Oligoclonal expansions in the CD8(+)CD28(-) T cells largely explain the shorter telomeres detected in this subset: analysis by flow FISH.

We have previously reported that CD8(+)CD28(-) T cells have relatively shorter telomeres compared with CD8(+)CD28(+) T cells. Oligoclonal expansion is a common feature of CD8(+) T cells in human peripheral blood, and these expansions predominantly occur in the CD57(+)/CD28(-) population. We studied the telomere length in subsets of CD8(+) T cells using quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization and flow cytometry (flow FISH). Our results confirm that CD8(+)CD28(-) T cells have shorter telomeres as compared with their CD28(+) counterpart cells. In addition, the oligoclonally expanded cells within the CD8(+)CD28(-) T cell subset generally have even shorter telomeres than the CD28(-) subset as a whole. We conclude that the presence of clonal expansions in the CD8(+)CD28(-) T cell population largely explain the shorter telomeres in this subset. These clonally expanded CD8(+)CD28(-) T cells generally have characteristics of terminally differentiated effector cells. Nevertheless, there is considerable individual variation in the degree of telomere shortening in these cells, which may reflect host genetic factors as well as the type and timing of the antigenic exposure.

Myxobolus insignis sp. n. (Myxozoa, Myxosporea, Myxobolidae), a parasite of the Amazonian teleost fish Semaprochilodus insignis (Osteichthyes, Prochilodontidae)

A new myxosporean species is described from the fish Semaprochilodus insignis captured from the Amazon River, near Manaus. Myxobolus insignis sp. n. was located in the gills of the host forming plasmodia inside the secondary gill lamellae. The spores had a thick wall (1.5-2 µm) all around their body, and the valves were symmetrical and smooth. The spores were a little longer than wide, with rounded extremities, in frontal view, and oval in lateral view. They were 14.5 (14-15) µm long by 11.3 (11-12) µm wide and 7.8 (7-8) µm thick. Some spores showed the presence of a triangular thickening of the internal face of the wall near the posterior end of the polar capsules. This thickening could occur in one of the sides of the spore or in both sides. The polar capsules were large and equal in size surpassing the midlength of the spore. They were oval with the posterior extremity rounded, and converging anteriorly with tapered ends. They were 7.6 (7-8) µm long by 4.2 (3-5) µm wide, and the polar filament formed 6 coils slightly obliquely to the axis of the polar capsule. An intercapsular appendix was present. There was no mucous envelope or distinct iodinophilous vacuole.

Dementia Care Services UK Market Briefing 2009

This brand new market briefing adds to the growing national debate on the future of dementia care services, making use of a unique and extensive L&B survey (2008) of over 6,000 care homes in the UK which provide care for people with dementia. It builds on the findings of the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia UK report (2007) and the national strategy for dementia Living Well with Dementia (2009) to identify market opportunities and provide essential guidance and information with regard to planning and developing new and existing services.Key issues, facts and figures highlighted in the report include:Dementia care is a multi-billion pound market in the UK and this market is set to grow considerably.��Dementia care in care homes dominates the sector in terms of current market value.��The use of dementia home care – though significantly smaller than the equivalent market in care homes – is set to rise markedly in the future.A significant proportion of residents for whom dementia is a known cause of admission are receiving care in settings which are not dedicated to dementia care.The new national dementia strategy for England, Living Well with Dementia should provide the strongest impetus yet for growth in the market for specialist dementia care.Growing awareness surrounding inappropriate use of anti-psychotic drugs on people with dementia in care homes may have a major operational impact on some homes if controls are increased and could substantially increase costs.Despite evidence of increasing dementia specialisation, there are, as yet, no organisations to emerge with full service dementia expertise and integrated care pathways.The supply of dedicated dementia services varies dramatically by region and locality, reflecting local and regional priorities and commissioning strategies.The design and layout of care homes for people with dementia is key and there is an increasing consensus around what constitutes best practice and ‘dementia friendly design’ .Care home fees for dementia are generally higher than fees for frail elderly residents.The report is essential reading for senior executives and managers within any organisation committed to, or considering involvement in, the dementia care sector, including for-profit, 'third sector' and public sector agencies.For further information, please contact:��Market ReportsTel.��020 7833 9123 orEmail��info@laingbuisson.co.uk��Download Full Brochure including Order Form��Download Contents and Tables�� Featured item on home page:��no��

Neocucullanus neocucullanus Travassos, Artigas et Pereira, 1928 (Nematoda: Cucullanidae) from the Characidae fish, Brycon hilarii Valenciennes, 1850, from Brazil

During investigation on the helminth parasites from Brycon hilarii Valenciennes, 1850 (Characiformes, Characidae), from River Juba, Tangará da Serra, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, several specimens of the nematode Neocucullanus Travassos, Artigas et Pereira, 1928 were detected. A detailed study of this material, including scanning electron microscopy, allowed to identify these nematodes as N. neocucullanus Travassos, Artigas et Pereira, 1928 and to confirm N. multipapillatus Petter, 1989 as a junior synonym of N. neocucullanus.

