In vivo cranial bone strain and bite force in the agamid lizard Uromastyx geyri

In vivo bone strain data are the most direct evidence of deformation and strain regimes in the vertebrate cranium during feeding and can provide important insights into skull morphology. Strain data have been collected during feeding across a wide range of mammals; in contrast, in vivo cranial bone strain data have been collected from few sauropsid taxa. Here we present bone strain data recorded from the jugal of the herbivorous agamid lizard Uromastyx geyri along with simultaneously recorded bite force. Principal and shear strain magnitudes in Uromastyx geyri were lower than cranial bone strains recorded in Alligator mississippiensis, but higher than those reported from herbivorous mammals. Our results suggest that variations in principal strain orientations in the facial skeleton are largely due to differences in feeding behavior and bite location, whereas food type has little impact on strain orientations. Furthermore, mean principal strain orientations differ between male and female Uromastyx during feeding, potentially because of sexual dimorphism in skull morphology

Digital Tide Tables: A Necessity for Navigation in the Electronic Age

Tide Tables, produced by the relevant Hydrographic Offices, are a mandatory complement to navigational charts for any vessel sailing in tidal waters, i.e. in all the world's oceans and almost all of its seas. Until recently, they were almost exclusively in a printed form. However, the arrival and widespread use of personal computers is changing the status quo. Several digital tidal prediction programs of varying accuracy have appeared on the market, and Hydrographic Offices are being pressured to move into the electronic world as well. To date, only a few countries produce digital versions of authorized Tide Tables, with various levels of sophistication. The introduction of the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) is now emphasizing the need for digital tidal data, with more Hydrographic Offices expected to comply. Those mariners using electronic navigational charts now require digital tidal predictions as a companion to the digital ECDIS.Graphical representation of traditionally numeric tidal data is now practically "de rigueur" for Digital Tide Tables. With predictions for many secondary ports available with accuracy comparable to standard ports, the whole concept of "secondary" ports is challenged. Early versions of Digital Tide Tables had, at best, a relatively simple user menu with a listing of ports for which predictions were available. This is also changing, as Australia has already introduced a master geographical interface, showing the locations of available ports via several larger scale index charts.The second generation of Digital Tide Tables will include a "seamless" incorporation in the ECDIS to provide authorized (i.e. legal) tidal predictions on demand for real-time navigation. It is anticipated that the ECDIS community will enhance this further with spatial overlays and access to shore-based modelling of tidal heights and streams, as well as real-time water level measurements, where available

The study of ionospheric anomalies in Japan area during 1998–2010 by Kon et al.: An inaccurate claim of earthquake-related signatures?

The problem of identifying precursory signals of earthquakes in the hope of mitigate the seismic hazard is a very important topic, but inaccurate documentations of precursory signatures decrease the credibility of this field of research. The statistical analysis by Kon et al. (2011) shows that there is tendency of positive total electron content (TEC) anomalies to occur 1–5 days before 52 M > 6 earthquakes which struck Japan during 1998–2010. Kon et al. (2011) also report in detail three selected case studies claiming the occurrence of TEC anomalies possibly related to large and destructive earthquakes. This paper casts doubts on the possibility that in the three cases the TEC disturbances were caused by seismic events suggesting that these TEC changes could be induced by normal variations of the global geomagnetic activity. As a consequence, also the results of the Superimposed Epoch Analysis performed by Kon et al. (2011) could be seriously influenced by global magnetospheric signals

A serological investigation of caseous lymphadenitis in four flocks of sheep

A double antibody sandwich ELISA developed by ID-DLO, Lelystad to detect Corynebocterium pseudotuberculosis infection was used on 329 sheep from four pedigree Suffolk flocks in which clinical cases of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) had occurred. At subsequent necropsy, typical CLA lesions were seen in 133 sheep, and the diagnosis was confirmed on culture. Lesions were most commonly seen in lungs (n = 46), parotid lymph nodes (n = 44), prescapular lymph nodes (n = 38) and mediastinal lymph nodes (n = 31). The sensitivity of the ELISA test for detecting culture-positive sheep was 0.88, while the specificity of the test was 0.55. The antibody ELISA detected 87.5 per cent of sheep that had CLA lesions restricted to internal organs only. It was concluded that the ELISA test has a valuable role in detecting sheep with both clinical and subclinical CLA

