goal of the study was to develop a conceptual model in relation to young RNs’ intention to leave the profession. Suggestions for policymakers, nurse leaders and nurse managers are presented for how to retain more young RNs in the nursing workforce. Suggestions for future nursing research are also provided. Phase I consists of two sequential integrative literature reviews of 75 empirical articles concerning nurses’ intention to leave the profession. In phase II, data had been collected as part of the Nurses’ Early Exit (NEXT) study, using the BQ-12 structured postal questionnaire. A total of 147 young RNs participated in the study. The data were analysed with statistical methods. In phase III, firstly, an in-depth interpretive case study was conducted in order to understand how young RNs explain and make sense of their intention to leave the profession. The data in this study consisted of longitudinal career stories by three young RNs. The data was analysed by using narrative holistic-content and thematic methods. Secondly, a total of 15 young RNs were interviewed in order to explore in-depth their experiences concerning organizational turnover and their intent to leave the profession. The data was analysed using conventional content analysis. Based on earlier research, empirical research on the young RNs intention to leave the profession is scarce. Nurses’ intention to leave the profession has mainly been studied with quantitative descriptive studies, conducted with survey questionnaires. Furthermore, the quality of previous studies varies considerably. Moreover, nurses’ intention to leave the profession seems to be driven by a number of variables. According to the survey study, 26% of young RNs had often considered giving up nursing completely and starting a different kind of job during the course of the previous year. Many different variables were associated with an intention to leave the profession (e.g. personal burnout, job dissatisfaction). According to the in-depth inquiries, poor nursing practice environments and a nursing career as a ‘second-best’ or serendipitous career choice were themes associated with young RNs’ intention to leave the profession. In summary, young RNs intention to leave the profession is a complex phenomenon with multiple associated variables. These findings suggest that policymakers, nurse leaders and nurse managers should enable improvements in nursing practice environments in order to retain more young RNs. These improvements can include, for example, adequate staffing levels, balanced nursing workloads, measures to reduce work-related stress as well as possibilities for advancement and development. Young RNs’ requirements to provide high-quality and ethical nursing care must be recognized in society and health-care organizations. Moreover, sufficient mentoring and orientation programmes should be provided for all graduate RNs. Future research is needed into whether the motive for choosing a nursing career affects the length of the tenure in the profession. Both quantitative and in-depth research is needed for the comprehensive development of nursing-turnover research.

Phytochemistry and quantification of polyphenols in extracts of the Asteraceae weeds from Diamantina, Minas Gerais state, Brazil

Asteraceae weeds are rich in chemicals that have biological and pharmaceutical activities. The aims of this work were to describe the phytochemistry and quantify the polyphenols in ethanol extracts from leaves of 12 species of Asteraceae weeds collected in Diamantina, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The screening of Asteraceae extracts revealed the presence of tannins, steroids, triterpenes, anthocyanins, and flavonoids. The total phenolic content was high in extracts of Lychnophora ericoides (147.97 ± 2.66), Lepidaploa lilacina (141.11 ± 1.99), and Eremanthus elaeagnus (134.61 ± 7.81) and low in extracts of Lychnophora ramosissima (32.65 ± 0.70), and Lychnophora sp. (54.03 ± 0.73). Extracts of Asteraceae weeds from Diamantina could have potential for biological studies that are searching for new pesticides and drugs.

The Shiga toxin 2 B subunit inhibits net fluid absorption in human colon and elicits fluid accumulation in rat colon loops

Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) colonizes the large intestine causing a spectrum of disorders, including watery diarrhea, bloody diarrhea (hemorrhagic colitis), and hemolytic-uremic syndrome. It is estimated that hemolytic-uremic syndrome is the most common cause of acute renal failure in infants in Argentina. Stx is a multimeric toxin composed of one A subunit and five B subunits. In this study we demonstrate that the Stx2 B subunit inhibits the water absorption (Jw) across the human and rat colonic mucosa without altering the electrical parameters measured as transepithelial potential difference and short circuit current. The time-course Jw inhibition by 400 ng/ml purified Stx2 B subunit was similar to that obtained using 12 ng/ml Stx2 holotoxin suggesting that both, A and B subunits of Stx2 contributed to inhibit the Jw. Moreover, non-hemorrhagic fluid accumulation was observed in rat colon loops after 16 h of treatment with 3 and 30 ng/ml Stx2 B subunit. These changes indicate that Stx2 B subunit induces fluid accumulation independently of A subunit activity by altering the usual balance of intestinal absorption and secretion toward net secretion. In conclusion, our results suggest that the Stx2 B subunit, which is non-toxic for Vero cells, may contribute to the watery diarrhea observed in STEC infection. Further studies will be necessary to determine whether the toxicity of Stx2 B subunit may have pathogenic consequences when it is used as a component in an acellular STEC vaccine or as a vector in cancer vaccines.

Comparison of scientists of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA on the basis of the h-index

A new scientometric indicator, the h-index, has been recently proposed (Hirsch JE. Proc Natl Acad Sci 2005; 102: 16569-16572). The index avoids some shortcomings of the calculation of the total number of citations as a parameter to evaluate scientific performance. Although it has become known only recently, it has had widespread acceptance. A comparison of the average h-index of members of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (BAS) and of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (NAS-USA) was carried out for 10 different areas of science. Although, as expected, the comparison was unfavorable to the members of the BAS, the imbalance was distinct in different areas. Since these two academies represent, to a significant extent, the science of top quality produced in each country, the comparison allows the identification of the areas in Brazil that are closer to the international stakeholders of scientific excellence. The areas of Physics and Mathematics stand out in this context. The heterogeneity of the h-index in the different areas, estimated by the median dispersion of the index, is significantly higher in the BAS than in the NAS-USA. No elements have been collected in the present study to provide an explanation for this fact.

Non-Markovian dynamics in quantum optical dephasing channels

Quantum computation and quantum communication are two of the most promising future applications of quantum mechanics. Since the information carriers used in both of them are essentially open quantum systems it is necessary to understand both quantum information theory and the theory of open quantum systems in order to investigate realistic implementations of such quantum technologies. In this thesis we consider the theory of open quantum systems from a quantum information theory perspective. The thesis is divided into two parts: review of the literature and original research. In the review of literature we present some important definitions and known results of open quantum systems and quantum information theory. We present the definitions of trace distance, two channel capacities and superdense coding capacity and give a reasoning why they can be used to represent the transmission efficiency of a communication channel. We also show derivations of some properties useful to link completely positive and trace preserving maps to trace distance and channel capacities. With the help of these properties we construct three measures of non-Markovianity and explain why they detect non-Markovianity. In the original research part of the thesis we study the non-Markovian dynamics in an experimentally realized quantum optical set-up. For general one-qubit dephasing channels we calculate the explicit forms of the two channel capacities and the superdense coding capacity. For the general two-qubit dephasing channel with uncorrelated local noises we calculate the explicit forms of the quantum capacity and the mutual information of a four-letter encoding. By using the dynamics in the experimental implementation as a set of specific dephasing channels we also calculate and compare the measures in one- and two-qubit dephasing channels and study the options of manipulating the environment to achieve revivals and higher transmission rates in superdense coding protocol with dephasing noise. Kvanttilaskenta ja kvanttikommunikaatio ovat kaksi puhutuimmista tulevaisuuden kvanttimekaniikan käytännön sovelluksista. Koska molemmissa näistä informaatio koodataan systeemeihin, jotka ovat oleellisesti avoimia kvanttisysteemejä, sekä kvantti-informaatioteorian, että avointen kvanttisysteemien tuntemus on välttämätöntä. Tässä tutkielmassa käsittelemme avointen kvanttisysteemien teoriaa kvantti-informaatioteorian näkökulmasta. Tutkielma on jaettu kahteen osioon: kirjallisuuskatsaukseen ja omaan tutkimukseen. Kirjallisuuskatsauksessa esitämme joitakin avointen kvanttisysteemien ja kvantti-informaatioteorian tärkeitä määritelmiä ja tunnettuja tuloksia. Esitämme jälkietäisyyden, kahden kanavakapasiteetin ja superdense coding -kapasiteetin määritelmät ja esitämme perustelun sille, miksi niitä voidaan käyttää kuvaamaan kommunikointikanavan lähetystehokkuutta. Näytämme myös todistukset kahdelle ominaisuudelle, jotka liittävät täyspositiiviset ja jäljensäilyttävät kuvaukset jälkietäisyyteen ja kanavakapasiteetteihin. Näiden ominaisuuksien avulla konstruoimme kolme epä-Markovisuusmittaa ja perustelemme, miksi ne havaitsevat dynamiikan epä-Markovisuutta. Oman tutkimuksen osiossa tutkimme epä-Markovista dynamiikkaa kokeellisesti toteutetussa kvanttioptisessa mittausjärjestelyssä. Yleisen yhden qubitin dephasing-kanavan tapauksessa laskemme molempien kanavakapasiteettien ja superdense coding -kapasiteetin eksplisiittiset muodot. Yleisen kahden qubitin korreloimattomien ympäristöjen dephasing-kanavan tapauksessa laskemme yhteisen informaation lausekkeen nelikirjaimisessa koodauksessa ja kvanttikanavakapasiteetin. Käyttämällä kokeellisen mittajärjestelyn dynamiikkoja esimerkki dephasing-kanavina me myös laskemme konstruoitujen epä-Markovisuusmittojen arvot ja vertailemme niitä yksi- ja kaksi-qubitti-dephasing-kanavissa. Lisäksi käyttäen kokeellisia esimerkkikanavia tutkimme, kuinka ympäristöä manipuloimalla superdense coding –skeemassa voidaan saada yhteinen informaatio ajoittain kasvamaan tai saavuttaa kaikenkaikkiaan korkeampi lähetystehokkuus.

