4,224 research outputs found

    Coral diseases in aquaria and in nature

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    Many reef coral diseases have been described affecting corals in the wild, several of which have been associated with causal agents based on experimental inoculation and testing of Koch’s postulates. In the aquarium industry, many coral diseases and pathologies are known from the grey literature but as yet these have not been systematically described and the relationship to known diseases in the wild is difficult to determine. There is therefore scope to aid the maintenance and husbandry of corals in aquaria by informing the field of the scientifically described wild diseases, if these can be reliably related. Conversely, since the main driver to identifying coral diseases in aquaria is to select an effective treatment, the lessons learnt by aquarists on which treatments work with particular syndromes provides invaluable evidence for determining the causal agents. Such treatments are not commonly sought by scientists working in the natural environment due the cost and potential environmental impacts of the treatments. Here we review both wild and aquarium diseases and attempt to relate the two. Many important aquarium diseases could not be reconciled to those in the wild. In one case, however, namely that of the ciliate Helicostoma sp. as a causal agent of brown jelly syndrome in aquarium corals, there may be similarities with pathogenic agents of the wild coral diseases, such as white syndrome and brown band syndrome. We propose that Helicostoma is actually a misnomer, but improved understanding of this pathogen and others could benefit both fields. Improved practices in aquarium maintenance and husbandry would also benefit natural environments by reducing the scale of wild harvest and improving the potential for coral culture, both for the aquarium industry and for rehabilitation programmes

    Practical utility and reliability of whole-room calorimetry in young children

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    The use of whole-room calorimetry (WRC) in young children can increase our understanding of children's energy balance. However, studies using WRC in young children are rare due to concerns about its feasibility. To assess the feasibility of WRC in young children, forty children, aged 4-6 years, were asked to follow a graded activity protocol while in a WRC. In addition, six children participated in two additional resting protocols to examine the effect of diet-induced thermogenesis on resting energy expenditure (REE) measures and the reliability of REE measurement. Refusals to participate and data loss were quantified as measures of practical utility, and REE measured after an overnight fast and after a 90-min fast were compared. In addition, both were compared to predicted BMR values using the Schofield equation. Our results showed that thirty (78·9 %) participants had acceptable data for all intensities of the activity protocol. The REE values measured after a 90-min fast (5·07 (sd 1·04) MJ/d) and an overnight fast (4·73 (sd 0·61) MJ/d) were not significantly different from each other (P = 0·472). However, both REE after an overnight fast and a 90-min fast were significantly higher than predicted BMR (3·96 (sd 0·18) MJ/d) using the Schofield equation (P = 0·024 and 0·042, respectively). We conclude that, with a developmentally sensitive approach, WRC is feasible and can be standardised adequately even in 4- to 6-year-old children. In addition, the effect of a small standardised breakfast, approximately 90 min before REE measurements, is likely to be small

    Finding qualitative research: an evaluation of search strategies

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    BACKGROUND: Qualitative research makes an important contribution to our understanding of health and healthcare. However, qualitative evidence can be difficult to search for and identify, and the effectiveness of different types of search strategies is unknown. METHODS: Three search strategies for qualitative research in the example area of support for breast-feeding were evaluated using six electronic bibliographic databases. The strategies were based on using thesaurus terms, free-text terms and broad-based terms. These strategies were combined with recognised search terms for support for breast-feeding previously used in a Cochrane review. For each strategy, we evaluated the recall (potentially relevant records found) and precision (actually relevant records found). RESULTS: A total yield of 7420 potentially relevant records was retrieved by the three strategies combined. Of these, 262 were judged relevant. Using one strategy alone would miss relevant records. The broad-based strategy had the highest recall and the thesaurus strategy the highest precision. Precision was generally poor: 96% of records initially identified as potentially relevant were deemed irrelevant. Searching for qualitative research involves trade-offs between recall and precision. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm that strategies that attempt to maximise the number of potentially relevant records found are likely to result in a large number of false positives. The findings also suggest that a range of search terms is required to optimise searching for qualitative evidence. This underlines the problems of current methods for indexing qualitative research in bibliographic databases and indicates where improvements need to be made

    Predictive validity and classification accuracy of actigraph energy expenditure equations and cut-points in young children

