Interaction strengths in food webs: issues and opportunities

1. Recent efforts to understand how the patterning of interaction strength affects both structure and dynamics in food webs have highlighted several obstacles to productive synthesis. Issues arise with respect to goals and driving questions, methods and approaches, and placing results in the context of broader ecological theory.

Cystic fibrosis research in allied health and nursing professions

This report is the result of the "Allied Health and Nursing Professions Working Group" meeting which took place in Verona, Italy, November 2009, which was organised by the European Cystic Fibrosis Society, and involved 32 experts. The meeting was designed to provide a "roadmap" of high priority research questions that can be addressed by Allied Health Professionals (AHP) and nursing. The other goal was to identify research skills that would be beneficial to AHP and nursing researchers and would ultimately improve the research capacity and capability of these professions. The following tasks were accomplished: 1) a Delphi survey was used to identify high priority research areas and themes, 2) common research designs used in AHP and nursing research were evaluated in terms of their strengths and weaknesses, 3) methods for assessing the clinimetric and psychometric properties, as well as feasibility, of relevant outcome measures were reviewed, and 4) a common skill set for AHPs and nurses undertaking clinical research was agreed on and will guide the planning of future research opportunities. This report has identified important areas and themes for future research which include: adherence; physical activity/exercise; nutritional interventions; interventions for the newborn with CF and evaluation of outcome measures for use in AHP and nursing research. It has highlighted the significant challenges AHPs and nurses experience in conducting clinical research, and proposes strategies to overcome these challenges. It is hoped that this report will encourage research initiatives that assess the efficacy/effectiveness of AHP and nursing interventions in order to improve the evidence base. This should increase the quality of research conducted by these professions, justify services they currently provide, and expand their skills in new areas, with the ultimate goal of improving care for patients with CF.

Detecting sequence dependent transcriptional pauses from RNA and protein number time series

Background: Evidence suggests that in prokaryotes sequence-dependent transcriptional pauses a?ect the dynamics of transcription and translation, as well as of small genetic circuits. So far, a few pause-prone sequences have been identi?ed from in vitro measurements of transcription elongation kinetics.

Results: Using a stochastic model of gene expression at the nucleotide and codon levels with realistic parameter values, we investigate three di?erent but related questions and present statistical methods for their analysis. First, we show that information from in vivo RNA and protein temporal numbers is su?cient to discriminate between models with and without a pause site in their coding sequence. Second, we demonstrate that it is possible to separate a large variety of models from each other with pauses of various durations and locations in the template by means of a hierarchical clustering and a random forest classi?er. Third, we introduce an approximate likelihood function that allows to estimate the location of a pause site.

Conclusions: This method can aid in detecting unknown pause-prone sequences from temporal measurements of RNA and protein numbers at a genome-wide scale and thus elucidate possible roles that these sequences play in the dynamics of genetic networks and phenotype.

Oxidative dehydrogenation of propane with N2O over Fe-ZSM-5 and Fe-SiO2: Influence of the iron species and acid sites

A series of iron containing zeolites with varying Si/Al ratios (11.5-140) and low iron content (similar to 0.9 wt.% Fe) have been synthesised by solid-state ion exchange with commercially available zeolites and tested, for the first time, in the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (ODHP) with N2O. The samples were characterised by XRD, N-2-Adsorption, NH3-TPD and DR-UV-vis spectroscopy. The acidity of the Fe-ZSM-5 can be controlled by high temperature and steam treatments and Si/Al ratio. The selectivity and yield of propene were found to be the highest over Fe-ZSM-5 with low Al contents and reduced acidity. The initial propene yield over Fe-ZSM-5 was significantly higher than that of Fe-SiO2 since the presence of weak and/or medium acid sites together with oligonuclear iron species and iron oxides on the ZSM-5 are found to enhance the N2O activation. The coking of Fe-ZSM-5 catalysts could also be controlled by reduction of the surface acidity of ZSM-5 and by the use of O-2 in addition to N2O as the oxidant. Fe-ZSM-5 zeolites prepared with solid-state method have been shown to have comparable activity and better stability towards coking compared with Fe-ZSM-5 zeolites prepared by liquid ion exchange and hydrothermal synthesis methods. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Developing an integrated hydrograph separation and lumped modelling approach to quantifying hydrological pathways in Irish river catchments