New threats - old routines : bureaucratic adaptability in the security policy environment

Within the framework of state security policy, the focus of this dissertation are the relations between how new security threats are perceived and the policy planning and bureaucratic implementation that are designed to address them. In addition, this thesis explores and studies some of the inertias that might exist in the core of the state apparatus as it addresses new threats and how these could be better managed. The dissertation is built on five thematic and interrelated articles highlighting different aspects of when new significant national security threats are detected by different governments until the threats on the policy planning side translate into protective measures within the society. The timeline differs widely between different countries and some key aspects of this process are also studied. One focus concerns mechanisms for adaptability within the Intelligence Community, another on the policy planning process within the Cabinet Offices/National Security Councils and the third focus is on the planning process and how policy is implemented within the bureaucracy. The issue of policy transfer is also analysed, revealing that there is some imitation of innovation within governmental structures and policies, for example within the field of cyber defence. The main findings of the dissertation are that this context has built-in inertias and bureaucratic seams found in most government bureaucratic machineries. As much of the information and planning measures imply security classification of the transparency and internal debate on these issues, alternative assessments become limited. To remedy this situation, the thesis recommends ways to improve the decision-making system in order to streamline the processes involved in making these decisions. Another special focus of the thesis concerns the role of the public policy think tanks in the United States as an instrument of change in the country’s national security decision-making environment, which is viewed from the perspective as being a possible source of new ideas and innovation. The findings in this part are based on unique interviews data on how think tanks become successful and influence the policy debate in a country such as the United States. It appears clearly that in countries such as the United States think tanks smooth the decision making processes, and that this model with some adaptations also might be transferrable to other democratic countries.