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    Objectives: Evaluate the predictive validity of ActiGraph energy expenditure equations and the classification accuracy of physical activity intensity cut-points in preschoolers. Methods: Forty children aged 4–6 years (5.3±1.0 years) completed a ~150-min room calorimeter protocol involving age-appropriate sedentary, light and moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activities. Children wore an ActiGraph GT3X on the right mid-axillary line of the hip. Energy expenditure measured by room calorimetry and physical activity intensity classified using direct observation were the criterion methods. Energy expenditure was predicted using Pate and Puyau equations. Physical activity intensity was classified using Evenson, Sirard, Van Cauwenberghe, Pate, Puyau, and Reilly, ActiGraph cut-points. Results: The Pate equation significantly overestimated VO2 during sedentary behaviors, light physical activities and total VO2 (P<0.001). No difference was found between measured and predicted VO2 during moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activities (P = 0.072). The Puyau equation significantly underestimated activity energy expenditure during moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activities, light-intensity physical activities and total activity energy expenditure (P<0.0125). However, no overestimation of activity energy expenditure during sedentary behavior was found. The Evenson cut-point demonstrated significantly higher accuracy for classifying sedentary behaviors and light-intensity physical activities than others. Classification accuracy for moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activities was significantly higher for Pate than others. Conclusion: Available ActiGraph equations do not provide accurate estimates of energy expenditure across physical activity intensities in preschoolers. Cut-points of ≤25counts⋅15 s−1 and ≥420 counts⋅15 s−1 for classifying sedentary behaviors and moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activities, respectively, are recommended

    Criminal Law and Procedure

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    This article surveys recent developments in criminal law and procedure in Virginia. Because of space limitations, the authors have limited their discussion to the most significant appellate decisions and legislation

    Affective and Motivational Responses to 3D Body Imaging

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    Common body weight and composition testing has been shown to impact emotional, motivational, and behavioral responses. Three-dimensional body imaging is a relatively new technology to be utilized in medical and fitness settings to provide detailed body image feedback to the patient or client, while encouraging motivation to control body weight, fat, and shape. However, such responses to 3D body imaging have not been examined. To examine the acute affective and motivational responses to 3D body imaging (Fit3D) in a sample of college-aged women (N = 32), classified as either normal weight (NW; n = 13) or overweight/obese (OWOB; n = 19). Positive and negative affect were assessed with the Positive (PA) and Negative Affect (NA) Schedule (PANAS; range: 1-5), and one item assessed motivation to lose weight (range: 1-10). These variables were assessed immediately before and after a single 3D body imaging session. Participants had 1-minute to examine their 3D body scan, and then continued to examine their scan during all post-measures. Overall, PA did not change pre- to post-scan (3.11 ± .98 to 3.18 ± 1.07, p \u3e .05), nor did NA (1.52 ± .58 to 1.63 ± .89, p \u3e .05). In addition, there was not a time by BMI (NW versus OWOB) interaction for both PA and NA. Overall, motivation to lose weight slightly increased (6.41 ± 2.78 to 7.09 ± 2.75, p = .001). There was not an interaction of time by BMI, with both groups increasing over time. However, there was a between-subjects effect with OWOB holding higher pre-motivation to lose weight than NW participants (7.63 versus 4.62, respectively; p \u3c .01). Within the present sample of college-aged women, a 3D body image scanning session did not appear impact PA or NA responses, but did produce a slight increase in motivation to lose body weight in participants classified as NW or OWOB. This research provides foundational insight to future research and the use of this novel technology for health behavior change in fitness and clinical settings

    When to approach novel prey cues? Social learning strategies in frog-eating bats

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    Animals can use different sources of information when making decisions. Foraging animals often have access to both self-acquired and socially acquired information about prey. The fringe-lipped bat, Trachops cirrhosus, hunts frogs by approaching the calls that frogs produce to attract mates.We examined howthe reliability of self-acquired prey cues affects social learning of novel prey cues. We trained bats to associate an artificial acoustic cue (mobile phone ringtone) with food rewards. Bats were assigned to treatments in which the trained cue was either an unreliable indicator of reward (rewarded 50% of the presentations) or a reliable indicator (rewarded 100% of the presentations), and they were exposed to a conspecific tutor foraging on a reliable (rewarded 100%) novel cue or to the novel cue with no tutor. Bats whose trained cue was unreliable and who had a tutor were significantly more likely to preferentially approach the novel cue when compared with bats whose trained cue was reliable, and to bats that had no tutor. Reliability of self-acquired prey cues therefore affects social learning of novel prey cues by frog-eating bats. Examining when animals use social information to learn about novel prey is key to understanding the social transmission of foraging innovations. © 2013 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society

    Effects of a 3D Body Imaging Trigger on Self-Perceived Attractiveness, Self-conscious Emotions and Coping