An appreciation of the quantity of streamflow derived from the main hydrological pathways involved in transporting diffuse contaminants is critical when addressing a wide range of water resource management issues. In order to assess hydrological pathway contributions to streams, it is necessary to provide feasible upper and lower bounds for flows in each pathway. An important first step in this process is to provide reliable estimates of the slower responding groundwater pathways and subsequently the quicker overland and interflow pathways. This paper investigates the effectiveness of a multi-faceted approach applying different hydrograph separation techniques, supplemented by lumped hydrological modelling, for calculating the Baseflow Index (BFI), for the development of an integrated approach to hydrograph separation. A semi-distributed, lumped and deterministic rainfall runoff model known as NAM has been applied to ten catchments (ranging from 5 to 699 km2). While this modelling approach is useful as a validation method, NAM itself is also an important tool for investigation. These separation techniques provide a large variation in BFI, a difference of 0.741 predicted for BFI in a catchment with the less reliable fixed and sliding interval methods and local minima turning point methods included. This variation is reduced to 0.167 with these methods omitted. The Boughton and Eckhardt algorithms, while quite subjective in their use, provide quick and easily implemented approaches for obtaining physically realistic hydrograph separations. It is observed that while the different separation techniques give varying BFI values for each of the catchments, a recharge coefficient approach developed in Ireland, when applied in conjunction with the Master recession Curve Tabulation method, predict estimates in agreement with those obtained using the NAM model, and these estimates are also consistent with the study catchments’ geology. These two separation methods, in conjunction with the NAM model, were selected to form an integrated approach to assessing BFI in catchments.

Investigation of the Human Brain Metabolome to Identify Potential Markers for Early Diagnosis and Therapeutic Targets of Alzheimer’s Disease

A study combining high resolution mass spectrometry (liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry, UPLC-QTof-MS) and chemometrics for the analysis of post-mortem brain tissue from subjects with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (n = 15) and healthy age-matched controls (n = 15) was undertaken. The huge potential of this metabolomics approach for distinguishing AD cases is underlined by the correct prediction of disease status in 94–97% of cases. Predictive power was confirmed in a blind test set of 60 samples, reaching 100% diagnostic accuracy. The approach also indicated compounds significantly altered in concentration following the onset of human AD. Using orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), a multivariate model was created for both modes of acquisition explaining the maximum amount of variation between sample groups (Positive Mode-R2 = 97%; Q2 = 93%; root mean squared error of validation (RMSEV) = 13%; Negative Mode-R2 = 99%; Q2 = 92%; RMSEV = 15%). In brain extracts, 1264 and 1457 ions of interest were detected for the different modes of acquisition (positive and negative, respectively). Incorporation of gender into the model increased predictive accuracy and decreased RMSEV values. High resolution UPLC-QTof-MS has not previously been employed to biochemically profile post-mortem brain tissue, and the novel methods described and validated herein prove its potential for making new discoveries related to the etiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of degenerative brain disorders.

Environmental tobacco smoke exposure and eye disease

Aim: To undertake a systematic review of the literature on the effect of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and eye disease. Methods: Medline (1950-January Week 2 2007), EMBASE (1980 to 2007 Week 07), SCOPUS and Science Direct were searched on ETS exposure and eye disease using various combinations of the following terms: passive smoking, environmental tobacco smoke, sidestream smoke, involuntary smoking, secondhand smoke; with eye, conjunctiva, sclera, episclera, cornea, lens, iris, retina, choroid, uvea, optic nerve, uveitis, iritis, blindness, visual loss, cataract, thyroid eye disease, conjunctivitis, age-related macular degeneration, dry eye, tears. The above terms were also used to search abstracts published on The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting abstracts, from 1995 to 2006, and the grey literature, including PhD and MSc theses/dissertations. A search was further conducted specifically on eye diseases where active smoking has been proposed to be a risk factor, including age-related macular degeneration, Graves ophthalmology, glaucoma, uveitis, refractive errors, strabismus, tobacco-alcohol amblyopia, non-arteritic ischaemic optic neuropathy, Leber optic neuropathy and diabetic retinopathy. Given the scarce number of studies found through the above search, all articles found on ETS and eye disease were included in this review. Results: Seven studies evaluated the possible relationship between ETS and an eye disease. These studies referred to refractive errors in children (n = 2), cataract (n = 1), age-related macular degeneration (n = 3) and Grave ophthalmopathy (n = 1). The data available were insufficient to establish conclusive relationships between ETS and these eye diseases. Conclusion: Very scarce data exist in the literature on the effect of ETS on diseases of the eye. It seems appropriate that ETS should be included in future studies addressing the effect of smoking on eye disease.