Water quality and fish populations of the Welland River, Ontario /

The water quality and fish populations of the Welland River were observed to decline with distance downstream. This coincided with increased agricultural , domestic and industrial waste loadings. The river upstream of the City of Welland received considerable loadings from agricultural sources. Centrarchids, sciaenids, ictalurids, cyprinids and esocids characterized this upper section of the river. Most of these species were tolerant of low dissolved oxygen concentrations and the high turbidity which prevailed there . The river near Port Robinson receives many industrial and domestic wastes as evidenced by the water quality data. The fish in this section were less abundant and the observed population was comprised almost solely of cyprinids. Further downstream, near Montrose, the Welland River received shock loads of chemical wastes that exceeded a specific conductance of ISiOOO ;umhos/cm. Few fish were captured at this site and those that were captured were considered to be transients. A review of the literature revealed that none of the common indices of water quality in use today could adequately predict the observed distributions. In addition to the above, the long-term trend (l3 yrs) of water quality of the lower Welland River revealed a gradual improvement. The major factor thought to be responsible for this improvement was the operation of the Welland Sewage Treatment Plant. The construction of the New Welland Ship Canal coincided with large fluctuations of the total solids and other parameters downstream. These conditions prevailed for a maximum of three years (1972- 1975)' Furthermore, spawning times and temperatures, geographic distributions, length-weight regressions and many other descriptive aspects of the ecology of some 26 species/ taxa of fish were obtained. Several of these species are rare or new to southern Ontario.

Some ecological effects of beaver upon the watersheds in the Porcupine Hills, Alberta /

This ecological investigation of the beaver (Castor canadensis canadensis Kuhl) was part of the Eastern Slopes (Alberta) Watershed Research program conducted during the summers of 1968 . 1969 . 1970. and 1971 . A soil particle size analysis indicated that soil heavy with clay was used by the beaver for construction purposes in the Porcupine Hills . Examples were given of the beaver controlling erosion with the construction of dams . and also causing erosion to occur . However . in general . the beaver slow down soil erosion and decrease the loss of soil from this region. The beaver utilized measureable amounts of herbaceous vegetation . However, the utilization of herbs by the beaver requires further investigation. A system of ex~sures and enclosures of herbaceous vegetation plots was used to study the utilization of sedges , grasses , and forbs . The beaver indicated stronger species preference for willow as compared to aspen . The size preference for willow was in the 1.0 to 10.0 centimeters basal diameter classes , while the beaver utilization of aspen indicated a preference for the largest trees with basal diameter greater than 20.0 centimeters. Willow was the most important plant in the low lying areas with regard to distribution, abundance and to produce sustained yield. The beaver used this plant for food and construction throughout the study area. The distribution of aspen was limited. and this species did not appear to produce more than one crop in the lifetime of a beaver colony. Nine out of 15 woody plant types were sampled by the beaver in this region. A plot-intercept transect technique was used for systematic vegetation sampling of the woody vegetation in six intensively studied watersheds. The beaver population of the Porcupine Hills region of SW-Alberta is believed to depend upon the chinooks. During the 1971 ground census, a total of 60 active beaver colonies were tallied on the 930 square kilometers large study area. The beaver of the region were not found to store large food caches during fall and winter, however, they are believed to collect feed periodically throughout the winter months. It was observed that the severe winter in 1968-69, reduced by 27 per cent the number of active beaver colonies within the study area. The Porcupine Hills region had 0.07 beaver colony per square kilometer in 1971, a low density of beaver colonies due to the rough topography of the area. However, the importance of the beaver ponds was somewhat clarified as they provide increased moisture, which lessens the fire damage, and store water for wildlife and cattle in the area. Meteorological data was collected by the author in collaboration with the Department of Transport.

The principal in the high school: effectiveness in a climate of sharing

This pilot study developed a climate instrument which was administered in a sample of high schools in one board of education. Several tests were conducted i n order to determine the reliability and internal consistency of the instrument . The ability of the instrument to identify the demographic differences of school and gender was also tested. The relationship between leadership styles and an effective use of authority in creating a productive and rewarding work environment was the f ocus of t his study. Attitudes to leadership and perceived school morale were investigated in a demographic study, a climate survey, as well as a body of related literature. In light of the empirical research, an attempt was made to determine the extent to which the authority figure's behaviour and adopted leadership style contributed to a positive school climate : one in which t eachers were motivated to achieve to t he best of their abilities by way of their commitment and service. The tone of authority assumed by t he leader not only shapes the mood of the school environment but ultimately determines the efficiency and morale of t he teaching staff.

