Data of soil, vegetation and bird species found on double-crested cormorant colonies in the southeastern United States.

This data article provides the methods and procedures followed to collect and analyse soil, vegetation and bird data on three different treatment islands in Guntersville Reservoir, Alabama. Samples were collected from randomly selected plot points from islands that were placed into three different treatment types: Colony (currently occupied by Double-crested Cormorants) (Phalacrocorax auritus; n = 5), Historic (historically occupied by cormorants and currently abandoned; n = 3) and Reference (never occupied by cormorants; n = 4). We compared vegetation and tree metrics such as structure and diversity, as well as soil chemistry and bird diversity and communities among islands within Guntersville Reservoir. These data document for the first time that we are aware of the long-term effects of soil chemistry changes, vegetation changes, and impacts to avian diversity, in temperate forest ecosystems, by cormorant colonies. All data is associated with the recent article by Veum et al. [1] and provided here as raw data.

A gut reaction: the combined influence of exercise and diet on gastrointestinal microbiota in rats.

AIMS: Intestinal microbiota modulates the development of clinical conditions, including metabolic syndrome and obesity. Many of these conditions are influenced by nutritional and exercise behaviours. This study aimed to investigate the ability of exercise to re-shape the intestinal microbiota and the influence of the diet on the process. METHODS AND RESULTS: A rat model was used to examine the intestinal microbiota responses to four activity conditions, including: high-intensity interval training (HIIT), light-intensity training (LIT), sedentary and normal control, each containing two nutritional conditions: high-fat high-fructose diet (HF) and standard chow (SC) diet. No significant differences in microbiota were apparent between activity conditions in rats fed a HF diet but changes in the presence/absence of phylotypes were observed in the LIT and HIIT groups. In rats fed SC, significant differences in intestinal microbiota were evident between exercised and nonexercised rats. Both LIT and HIIT induced significant differences in intestinal microbiota in SC-fed rats compared to their respective SC-fed controls. Characterization of the exercise-induced bacterial phylotypes indicated an increase in bacteria likely capable of degrading resistant polysaccharides and an increase in short chain fatty acid producers. CONCLUSIONS: While a significant effect of exercise on microbiota composition occurred in SC-fed rats, the HF-fed rats microbiota showed little response. These data suggest that a HF diet prevented microbiota differentiation in response to exercise. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The importance of diet-exercise interaction is extended to the level of intestinal bacteria and gut health.

Binding of Clostridium perfringens to collagen correlates with the ability to cause necrotic enteritis in chickens.

This study investigated the ability of Clostridium perfringens isolates derived from chickens to bind to collagen types I-V and gelatin. In total 21 strains from three distinct backgrounds were studied: (i) virulent strains isolated from birds suffering from necrotic enteritis, (ii) avirulent strains isolated from birds suffering from necrotic enteritis and (iii) strains isolated from healthy birds. All strains isolated from diseased birds had been assessed for virulence in a disease induction model. The virulent isolates all displayed collagen binding ability. However, most strains in the other two classes showed negligible binding to collagen. The prevalence of a previously described C. perfringens putative collagen adhesin-encoding gene was investigated by PCR screening. It was found that five of the strains carried the putative collagen adhesin-encoding gene and that all of these strains were virulent isolates. Based on these studies it is postulated that collagen adhesion may play a role in the pathogenesis of necrotic enteritis.

Changes in osteocyte density correspond with changes in osteoblast and osteoclast activity in an osteoporotic sheep model.

