Potential and historical Uses for bracken (Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn) in organic agriculture

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. Bracken is considered a serious weed species, due to its toxic constituents and negative impacts on agriculture and conservation. Historically however, this fern was a highly prized commodity due to the many uses for cut fronds. Cutting bracken is one of the few bracken management options open to organic farmers. Many traditional uses for the material resulting from harvesting material may have potential in modern organic agriculture, putting a modern value on the plant for its sustainable use or its eradication. This poster reviews some traditional and potential uses within agriculture, investigated as part of a MPhil research project. These uses for bracken include; use as a source of fertility from raw material and ash, weed control for vegetable crops, animal bedding, cover mulch, insect repellent, seed treatment, anti-fungal agent, and biofuel

Do Facebook Usage Patterns Influence Individuals’ ICT Engagement?

Research problem: Information Communication Technology (ICT) access and information literacy appear to be increasingly linked with individuals’ personal, social, educational, vocational and economic outcomes. Social media, especially Facebook, is increasingly ubiquitous amongst online adults, and some studies have found significant negative correlations between social media and educational outcomes, and also in some contexts positive correlations. If Facebook usage patterns significantly influence ICT engagement, then they therefore may also impact on users’ broad socioeconomic outcomes and well-being. Methodology: This research is based in the quantitative tradition, and is a cross-sectional correlational study. Questionnaire instruments were used, as quantitative approaches using questionnaire instruments have previously been successfully used in cross-sectional studies to measure ICT engagement and educational outcomes. The instruments were designed to measure three variables: individuals’ average duration of weekly Facebook access; average frequency of the same; and ICT engagement. Inferential statistical analyses were used to determine correlations between the Facebook usage variables and ICT engagement. The target population was online New Zealanders (this limit was imposed to assist feasibility) aged 16 and over. To maximise representativeness and minimise sampling bias, links to the questionnaire instrument were offered to the general public via public libraries across New Zealand. Results: While there was no significant correlation found between the duration of users’ average weekly Facebook access and ICT engagement, a significant (though weak) positive correlation of .279 at the 0.01 level (two-tailed) using the Pearson product moment correlation. Interestingly, Facebook access frequency and Facebook access duration were also similarly significantly positively correlated, though here only at .299. This suggests that while users’ frequency of access and duration of access patterns do influence one another, there is a wide range of effect of this influence. Thus it appears that users’ Facebook access patterns can be quite varied and heterogeneous, at least so far as the combinations of duration and frequency of access are concerned. Implications: Due to methodological limitations, as discussed in this report, further research and replication of the findings is advised to better inform the consideration of implications of this research’s results on digital divide issues and broad socioeconomic outcomes, and the subsequent recommendations for updates to information professionals’ practice or governmental policy in these areas. Based on the findings of this report, it appears possible that facilitating users’ frequent access to Facebook (and perhaps, speculatively at this stage, across a variety of devices e.g. desktop computer, laptop, pad or tablet, smartphone etc.) could have a significant positive impact on overall ICT engagement. Due to digital divide issues and the possible relationship between ICT engagement and broad social outcomes, this may raise issues of governmental and information professional obligation to work deliberately to facilitate said access, particularly for individuals and groups characterised by low Socioeconomic Status (SES) or ICT access groups. This might include funding and educational workshops directed at assisting and advocating Facebook access in a broader range of contexts and devices throughout individuals’ daily activities. As a correlational study though, an important caveat is that the direction of causation (if causation indeed exists) is naturally unclear

Defending the Coherence and Practicability of Autonomy through a Multi-level Analytical Approach

The objective of this dissertation is to develop a coherent account of autonomy that builds on a general understanding of autonomy as the capacity by which people decide or discover for themselves what is valuable and live accordingly. I will advance a multi-level, multi-factor theory of autonomy while responding to potential criticisms relating to autonomys coherence as a concept and practicability as a capacity. In my first chapter, I refute allegations that taking practical considerations into account in developing a theory of autonomy constitutes a wrongful inclusion of normative considerations into what should be a purely conceptual analysis. I also respond to situationist arguments against the possibility of autonomy. In so doing, I will articulate the common-sense psychological standard I will use to judge theoretical adequacy throughout the remainder of the dissertation. In the second chapter, I track how common-sense concerns about the practicability of autonomy have been used to bring contemporary conceptions of autonomy more in line with human experience and limitations. I argue that while considerable nuance has been added to the otherwise proceduralist picture of autonomy, this increased complexity exacerbates concerns about the (lack of) conceptual coherence of autonomy and raises concerns that the exercise of autonomy is overly demanding. In the third chapter I respond to Nomy Arpalys claim that the concept of autonomy is incoherent. I do so by advancing a three-level approach to analyzing autonomy in which important elements of Arpalys discussion of moral responsibility feature at different levels of analysis. While my model helps join different aspects of autonomy together into a coherent picture, it simultaneously reveals the extent to which the exercise of autonomy requires an extensive range of abilities and is highly complex. Defending autonomy against these renewed concerns about practicability will be the objective of the final chapters of the dissertation. This defense will rely on three additional features of my theory of autonomy: degree, automaticity, and reinforcement/substitution. In both chapters four and five, I will endeavour to convince the reader that these proposed features are plausible on a common-sense understanding of human psychology