An investigation on the effects of Ag addition in the powder — in tube processing of long multifilamentary (Bi,Pb) - 2223/Ag superconducting tapes

It is important that long superconducting tape must have desired strain tolerance (less reduction of Jc with applied strains) and stress tolerance (less reduction of JC in applied stresses) for its use as coils and magnets. Ag addition to the BPSCCO system has many advantages with its physical and chemical inertness to the system, reduces the processing temperature, and promotes the grain growth, grain alignment and connectivity. All these not only enhance the critical current density of the tapes but also improve the mechanical properties. But the published results show very much scattering on the type of Ag additive to be selected, method of addition and its optimum percentage. Also there are some negative reports in this regard. The present work has been undertaken to study the effect of silver addition in different forms (Ag powder, Ag2O, AgNO3) on the superconducting and mechanical properties of (Bi,Pb)-2223/Ag tapes and to find out a suitable form of Ag additive and its optimum percentage to have better superconducting and mechanical properties. Also it is the aim of the present work is to optimise the process parameters needed to prepare (Bi,Pb)-2223/Ag multifilamentary tapes of length ~ 12 m in solenoid and pancake coil forms with good critical current density and homogeneity of J C along the length of the tapes.

Study of chemical properties and evaluation of collagen in mantle, epidermal connective tissue and tentacle of Indian Squid, Loligo duvauceli Orbigny

The chemical composition and evaluation of Indian squid (Loligo duvauceli) mantle, epidermal connective tissue and tentacle is investigated in this current study. It is observed that squid mantle contains 22.2% total protein; 63.5% of the total protein is myofibrillar protein. The unique property of squid myofibrillar protein is its water solubility. Squid mantle contains 12.0% total collagen. Epidermal connective tissue has highest amounts of total collagen (17.8%). SDS-PAGE of total collagen identified high molecular weight α-, β- and γ- sub-chains. Amino acid profile analysis indicates that mantle and tentacle contain essential amino acids. Arginine forms a major portion of mantle collagen (272.5 g/100 g N). Isoleucine, glutamic acid and lysine are other amino acids that are found in significantly high amounts in the mantle. Sulphur containing cystine is deficit in mantle collagen. Papain digest of mantle and epidermal connective tissue is rich in uronic acid, while papain digest, collagenase digest and urea digest of epidermal connective tissue has significant amounts of sialic acid (25.2, 33.2 and 99.8 μmol /100 g, respectively). PAS staining of papain digest, collagenase digest and urea digest also identify the association of hexoses with low molecular weight collagen fragments. Histochemical sectioning also emphasized the localized distribution of collagen in epidermal and dermal region and very sparse fibres traverse the myotome bundles

Impact on Policy Responses to Food Price Crisis and Rural Food Security in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka policy responses have direct impacts on rural dwellers. Over 80% of Sri Lanka’s population live in rural areas and 90% of them represent low income dwellers. Their production system may be hampered by fragmented landholding, poor economics of scale, low investment levels resulting from poor financial services as well as inappropriate or limited technology. They are vulnerable to price hikes of basic foods and food security issues due to fragmented landholding and poor financial services. Policy measures to reduce the transmission of higher international prices in domestic markets exist to protect the food security of the vulnerable population. This paper will discuss the food policy and strategies implemented by the government and outside to the above facts this paper also describes the effectiveness of the policies forwarded by the government. The objective of this study is to analyse the impact of policy responses to the food price crisis and rural food security in Sri Lanka. Outside of the above facts this study also treats the impact of policies and decisions on the nutritional condition of rural dwellers. Furthermore this study is to analyse the fluctuation of buying power with the price hikes and the relation of above facts with issues like malnutrition. This paper discusses why policy makers should pay greater attention to rural dwellers and describes the multiple pathways through which food price increases have on rural people. It also provides evidence of the impact of this crisis in particular, through hidden hunger, and discusses how current policy responses should adjust and improve to protect the rural dwellers in the short and long term.