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    Novel technologies currently being utilized in fitness and clinical settings, such as 3D body scans, are proposed to act as a trigger or spark for weight control behavior. However, other weight-related triggers in women have been shown to produce variation in emotional and weight control responses, and there is limited research on their impact. The purpose of the study was to examine the acute effect of 3D body imaging system (Fit3D) on self-conscious emotions (guilt, shame, pride) and body weight-related coping in a sample of college-aged women (N = 30) classified as normal weight (NW, n = 12) or overweight/obese (OWOB, n = 18). To this end, the Body and Appearance-related Self-conscious Emotions Scale (BASES; range: 1-5) and the WEIGHTCOPE (range: 1-7) were used to assess self-conscious emotions and intention to utilize 10 different weight-related coping strategies following a single 3D body scanning session. Body fat percentage (BF%) was assessed via Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Following the 3D scan, participants experienced low to moderate feelings of guilt (3.18 ± .99), shame (2.67 ± 1.05), authentic pride (2.68 ± .96), and hubristic pride (2.49 ± .87). Significant differences (p \u3c .05) were found between participants classified as NW or OWOB, respectively, in shame (2.11 ± .76 vs. 3.05 ± 1.07), guilt (2.82 ± .85 vs. 3.43 ± 1.02), and authentic pride (3.10 ± .78 vs. 2.39 ± .98). Increasing physical activity and self-regulation, eating healthier, and positively reframing the situation were the highest rated coping responses (M = 5.23 to 6.25). Differences were found between BMI groups for intention to cope by suppressing appetite (NW = 2.68 ± 1.05, OWOB = 3.56 ± 1.02; t = 2.24, p \u3c .05), supplement use (NW = 1.14 ± .22, OWOB = 1.85 ± 1.28; t = 2.30, p \u3c .05), and a trend for camouflaging body (NW = 2.70 ± .51, OWOB = 3.14 ± .99, t = 1.57, p = .06). Feelings of shame were correlated with intention to camouflage body (r = .46, p = .01), while authentic pride trended toward a negative correlation with suppressing appetite (r = -.31), camouflaging (r = -.35), and supplement use (-.34). In conclusion, an acute 3D body image scan session was shown to produce variation in self-conscious emotions (shame, guilt, and pride) and coping choices between NW and OWOB participants. These individual differences should be taken into consideration to better accommodate healthy behavior change following 3D imaging use

    Nuclear expression of Lyn, a Src family kinase member, is associated with poor prognosis in renal cancer patients

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    Background: 8000 cases of renal cancer are diagnosed each year in the UK, with a five-year survival rate of 50 %. Treatment options are limited; a potential therapeutic target is the Src family kinases (SFKs). SFKs have roles in multiple oncogenic processes and promote metastases in solid tumours. The aim of this study was to investigate SFKs as potential therapeutic targets for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Methods: SFKs expression was assessed in a tissue microarray consisting of 192 ccRCC patients with full clinical follow-up. SFK inhibitors, dasatinib and saracatinib, were assessed in early ccRCC cell lines, 786-O and 769-P and a metastatic ccRCC cell line, ACHN (± Src) for effects on protein expression, apoptosis, proliferation and wound healing. Results: High nuclear expression of Lyn and the downstream marker of activation, paxillin, were associated with decreased patient survival. Conversely, high cytoplasmic expression of other SFK members and downstream marker of activation, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) were associated with increased patient survival. Treatment of non-metastatic 786-O and 769-P cells with dasatinib, dose dependently reduced SFK activation, shown via SFK (Y419) and FAK (Y861) phosphorylation, with no effect in metastatic ACHN cells. Dasatinib also increased apoptosis, while decreasing proliferation and migration in 786-O and 769-P cell lines, both in the presence and absence of Src protein. Conclusions: Our data suggests that nuclear Lyn is a potential therapeutic target for ccRCC and dasatinib affects cellular functions associated with cancer progression via a Src kinase independent mechanism

    How, why, for whom and in what context, do sexual health clinics provide an environment for safe and supported disclosure of sexual violence: protocol for a realist review

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    Introduction Supporting people subjected to sexual violence includes provision of sexual and reproductive healthcare. There is a need to ensure an environment for safe and supported disclosure of sexual violence in these clinical settings. The purpose of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of how, why, for whom and in what circumstances safe and supported disclosure occurs in sexual health services. Methods and analysis To understand how safe and supported disclosure of sexual violence works within sexual health services a realist review will be undertaken with the following steps: (1) Focussing of the review including a scoping literature search and guidance from an advisory group. (2) Developing the initial programme theories and a search strategy using context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configurations. (3) Selection, data extraction and appraisal based on relevance and rigour. (4) Data analysis and synthesis to further develop and refine programme theory, CMO configurations with consideration of middle-range and substantive theories. Data analysis A realist logic of analysis will be used to align data from each phase of the review, with CMO configurations being developed. Programme theories will be sought from the review that can be further tested in the field. Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the ethics committee at University of Birmingham, and has Health Research Authority approval. Findings will be disseminated through knowledge exchange with stakeholders, publications in peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations and formal and informal reports. In addition, as part of a doctoral study, the findings will be tested in multisite case studies. PROSPERO registration details CRD4201912998. Dates of the planned realist review, from protocol design to completion, January 2019 to July 2020
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