The impact of organic livestock standards on animal welfare – a questionnaire survey of advisors, inspectors and veterinarians

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. A questionnaire survey of organic sector body inspectors, organic advisors and farm animal veterinarians was conducted to examine the respondents’ perceptions of the ability of the organic standards to deliver positive impacts on welfare of organic livestock. A total of 44 separate standards concerning livestock production were extracted from the United Kingdom Register of Organic Food Production livestock production standards. The respondents were asked to consider the potential impact of each standard on animal welfare in comparison to the routine practices used on conventional farms, using a five-point scale (improve significantly, improve slightly, no impact, deteriorate slightly and deteriorate significantly). A simple scoring system was used to rank the different standards in terms of their perceived positive impact on animal welfare. The significance of differences between respondent groups and livestock species were examined. Preliminary findings of the survey are summarised and the usefulness of the approach to evaluate livestock production standards is discussed

Interleukin-6 blockade raises LDL via reduced catabolism rather than via increased synthesis: a cytokine-specific mechanism for cholesterol changes in rheumatoid arthritis

Objectives Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have reduced serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), which increases following therapeutic IL-6 blockade. We aimed to define the metabolic pathways underlying these lipid changes. Methods In the KALIBRA study, lipoprotein kinetic studies were performed on 11 patients with severe active RA at baseline and following three intravenous infusions of the IL-6R blocker tocilizumab. The primary outcome measure was the fractional catabolic rate (FCR) of LDL. Results Serum total cholesterol (4.8 vs 5.7 mmol/L, p=0.003), LDL-c (2.9 vs 3.4 mmol/L, p=0.014) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (1.23 vs 1.52 mmol/L, p=0.006) increased following tocilizumab therapy. The LDL FCR fell from a state of hypercatabolism to a value approximating that of the normal population (0.53 vs 0.27 pools/day, p=0.006). Changes in FCR correlated tightly with changes in serum LDL-c and C-reactive protein but not Clinical Disease Activity Index. Conclusions Patients with RA have low serum LDL-c due to hypercatabolism of LDL particles. IL-6 blockade normalises this catabolism in a manner associating with the acute phase response (and thus hepatic IL-6 signalling) but not with RA disease activity as measured clinically. We demonstrate that IL-6 is one of the key drivers of inflammation-driven dyslipidaemia

Evidence that attitude accessibility augments the relationship between speeding attitudes and speeding behavior : a test of the MODE model in the context of driving

According to the MODE model of attitude-to-behavior processes, attitude accessibility augments attitude-behavior correspondence, reflecting an automatic influence of attitudes on behavior. We therefore tested whether attitude accessibility moderates the attitude-behavior relationship in a context that is governed by characteristically automatic behavior, namely driving. In study 1 (correlational design), participants (N = 130) completed online questionnaire measures of the valences and accessibilities of their attitudes towards speeding. Two weeks later, online questionnaire measures of subsequent speeding behavior were obtained. Attitude valence was a significantly better predictor of behavior at high (mean + 1 SD) versus low (mean – 1 SD) levels of attitude accessibility. In study 2 (experimental design), attitude accessibility was manipulated with a repeated attitude expression task. Immediately after the manipulation, participants (N = 122) completed online questionnaire measures of attitude valence and accessibility, and two weeks later, subsequent speeding behavior. Increased attitude accessibility in the experimental (versus control) condition generated an increase in attitude-behavior correspondence. The findings are consistent with the MODE model’s proposition that attitudes can exert an automatic influence on behavior. Interventions to reduce speeding could usefully increase the accessibility of anti-speeding attitudes and reduce the accessibility of pro-speeding attitudes

The role of Interleukin-6 in the metabolism of the ApoB-containing lipoproteins in rheumatoid arthritis