Opportunities and constraints of peri-urban buffalo and dairy cattle systems in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan

In the big cities of Pakistan, peri-urban dairy production plays an important role for household income generation and the supply of milk and meat to the urban population. On the other hand, milk production in general, and peri-urban dairy production in particular, faces numerous problems that have been well known for decades. Peri-urban dairy producers have been especially neglected by politicians as well as non-government-organizations (NGOs). Against this background, a study in Pakistan’s third largest city, Faisalabad (Punjab Province), was carried out with the aims of gathering basic information, determining major constraints and identifying options for improvements of the peri-urban milk production systems. For data collection, 145 peri-urban households (HH) engaged in dairy production were interviewed face to face using a structured and pretested questionnaire with an interpreter. For analyses, HH were classified into three wealth groups according to their own perception. Thus, 38 HH were poor, 95 HH well off and 12 HH rich (26.2%, 65.5% and 8.3%, respectively). The richer the respondents perceived their HH, the more frequently they were actually in possession of high value HH assets like phones, bank accounts, motorbikes, tractors and cars. Although there was no difference between the wealth groups with respect to the number of HH members (about 10, range: 1 to 23), the educational level of the HH heads differed significantly: on average, heads of poor HH had followed education for 3 years, compared to 6 years for well off HH and 8 years for rich HH. About 40% of the poor and well off HH also had off-farm incomes, while the percentage was much higher - two thirds (67%) - for the rich HH. The majority of the HH were landless (62%); the rest (55 HH) possessed agricultural land from 0.1 to 10.1 ha (average 2.8 ha), where they were growing green fodder: maize, sorghum and pearl millet in summer; berseem, sugar cane and wheat were grown in winter. Dairy animals accounted for about 60% of the herds; the number of dairy animals per HH ranged from 2 to 50 buffaloes (Nili-Ravi breed) and from 0 to 20 cows (mostly crossbred, also Sahiwal). About 37% (n=54) of the HH did not keep cattle. About three quarters of the dairy animals were lactating. The majority of the people taking care of the animals were family workers; 17.3% were hired labourers (exclusively male), employed by 11 rich and 32 well off HH; none of the poor HH employed workers, but the percentages were 33.7% for the well off and 91.7% for the rich HH. The total number of workers increased significantly with increasing wealth (poor: 2.0; well off:2.5; rich: 3.4). Overall, 69 female labourers were recorded, making up 16.8% of employed workers and one fourth of the HH’s own labourers. Apparently, their only duty was to clean the animals´ living areas; only one of them was also watering and showering the animals. Poor HH relied more on female workers than the other two groups: 27.1% of the workers of poor HH were women, but only 14.8% and 6.8% of the labour force of well off and rich HH were female. Two thirds (70%) of the HH sold milk to dhodis (middlemen) and one third (35%) to neighbours; three HH (2%) did doorstep delivery and one HH (1%) had its own shop. The 91 HH keeping both species usually sold mixed milk (97%). Clients for mixed and pure buffalo milk were dhodis (78%, respectively 59%) and neighbours (28%, respectively 47%). The highest milk prices per liter (Pakistani Rupees, 100 PKR @ 0.8 Euro) were paid by alternative clients (44 PKR; 4 HH), followed by neighbours (40 PKR, 50 HH); dhodis paid lower prices (36 PKR, 99 HH). Prices for pure buffalo and mixed milk did not differ significantly. However, HH obtaining the maximum price from the respective clients for the respective type of milk got between 20% (mixed milk, alternative clients) and 68% (mixed milk, dhodi) more than HH fetching the minimum price. Some HH (19%) reported 7% higher prices for the current summer than the preceding winter. Amount of milk sold and distance from the HH to the city center did not influence milk prices. Respondents usually named problems that directly affected their income and that were directly and constantly visible to them, such as high costs, little space and fodder shortages. Other constraints that are only influencing their income indirectly, e.g. the relatively low genetic potential of their animals due to neglected breeding as well as the short- and long-term health problems correlated with imbalanced feeding and insufficient health care, were rarely named. The same accounts for problems accompanying improper dung management (storage, disposal, burning instead of recycling) for the environment and human health. Most of the named problems are linked to each other and should be addressed within the context of the entire system. Therefore, further research should focus on systematic investigations and improvement options, taking a holistic and interdisciplinary approach instead of only working in single fields. Concerted efforts of dairy farmers, researchers, NGOs and political decision makers are necessary to create an economic, ecological and social framework that allows dairy production to serve the entire society. For this, different improvement options should be tested in terms of their impact on environment and income of the farmers, as well as feasibility and sustainability in the peri-urban zones of Faisalabad.