Blood lipid and lipoprotein concentrations and colorectal cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition

Objective To examine the association between serum concentrations of total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein A-I (apoA), apolipoprotein B and the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC). Design Nested case–control study. Setting The study was conducted within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), a cohort of more than 520 000 participants from 10 western European countries. Participants 1238 cases of incident CRC, which developed after enrolment into the cohort, were matched with 1238 controls for age, sex, centre, follow-up time, time of blood collection and fasting status. Main outcome measures Serum concentrations were quantitatively determined by colorimetric and turbidimetric methods. Dietary and lifestyle data were obtained from questionnaires. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs which were adjusted for height, weight, smoking habits, physical activity, education, consumption of fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, alcohol, fibre and energy. Results After adjustments, the concentrations of HDL and apoA were inversely associated with the risk of colon cancer (RR for 1 SD increase of 16.6 mg/dl in HDL and 32.0 mg/dl in apoA of 0.78 (95% CI 0.68 to 0.89) and 0.82 (95% CI 0.72 to 0.94), respectively). No association was observed with the risk of rectal cancer. Additional adjustment for biomarkers of systemic inflammation, insulin resistance and oxidative stress or exclusion of the first 2 years of follow-up did not influence the association between HDL and risk of colon cancer. Conclusions These findings show that high concentrations of serum HDL are associated with a decreased risk of colon cancer. The mechanism behind this association needs further elucidation.

Using problem-based learning for introducing producer theory and market structure in intermediate microeconomics

This paper shows how instructors can use the problem‐based learning method to introduce producer theory and market structure in intermediate microeconomics courses. The paper proposes a framework where different decision problems are presented to students, who are asked to imagine that they are the managers of a firm who need to solve a problem in a particular business setting. In this setting, the instructors’ role isto provide both guidance to facilitate student learning and content knowledge on a just‐in‐time basis

Fine structure of Henneguya hemiodopsis sp. n. (Myxozoa), a parasite of the gills of the Brazilian teleostean fish Hemiodopsis microlepes (Hemiodontidae)

A fish-infecting myxosporean, Henneguya hemiodopsis sp. n., found infecting the gills of Hemiodopsis microlepis and collected from the Poty River near the city of Teresina, Brazil, was described based on ultrastructural studies. The parasite occurred within large whitish polysporic plasmodia (up to 200 μm in diameter) containing asynchronous developmental sporogonic stages, mainly mature spores. The spores measured 19.7 ± 0.9 μm in total length (n = 30) and the ellipsoidal spore body was 10.8 ± 0.5 μm long, 3.3 ± 0.4 μm wide and 2.5 ± 0.5 μm thick. The spores were composed of two equal shell valves adhering together along the straight suture line, with each valve having equal-sized caudal tapering tails measuring 8.7 ± 0.6 μm in length. The spores were surrounded by a thin anastomosed network of microfibrils, more evident on the tails. There were two symmetric elongated bottle-like polar capsules 3.5 ± 0.3 μm long and 1.0 ± 0.2 μm wide, each with a polar filament with five to six coils. Given the morphological and ultrastructural differences from previously described parasites and the specificity of the host species, we propose a new species, named H. hemiodopsis sp. n.

Spinitectus osorioi (Nematoda: Cystidicolidae) in the Mexican endemic fish Atherinella alvarezi (Atherinopsidae) from the Atlantic River drainage system in Chiapas, Southern Mexico

Specimens of Spinitectus osorioi Choudhury and Pérez-Ponce de León, an intestinal nematode species previously considered to be specific to Chirostoma spp and endemic to some lakes in the Pacific drainage in Michoacán, were collected from the freshwater fish Atherinella alvarezi (Díaz-Pardo) (Atherinopsidae) of the Michol River near Palenque, Chiapas, Southern Mexico, which belongs to the Atlantic drainage system. Studies using light and scanning electron microscopy revealed some taxonomically important, previously unreported or erroneously reported features of S. osorioi, such as the location of the vulva, the actual number and distribution of postanal papillae and phasmids and the presence of a short median cuticular ridge anterior to the cloacal opening (in addition to two long subventral ridges). The recorded somewhat shorter spicules (420-465 and 105-111 μm) and mostly smaller eggs (33-36 × 18-20 μm) as compared to the original species description may be due to a different type of host, geographical region or generally smaller body measurements of these specimens. These biometrical differences are considered to be within the limits of the intraspecific variability of S. osorioi. A key to species of Spinitectus parasitizing freshwater fishes in Mexico is provided.

The allometry of non-employment. What can compositional data analysis tell us about labour market performance across the UK's regions?