School-based counseling using systematic feedback: A cohort study evaluating outcomes and predictors of change

The outcomes of school-based counseling incorporating the Partners for Change Outcome Monitoring System (PCOMS) were evaluated using a cohort design, with multilevel modeling to identify predictors of change. Participants were 288 7-11 year olds experiencing social, emotional or behavioral difficulties. The intervention was associated with significant reductions in psychological distress, with a pre-post effect size (d) of 1.49 on the primary outcome measure and 88.7% clinical improvement. Greater improvements were found for disabled children, older children, and where CBT methods were used. The findings provide support for the use of systematic feedback in therapy with children.

Limbal stem cell deficiency:Concept, aetiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and management

Defects in renewal and repair of ocular surface as a result of limbal stem cell deficiency are now known to cause varying ocular, surface morbidity including persistent photophobia, repeated and persistent surface breakdown and overt conjunctivalisation of the cornea. Ocular conditions with abnormalities of ocular surface repair include pterygium, limbal tumours, aniridia, severe scarring following burns, cicatricial pemphigoid and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, sequelae of mustard gas exposure and Herpes simplex epithelial disease, radiation keratopathy, contact lens induced keratopathy, neuroparalytic keratitis and drug toxicity. Restoring ocular health in these eyes has traditionally been frustrating. An understanding of these intricate cell renewal and maintenance processes has spurred the evolution in recent years of new treatment methods for several blinding diseases of the anterior segment; many more exciting modalities are in the offing. However, there is inadequate awareness among ophthalmologists about the current principles of management of ocular surface disorders. The purpose of this article is to help elucidate the important principles and current treatment methods relevant to ocular surface disorders.

Agreement between clinical and ultrasound biomicroscopy findings in different types of glaucoma

Purpose. To evaluate agreement between clinical examination (slit lamp examination and gonioscopy) and ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) in characterizing various features of the anterior chamber angle and adjacent structures. Methods. Twenty-eight patients (51 eyes) with open angle glaucoma (14), closed angle glaucoma (4), narrow angle and/or plateau iris (10), who had undergone UBM between March 94 and September 95 were studied. Evaluated parameters included angle width, iris configuration and presence of angle closure. The UBMs were reviewed in a masked fashion. Results. In 87.8% of cases there was agreement (within 10 degrees) between gonioscopic and UBM estimates of angle width. In all cases with greater than 10 degrees difference (12.2%) the angle size estimated by UBM was less than that estimated clinically. Iris configuration was graded identically in 51% of cases; the majority of disagreements (76.1%) occurred in cases graded as "regular" by gonioscopy and as "steep" by UBM. Angle closure was judged to be present more frequently by UBM. Conclusions. UBM and gonioscopy do not necessarily yield identical values for angle width, iris configuration, and presence of angle closure.

Development and Validation of a PulseNet Standardized Protocol for Subtyping Isolates of Cronobacter Species

Cronobacter (formerly known as Enterobacter sakazakii) is a genus comprising seven species regarded as opportunistic pathogens that can be found in a wide variety of environments and foods, including powdered infant formula (PIF). Cronobacter sakazakii, the major species of this genus, has been epidemiologically linked to cases of bacteremia, meningitis in neonates, and necrotizing enterocolitis, and contaminated PIF has been identified as an important source of infection. Robust and reproducible subtyping methods are required to aid in the detection and investigation, of foodborne outbreaks. In this study, a pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) protocol was developed and validated for subtyping Cronobacter species. It was derived from an existing modified PulseNet protocol, wherein XbaI and SpeI were the primary and secondary restriction enzymes used, generating an average of 14.7 and 20.3 bands, respectively. The PFGE method developed was both reproducible and discriminatory for subtyping Cronobacter species.

Biphenyl dioxygenase-catalysed cis-dihydroxylation of tricyclic azaarenes: chemoenzymatic synthesis of arene oxide metabolites and furoquinoline alkaloids

Biotransformation of acridine, dictamnine and 4-chlorofuro[2,3-b]quinolone, using whole cells of Sphingomonas yanoikuyae B8/36, yielded five enantiopure cyclic cis-dihydrodiols, from biphenyl dioxygenase-catalysed dihydroxylation of the carbocyclic rings. cis-Dihydroxylation of the furan ring in dictamnine and 4-chlorofuro[2,3-b] quinoline, followed by ring opening and reduction, yielded two exocyclic diols. The structures and absolute configurations of metabolites have been determined by spectroscopy and stereochemical correlation methods. Enantiopure arene oxide metabolites of acridine and dictamnine have been synthesised, from the corresponding cis-dihydrodiols. The achiral furoquinoline alkaloids robustine, gamma-fagarine, haplopine, isohaplopine-3,3'-dimethylallylether and pteleine have been obtained, from either cis-dihydrodiol, catechol or arene oxide metabolites of dictamnine.