Background: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) carry an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular death compared to age- and sex-matched controls. This risk appears to be related to cumulative inflammatory burden, and can be at least partially ameliorated by successful treatment of the disease with conventional or biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS). However, RA patients typically exhibit reduced serum levels of cholesterol, which can be increased following DMARD therapy; this is in contrast to the general population, where serum cholesterol is directly proportional to cardiovascular risk. The magnitude and nature of this increase varies between therapeutic agents. Blockade of interleukin-6 (IL-6) signalling with the drug tocilizumab conveys perhaps the most profound lipid changes, leading to average increases in LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) of around 20% as well as changes in HDL-cholesterol (HDL-c) and triglycerides. The mechanisms behind this so-called “lipid paradox”, and its impact on cardiovascular outcomes following RA therapy, are not fully understood. Animal studies have shown that hypercatabolism of LDL can lead to reduced circulating LDL-c, possibly due to increased consumption by the reticulo-endothelial system. A deeper understanding of the lipid paradox, and its implications for cardiovascular risk, is vital to allow physicians to provide optimal management of both articular RA and its cardiovascular manifestations. Using IL-6 blockade as a molecular tool, I attempted to unravel the physiological processes underlying the lipid changes observed in RA, and to understand what these changes might mean in term of cardiovascular risk for patients. Objectives: 1) To investigate lipid changes in patients treated with tocilizumab as assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy 2) To determine whether increased LDL-c following IL-6 blockade is due to increased production or reduced catabolism of LDL 3) To explore the lipid-handling behaviour of macrophages in response to IL-6 Methods: The MEASURE study was a placebo-controlled, randomised controlled trial evaluating NMR lipid profiles in patients with severe active RA following treatment with tocilizumab or placebo, with the placebo group switching to open-label tocilizumab after 24 weeks. Results to week 12 have been published previously. Data on all patients to 52 weeks using an updated NMR platform were evaluated, and changes in lipid values were correlated with markers of disease activity, including the acute phase markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and the composite clinical score DAS28. NMR analysis also yielded the novel marker GlycA, a composite NMR signal reflecting a measure of the acute phase response. GlycA levels were compared to other markers of disease activity, and GlycA’s utility as a marker of future response to therapy and of persistent disease activity in those with normal ESR or CRP was assessed. The KALIBRA study analysed the kinetics of the apoB-containing lipoproteins before and after IL-6 blockade. Patients with severe active RA (defined as DAS28 ≥5.1) and who were eligible for tocilizumab therapy underwent kinetic modelling of VLDL, IDL and LDL at baseline and again following at least three months’ treatment with tocilizumab. The primary outcome measure was the fractional catabolic rate of LDL, though LDL production rate was also assessed as well as a variety of other lipid parameters. Changes in LDL production and catabolic rates were correlated with serum LDL-cholesterol ester content and with measures of disease activity. To provide information on the cellular processes underlying kinetic changes, macrophages were generated in vitro from the THP-1 monocyte cell line or from healthy human donor monocytes. These cells were then exposed to IL-6 and assessed for signs of response, including phosphorylation of STAT3 and production of TNF-α. Macrophage lipid loading (and subsequent foam cell formation) following stimulation with 10ng/ml IL-6 for 24 hours was assessed by staining with oil red O and fluorimetry following culture with fluorescently-labelled oxidised LDL. Altered expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism, including surface receptors for both native and oxidised LDL, was assessed at the RNA level using quantitiative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Taqman Low-Density Array (TLDA) plates, with fold change of ≥2 considered significant. Outcomes from these experiments were then validated at the protein level by flow cytometry. Results: The MEASURE study showed no change in small LDL particles with tocilizumab therapy. Increases were seen in large LDL, small HDL and some VLDL particles in the tocilizumab group, with change seen by the earliest assessment timepoint of 2 weeks. At 52 weeks follow-up, the same changes were observed in placebo patients who had switched to open-label tocilizumab. Greater increases in large LDL and small HDL tended to associate with falls in CRP, but less so with disease activity as measures by CDAI. GlycA levels correlated significantly at baseline with CRP (r=0.70, p<0.001) and ESR (r=0.44, p<0.001) but not with CDAI, and fell in a similarly precipitous manner following IL-6 blockade. Neither baseline (area under curve =0.60) or week 2 (AUC=0.53) GlycA levels were effective at predicting response at week 24 as measured by CDAI. In treated patients, with CRP<5mg/l, GlycA did not associate with persistent clinical disease activity. In KALIBRA, 12 patients were recruited of whom complete data was available for 11. As expected, significant increases in mean serum LDL-c (2.90 v 3.40mmol/L, p=0.014) and HDL-c (1.23 v 1.52 mmol/L, p=0.006) were observed after treatment. IL-6 blockade led to a reduction in median LDL fractional catabolic rate (FCR) from 0.53 to 0.27 pools/day, (p=0.006) with median reduction of 30%, and the change in LDL FCR correlated tightly with that of serum LDL cholesterol ester content (r=-0.74, p=0.011). LDL FCR correlated at baseline with CRP (r=0.74 p=0.012) but not CDAI (r=0.04, p=0.91). The degree of change in CRP with treatment showed a trend to association with change in FCR (r=0.46, p=0.15) and LDL cholesterol ester (r=-0.43, p=0.18). LDL production rate did not increase, and in fact fell (median 763.8 v 442 mg/kg/day, p=0.002). No changes were seen in the activity of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), hepatic lipase (HL), cholesterol-ester transfer protein (CETP) or PCSK9. Human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM) displayed altered TNF-α production and increased STAT3 phosphorylation in response to IL-6; THP-1 macrophages did not, and appeared to lose their IL-6 receptor in the process of differentiation from monocytes. Neither cell type displayed increased uptake of oxidised LDL following culture with IL-6. TLDA analysis showed altered expression of scavenger receptors with an increase in the “macrophage receptor with collagenous structure” (MARCO) and a reduction in LOX-1 in HMDM, though this was not observed at the protein level on flow cytometry. Conclusions IL-6 blockade in RA elevates numbers of large LDL and small HDL particles, but not the most pro-atherogenic small LDL particles. These changes are maintained up to 52 weeks follow-up, and seem to be more prominent in subjects with greater reductions in the acute phase response. The KALIBRA study showed that the elevation in LDL is almost entirely due to a reduction in LDL fractional catabolic rate, from a baseline state of hypercatabolism in severe active disease to values approximating the population average after treatment. Greater changes in FCR were associated with greater reductions in acute phase reactants, regardless of RA activity as assessed clinically by CDAI. Lipid changes did not appear to be explicable by changes in activity of lipolytic enzymes, CETP or PCSK9. IL-6 does not appear to exert its lipidaemic effects via augmented macrophage lipid metabolism or increased foam cell formation. These findings are consistent with a normalisation of a pathological, IL-6 driven state of hypercatabolism leading to LDL-c increases following IL-6 blockade, with hepatocytes as the possible main effector cell type. This suggests that LDL-c elevations observed during treatment for RA may not be pro-atherogenic or contribute to increased CVD risk, though confirmation of this hypothesis is required with trials reporting clinical cardiovascular outcomes

Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment: Recommendations for Implementation in Pennsylvania

The Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form was designed to help individuals in the last stages of life express their wishes regarding life-sustaining treatment. End-of-life care is often provided in a multitude of health care settings including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, hospice centers, and in patients' homes. Communication failure between these facilities and patients or their families often leads to care that is in opposition to the patient's desires. In addition, living wills and advance directives that are currently in use do not provide health care workers with the information needed to properly carry out the patient's last wishes specific to life-sustaining treatment. POLST seeks to overcome these barriers by creating a simple, understandable form that is easily transferred between care settings. The POLST form was created in Oregon in 1991 and has since been used throughout the state. Numerous studies conducted in the state have found that the use of POLST ensures that patients receive the desired level of care during the end stages of life. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has been using the POLST form in a limited number of settings since 2000; however, widespread use of the form has yet to occur. As Pennsylvania has an aging population, quality care for those in the end stages of life is of particular public health importance. This paper examines the literature surrounding the development and implementation of POLST in Oregon, its spread throughout the United States, and its current status in Pennsylvania in order to answer the following questions: 1) Should Pennsylvania adopt widespread use of the POLST? And (2) if yes, how should the Commonwealth go about overcoming the barriers to implementation

JNets: Exploring networks by integrating annotation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A common method for presenting and studying biological interaction networks is visualization. Software tools can enhance our ability to explore network visualizations and improve our understanding of biological systems, particularly when these tools offer analysis capabilities. However, most published network visualizations are static representations that do not support user interaction.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>JNets was designed as a network visualization tool that incorporates annotation to explore the underlying features of interaction networks. The software is available as an application and a configurable applet that can provide a flexible and dynamic online interface to many types of network data. As a case study, we use JNets to investigate approved drug targets present within the HIV-1 Human protein interaction network. Our software highlights the intricate influence that HIV-1 has on the host immune response.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>JNets is a software tool that allows interaction networks to be visualized and studied remotely, from within a standard web page. Therefore, using this free software, network data can be presented in an enhanced, interactive format. More information about JNets is available at <url>http://www.manchester.ac.uk/bioinformatics/jnets</url>.</p