The low levels of unemployment recorded in the UK in recent years are widely cited asevidence of the country’s improved economic performance, and the apparent convergence of unemployment rates across the country’s regions used to suggest that the longstanding divide in living standards between the relatively prosperous ‘south’ and the more depressed ‘north’ has been substantially narrowed. Dissenters from theseconclusions have drawn attention to the greatly increased extent of non-employment(around a quarter of the UK’s working age population are not in employment) and themarked regional dimension in its distribution across the country. Amongst these dissenters it is generally agreed that non-employment is concentrated amongst oldermales previously employed in the now very much smaller ‘heavy’ industries (e.g. coal,steel, shipbuilding).This paper uses the tools of compositiona l data analysis to provide a much richer picture of non-employment and one which challenges the conventional analysis wisdom about UK labour market performance as well as the dissenters view of the nature of theproblem. It is shown that, associated with the striking ‘north/south’ divide in nonemployment rates, there is a statistically significant relationship between the size of the non-employment rate and the composition of non-employment. Specifically, it is shown that the share of unemployment in non-employment is negatively correlated with the overall non-employment rate: in regions where the non-employment rate is high the share of unemployment is relatively low. So the unemployment rate is not a very reliable indicator of regional disparities in labour market performance. Even more importantly from a policy viewpoint, a significant positive relationship is found between the size ofthe non-employment rate and the share of those not employed through reason of sicknessor disability and it seems (contrary to the dissenters) that this connection is just as strong for women as it is for men

Insights into shallow magmatic processes in large silicic magma bodies: the trace element record in the Fish Canyon magma body, Colorado

Highly evolved rhyolite glass plus near-solidus mineral assemblages in voluminous, dacitic, crystal-rich ignimbrites provide an opportunity to evaluate the late magmatic evolution of granodiorite batholiths. This study reports laser-ablation ICP-MS analyses of trace element concentrations in feldspars, hornblende, biotite, titanite, zircon, magnetite, and interstitial glass of the crystal-rich Fish Canyon Tuff. The high-silica rhyolite glass is characterized by relatively high concentrations of feldspar-compatible elements (e.g., 100 ppm Sr and 500 ppm Ba) and low concentrations of Y (< 7 ppm) and HREE (&SIM; 1 ppm Yb), hence high LREE/HREE (Ce/Yb > 40) compared to many well-studied high-silica rhyolite glasses and whole-rock compositions. Most minerals record some trace element heterogeneities, with, in particular, one large hornblende phenocryst showing four- to six-fold core-to-rim increases in Sr and Ba coupled with a decrease in Sc. The depletions of Y and HREE in the Fish Canyon glass relative to the whole-rock composition (concentrations in glass &SIM; 30% of those in whole rocks) reflect late crystallization of phases wherein these elements were compatible. As garnet is not stable at the low-P conditions at which the Fish Canyon magma crystallized, we show that a combination of modally abundant hornblende (&SIM; 4%) + titanite (&SIM; 0.5-1%) and the highly polymerized nature of the rhyolitic liquid led to Y and HREE depletions in melt. Relatively high Sr and Ba contents in glass and rimward Sr and Ba increases in euhedral, concentrically zoned hornblende suggest partial feldspar dissolution and a late release of these elements to the melt as hornblende was crystallizing, in agreement with textural evidence for feldspar (and quartz) resorption. Both observations are consistent with thermal rejuvenation of the magma body prior to eruption, during which the proportion of melt increased via feldspar and quartz dissolution, even as hydrous and accessory phases were crystallizing. Sr/Y in Fish Canyon glass (13-18) is lower than the typical ``adakitic'' value (> 40), confirming that high Sr/Y is a reliable indicator of high-pressure magma generation and/or differentiation wherein garnet is implicated.

Light and electron microscopy of Myxobolus sciades n. sp. (Myxozoa), a parasite of the gills of the Brazilian fish Sciades herzbergii (Block, 1794) (Teleostei: Ariidae)

A myxosporean parasite in the gill lamellae of the freshwater teleost fish, Sciades herzbergii (Ariidae) (Block, 1794), from the Poti River (Northeast of Brazil) was described by light and electron microscopy studies. Polysporic histozoic cyst-like plasmodia containing several life-cycle stages, including mature spores, were observed. The spores were pyriform and uninucleate, measuring 9.15 ± 0.39 μm (n = 50) long, 4.36 ± 0.23 μm (n = 25) wide and 2.61 ± 0.31 μm (n = 25) thick. Elongated pyriform polar capsules (PC) were of equal size (4.44 ± 0.41 μm long and 1.41 ± 0.42 μm in diameter) and each contained a polar filament with 9-10 coils obliquely arranged in relation to the axis of PC. The PC wall was composed of two layers of different electron densities. Histological analysis revealed the close contact of the cyst-like plasmodia with the basal portion of the epithelial gill layer, which exhibited some alterations in the capillary vessels. Based on the morphological and ultrastructural differences, the similarity of the spore features to those of the genus Myxobolus and the specificity of this host to previously described species, we describe a new species named Myxobolus sciades n. sp. in this study.