Communication in cross-cultural consultations in primary care in Europe: the case for improvement. The rationale for the RESTORE FP 7 project

The purpose of this paper is to substantiate the importance of research about barriers and levers to the implementation of supports for cross-cultural communication in primary care settings in Europe. After an overview of migrant health issues, with the focus on communication in cross-cultural consultations in primary care and the importance of language barriers, we highlight the fact that there are serious problems in routine practice that persist over time and across different European settings. Language and cultural barriers hamper communication in consultations between doctors and migrants, with a range of negative effects including poorer compliance and a greater propensity to access emergency services. It is well established that there is a need for skilled interpreters and for professionals who are culturally competent to address this problem. A range of professional guidelines and training initiatives exist that support the communication in cross-cultural consultations in primary care. However, these are commonly not implemented in daily practice. It is as yet unknown why professionals do not accept or implement these guidelines and interventions, or under what circumstances they would do so. A new study involving six European countries, RESTORE (REsearch into implementation STrategies to support patients of different ORigins and language background in a variety of European primary care settings), aims to address these gaps in knowledge. It uses a unique combination of a contemporary social theory, normalisation process theory (NPT) and participatory learning and action (PLA) research. This should enhance understanding of the levers and barriers to implementation, as well as providing stakeholders, with the opportunity to generate creative solutions to problems experienced with the implementation of such interventions

Bisphenol A Binds to the Local Anesthetic Receptor Site to Block the Human Cardiac Sodium Channel

Bisphenol A (BPA) has attracted considerable public attention as it leaches from plastic used in food containers, is detectable in human fluids and recent epidemiologic studies link BPA exposure with diseases including cardiovascular disorders. As heart-toxicity may derive from modified cardiac electrophysiology, we investigated the interaction between BPA and hNav1.5, the predominant voltage-gated sodium channel subtype expressed in the human heart. Electrophysiology studies of heterologously-expressed hNav1.5 determined that BPA blocks the channel with a Kd of 25.4±1.3 µM. By comparing the effects of BPA and the local anesthetic mexiletine on wild type hNav1.5 and the F1760A mutant, we demonstrate that both compounds share an overlapping binding site. With a key binding determinant thus identified, an homology model of hNav1.5 was generated based on the recently-reported crystal structure of the bacterial voltage-gated sodium channel NavAb. Docking predictions position both ligands in a cavity delimited by F1760 and contiguous with the DIII–IV pore fenestration. Steered molecular dynamics simulations used to assess routes of ligand ingress indicate that the DIII–IV pore fenestration is a viable access pathway. Therefore BPA block of the human heart sodium channel involves the local anesthetic receptor and both BPA and mexiletine may enter the closed-state pore via membrane-located side fenestrations

Flavone acetic acid (FAA) with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) in advanced malignant melanoma. III: Cytokine studies.

Twelve patients undergoing IL-2 and flavone acetic acid (FAA) combination immunotherapy for advanced melanoma were studied throughout treatment for the induction of measurable levels of bioactive TNF, GM-CSF and IL-6 in their serum. This was to assess the extent of secondary cytokine induction in these patients and the possible role of such cytokines in both the toxic and therapeutic responses. The nature of the treatment schedule enabled these cytokines to be measured in response to FAA alone, FAA/IL-2 and FAA alone following IL-2/FAA activation of target cells. A small rise in the serum levels of these cytokines was seen on the initial course of FAA/IL-2 but this was minor compared to the marked elevation in levels 2-8 h following the initiation of the third course of FAA given with or without IL-2 and at a time point which coincided with maximum toxicity in those patients who experienced it. These results show that FAA alone can induce cytokine release from primed target cells. This may be associated with the therapeutic effect and/or toxicity of the agent