USING ‘NUTRITIONAL NARRATIVE’ AND FOCUS GROUPS TO UNDERSTAND HOW NUTRITIONAL CARE CAN BETTER PRIORITISED FOR OLDER PEOPLE IN HOSPITAL SETTINGS

Introduction: Poor nutritional status among older people is well documented with 40% of older people reported as malnourished on hospital admission. Poor nutrition contributes to increased infection, poorer patient outcomes and death and longer hospital stays. In this study, we assessed the ‘nutrition narrative’ from older hospital patients together with nutrition knowledge among nursing and medical staff and students.
Methods: The study used a convenience sample of older people (30, mean age 82 years) in two large geographically separate city hospitals. Patients mentally alert and consenting, gave a recorded ‘nutrition narrative’ to get a sense of how they felt their nutritional needs were being met in hospital. Main themes were identified by grounded analysis framework. Focus groups were recruited from medical/nursing teachers and students to assess their working knowledge of nutrition and the nutritional needs of the older patient group.
Results: Analysis of the ‘nutrition narrative’ suggested several themes (i) staff should listen to patients' needs/wishes in discussion with themselves and family members (ii) staff should continue to encourage and progress a positive eating experience (iii) staff should monitor food eaten/or not eaten and increase regular monitoring of weight. The focus groups with medical and nursing students suggested a limited knowledge about nutritional care of older people and little understanding about roles or cross-talk about nutrition across the multidisciplinary groups.
Conclusions: The ‘nutrition narrative’ themes suggested that the nutritional experience of older people in hospital can and must be improved. Nursing and medical staff providing medical and nursing care need better basic knowledge of nutrition and nutritional assessment, an improved understanding of the roles of the various multidisciplinary staff and of hospital catering pathways. Care professionals need to prioritise patient nutrition much more highly and recognise nutritional care as integral to patient healing and recovery

Comparison of methods used to calculate typical threshold values for potentially toxic elements in soil

The environmental quality of land can be assessed by calculating relevant threshold values, which differentiate between concentrations of elements resulting from geogenic and diffuse anthropogenic sources and concentrations generated by point sources of elements. A simple process allowing the calculation of these typical threshold values (TTVs) was applied across a region of highly complex geology (Northern Ireland) to six elements of interest; arsenic, chromium, copper, lead, nickel and vanadium. Three methods for identifying domains (areas where a readily identifiable factor can be shown to control the concentration of an element) were used: k-means cluster analysis, boxplots and empirical cumulative distribution functions (ECDF). The ECDF method was most efficient at determining areas of both elevated and reduced concentrations and was used to identify domains in this investigation. Two statistical methods for calculating normal background concentrations (NBCs) and upper limits of geochemical baseline variation (ULBLs), currently used in conjunction with legislative regimes in the UK and Finland respectively, were applied within each domain. The NBC methodology was constructed to run within a specific legislative framework, and its use on this soil geochemical data set was influenced by the presence of skewed distributions and outliers. In contrast, the ULBL methodology was found to calculate more appropriate TTVs that were generally more conservative than the NBCs. TTVs indicate what a "typical" concentration of an element would be within a defined geographical area and should be considered alongside the risk that each of the elements pose in these areas to determine potential risk to receptors.

Law and Society: Volume I: Historical development

The thriving and well-established field of Law and Society (also referred to as Sociolegal Studies) has diverse methodological influences; it draws on social-scientific and arts-based methods. The approach of scholars researching and teaching in the field often crosses disciplinary borders, but, broadly speaking, Law and Society scholarship goes behind formalism to investigate how and why law operates, or does not operate as intended, in society. By exploring law’s connections with broader social and political forces—both domestic and international—scholars gain valuable perspectives on ideology, culture, identity, and social life. Law and Society scholarship considers both the law in contexts, as well as contexts in law.
Law and Society flourishes today, perhaps as never before. Academic thinkers toil both on the mundane and the local, as well as the global, making major advances in the ways in which we think both about law and society. Especially over the last four decades, scholarly output has rapidly burgeoned, and this new title from Routledge’s acclaimed Critical Concepts in Law series answers the need for an authoritative reference collection to help users make sense of the daunting quantity of serious research and thinking.
Edited by the leading scholars in the field, Law and Society brings together in four volumes the vital classic and contemporary contributions. Volume I is dedicated to historical antecedents and precursors. The second volume covers methodologies and crucial themes. The third volume assembles key works on legal processes and professional groups, while the final volume of the collection focuses on substantive areas. Together, the volumes provide a one-stop ‘mini library’ enabling all interested researchers, teachers, and students to explore the origins of this thriving subdiscipline, and to gain a thorough understanding of where it is today.