Differential expression of mRNAs encoding co-receptor (betaglycan) and activin type-I preovulatory and prehierarchical follicles of the putative inhibin and type-II receptors in the laying hen ovary

Ovarian follicle development is primarily regulated by an interplay between the pituitary gonadotrophins, LH and FSH, and ovary-derived steroids. Increasing evidence implicates regulatory roles of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) superfamily members, including inhibins and activins. The aim of this study was to identify the expression of mRNAs encoding key receptors of the inhibin/activin system in ovarian follicles ranging from 4 mm in diameter to the dominant F1 follicle (similar to 40 turn). Ovaries were collected (n=16) from inid-sequence hens maintained on a long-day photoschedule (16h of light:8 h of darkness). All follicles removed were dissected into individual granulosa and thecal layers. RNA was extracted and cDNA synthesized. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to quantify the expression of niRNA encoding betaglycan, activin receptor (ActR) subtypes (type-I, -IIA and -IIB) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH); receptor expression data were normalized to GAPDH expression. Detectable levels of ActRI, -IIA and -IIB and the inhibin co-receptor (betaglycan) expression were found in all granulosa and thecal layers analysed. Granulosa ActRI mRNA peaked (P < 0(.)05) in 8-9(.)9 mm follicles, whereas ActRIIA rose significantly from 6-7(.)9 mm to 8-9(.)9 nun, before filling to F3/2; levels then rose sharply (3-fold) to F1 levels. Granulosa betaglycan niRNA expression rose 3-fold from 4-5(.)9 min to 8-9(.)9 mm, before falling 4-fold to F3/2; levels then rose sharply (4-fold) to F1 levels. ActRIIB levels did not vary significantly during follicular development. Thecal ActRI mRNA expression was similar from 4-7(.)9 mm then decreased significantly to a nadir at the F4 position, before increasing 2-fold to the F1 (P < 0(.)05). Although thecal ActRIIB and -IIA expression did not vary significantly from 4 nim to F3, ActRIIB expression increased significantly (2-fold) from F3 to F1 and ActIIA, increased 22-fold from F2 to F1 (P < 0(.)05). Thecal betaglycan fell to a nadir at F6 after follicle selection; levels then increased significantly to F2, before filling similar to 50% in the F I. In all follicles studied expression of betaglycan and ActRI (granulosa: 1-0(.)65, P < 0-001, n=144/group; theca: r=0(.)49, P < 0-001, n=144/group) was well correlated. No significant correlations were identified between betaglycan and ActRIIA or -IIB. Considering all follicles analysed, granulosa mRNA expression of betaglycan, ActRI ActRIIA and ActRIIB were all significantly lower than in corresponding thecal tissue (betaglycan, 11(.)4-fold; ActRIIB, 5(.)1-fold; ActR(.) 3-8-fold: ActRIIA, 2(.)8-fold). The co-localization of type-I and -II activin receptors and betaglycan on granulosa and thecal cells are consistent with a local auto/paracrine role of inhibins and activins in modulating ovarian follicle development, selection and progression in the domestic fowl.