Continuity of carer in the public hospital system in the eyes of rural women and maternity health providers in Tasmania, Australia

This study investigates Tasmanian maternity health providers’ and rural women’s experiences and views of continuity of care in the public health system and the feasibility of this model is explored. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 women who had childbirth experiences in six rural areas in Tasmania in the past five years. In addition 20 multidisciplinary maternity health providers currently employed by the health care system were also interviewed. Multidisciplinary maternity health providers and rural women believed that continuity of carer would help them build up relationship with each other and contribute to their satisfaction with care. However, both Tasmanian maternity health providers and rural consumers recognised the challenges of providing continuity of carer in the current public health system due to the constraints of human resources. Given the human resource constraints in the public hospital system, women would be happy with the quality of care provided by the team of health professionals

NOX Enzymes and Pulmonary Disease

Abstract The primary function of the lung is to facilitate the transfer of molecular oxygen (O2; dioxygen) from the atmosphere to the systemic circulation. In addition to its essential role in aerobic metabolism, O2 serves as the physiologic terminal acceptor of electron transfer catalyzed by the NADPH oxidase (NOX) family of oxidoreductases. The evolution of the lungs and circulatory systems in vertebrates was accompanied by increasing diversification of NOX family enzymes, suggesting adaptive roles for NOX-derived reactive oxygen species in normal physiology. However, this adaptation may paradoxically carry detrimental consequences in the setting of overwhelming/persistent environmental stressors, both infectious and noninfectious, and during the process of aging. Here, we review current understanding of NOX enzymes in normal lung physiology and their pathophysiologic roles in a number of pulmonary diseases, including lung infections, acute lung injury, pulmonary arterial hypertension, obstructive lung disorders, fibrotic lung disease, and lung cancer. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 11, 2505-2516.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78108/1/ars.2009.2599.pd

Immunological characterization of chromogranins A and B and secretogranin II in the bovine pancreatic islet

Antisera against chromogranin A and B and secretogranin II were used for analysing the bovine pancreas by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. All three antigens were found in extracts of fetal pancreas by one dimensional immunoblotting. A comparison with the soluble proteins of chromaffin granules revealed that in adrenal medulla and in pancreas antigens which migrated identically in electrophoresis were present. In immunohistochemistry, chromogranin A was found in all pancreatic endocrine cell types with the exception of most pancreatic polypeptide-(PP-) producing cells. For chromogranin B, only a faint immunostaining was obtained. For secretorgranin II, A-and B-cells were faintly positive, whereas the majority of PP-cells exhibited a strong immunostaining for this antigen. These results establish that chromogranins A and B and secretogranin II are present in the endocrine pancreas, but that they exhibit a distinct cellular localization

SLC6A4 methylation modifies the effect of the number of traumatic events on risk for posttraumatic stress disorder

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common and debilitating mental disorder that occurs following exposure to a traumatic event. However, most individuals do not develop PTSD following even a severe trauma, leading to a search for new variables, such as genetic and other molecular variation, associated with vulnerability and resilience in the face of trauma exposure. Method: We examined whether serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) promoter genotype and methylation status modified the association between number of traumatic events experienced and PTSD in a subset of 100 individuals from the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study. Results: Number of traumatic events was strongly associated with risk of PTSD. Neither SLC6A4 genotype nor methylation status was associated with PTSD in main effects models. However, SLC6A4 methylation levels modified the effect of the number of traumatic events on PTSD after controlling for SLC6A4 genotype. Persons with more traumatic events were at increased risk for PTSD, but only at lower methylation levels. At higher methylation levels, individuals with more traumatic events were protected from this disorder. This interaction was observed whether the outcome was PTSD diagnosis, symptom severity, or number of symptoms. Conclusions: Gene‐specific methylation patterns may offer potential molecular signatures of increased risk for and resilience to PTSD. Depression and Anxiety, 2011.  © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87125/1/20825_ftp.pd

One Health – an Ecological and Evolutionary Framework for tackling Neglected Zoonotic Diseases

Understanding the complex population biology and transmission ecology of multihost parasites has been declared as one of the major challenges of biomedical sciences for the 21st century and the Neglected Zoonotic Diseases (NZDs) are perhaps the most neglected of all the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Here we consider how multihost parasite transmission and evolutionary dynamics may affect the success of human and animal disease control programmes, particularly neglected diseases of the developing world. We review the different types of zoonotic interactions that occur, both ecological and evolutionary, their potential relevance for current human control activities, and make suggestions for the development of an empirical evidence base and theoretical framework to better understand and predict the outcome of such interactions. In particular, we consider whether preventive chemotherapy, the current mainstay of NTD control, can be successful without a One Health approach. Transmission within and between animal reservoirs and humans can have important ecological and evolutionary consequences, driving the evolution and establishment of drug resistance, as well as providing selective pressures for spill‐over, host switching, hybridizations and introgressions between animal and human parasites. Our aim here is to highlight the importance of both elucidating disease ecology, including identifying key hosts and tailoring control effort accordingly, and understanding parasite evolution, such as precisely how infectious agents may respond and adapt to anthropogenic change. Both elements are essential if we are to alleviate disease risks from NZDs in humans, domestic animals and wildlife

Susceptibility of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1)

Prior exposure of Canada geese to a North American low pathogenic virus (H5N2) decreases their susceptibility to Eurasian highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1)

Recent trends of SST in the Western Mediterranean basins from AVHRR Pathfinder data (1985-2007)

Climate change in the Mediterranean region cannot be understood without taking into account changes in the Mediterranean Sea, which is an important source of moisture and heat for the Mediterranean climate system. Many research papers have been published in the last two decades increasing our knowledge about long-term trends and inter-annual variability of temperature and salinity in the Western Mediterranean. Although recent changes have been better documented, there remain uncertainties because different results are obtained depending on the period of time analyzed or the geographic region selected. This paper analyses the regional, seasonal and decadal variability of sea surface temperature in the Western Mediterranean basins (Northern (Ligurian Sea and Gulf of Lions), Balearic, Algerian and Alboran) by means of thermal satellite images. Monthly data from the PO.DAAC (Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center) have been processed for the period 19852007. Results show an averaged warming linear trend of 0.03 °C/yr. This rate is higher during the spring (0.06 °C/yr) in all the basins and the highest values were registered in the Northern basin in June. The study suggests that an early warming of the Sea is occurring in all the basins during the spring, with an increment of 0.51 °C in the mean SST of April, May and June over the two decades studied. The analysis of thermal anomalies confirms the warming trend with a dominance of negative anomalies during 19851996 and a dominance of positive anomalies during the last decade (19972007). Intense anomalies are more frequent in the Northern basin