UNLABELLED: Histomorphometric assessment of trabecular bone in osteoporotic sheep showed that bone volume, osteoid surface area, bone formation rate, and osteocyte density were reduced. In contrast, eroded surface area and empty lacunae density were increased. Changes in osteocyte density correlated with changes in osteoblast and osteoclast activity. INTRODUCTION: Osteocytes contribute to the regulation of the activity of osteoclasts and osteoblasts that together control bone mass. Osteocytes therefore likely play a role in the loss of bone mass associated with osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between osteocyte lacunar density and other bone histomorphometric parameters in the iliac crest (IC) and lumbar spine (LS) of osteoporotic sheep. METHODS: Osteoporosis was induced in ten mature ewes by an established protocol involving a combination of ovariectomy, dexamethasone injection, and low calcium diet for 6 months. Five ewes were used as controls. Post-mortem IC and LS biopsies were collected and processed for further histomorphometric assessment. RESULTS: Bone volume, osteoid surface, and bone formation rate in the IC and LS of osteoporotic sheep were reduced compared to those of the controls. In contrast, eroded surface area was increased in osteoporotic sheep. In the osteoporotic group, osteocyte density was reduced in the LS region and to a greater extent in the IC region. The empty osteocyte lacunae were increased 1.7-fold in LS and 2.1-fold in IC in the osteoporotic group. The osteocyte density correlated positively with markers of osteoblast activity and negatively with those of osteoclast activity. CONCLUSIONS: Depletion of osteocytes and an increase in the empty lacunae could be important factors contributing to bone loss in this model since they may adversely affect intercellular communication between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The regional differences in histology suggest that there may be different pathological mechanisms operating at different anatomical sites.

Osteopenia in the maxillofacial area: a study in sheep.

UNLABELLED: Osteoporosis is a major public health problem worldwide. Its significance in the fields of traumatology and implantology of the maxillofacial area requires investigation. A large animal model was used to assess bone loss in the lumbar spine and mandible. INTRODUCTION: Osteoporosis is a prevalent disease characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue. Osteoporosis-related fractures represent a major public health burden. The presence and relevance of osteoporosis in the maxillofacial area remain controversial. Research in humans is limited by difficulties in finding large homogenous study groups and, due to ethical considerations, numerous animal models have been used in osteoporosis research. The aim of this study was to assess a sheep model of generalized osteopenia for changes in the maxillofacial area. METHODS: Bone loss was induced in ten Merino sheep by ovariectomy, intramuscular administration of glucocorticoids, and a calcium-reduced diet. Five untreated animals served as controls. Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the lumbar spine at baseline and after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Lumbar and mandibular bone biopsies were obtained and analyzed with microcomputed tomography. RESULTS: Lumbar BMD decreased progressively in the intervention group and was most significantly low after 6 months (p < 0.001). Lumbar trabecular bone showed a significant decrease in bone volume (BV)/tissue volume (TV; p < 0.05) in the inducted group. Significant changes were found in both analyzed mandibular regions for BV/TV (p < 0.05). Regional variations were found for other parameters in the mandible. The cortical width was substantially reduced in the intervention group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Microstructural changes occurring in sheep as a result of induction seem to have a generalized nature. This sheep model meets the criteria for further investigation in the maxillofacial area.

The impact of publishing medical specialty society guidelines on subsequent adoption of best practices: a case study with type 2 diabetes.

AIMS: Our goal was to determine the effect of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) consensus algorithm for the initiation and adjustment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) therapy, published in 2006, on the incidence of early metformin monotherapy (EMM), defined as the prescription of metformin and no other antidiabetic medications within 30 days of initial T2D diagnosis. METHODS: The incidence of EMM in the United States (US) from January 2005 to December 2007 was estimated using data from the i3 InVision Data Mart, an integrated database of enrollment dates, inpatient and outpatient medical claims, pharmaceutical claims, and laboratory results from a diverse group of US health plans. The trend in the incidence of EMM was analysed using joinpoint regression modelling. RESULTS: A statistically significant joinpoint was found in July 2006 (p < 0.05). From January 2005 to July 2006, EMM increased at an annualised rate of 15.6%. From July 2006 to December 2007, EMM increased at an annualised rate of 66.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that publication of the ADA/EASD algorithm caused a significant acceleration in the incidence of EMM.

Validation of the sheep as a large animal model for the study of vertebral osteoporosis.

Rats have long been the animal of choice for research in the field of osteoporosis. In the search for a complementary large animal model the sheep appears useful but hitherto the extent of bone loss from the spine has failed to reach a level that is generally accepted as osteoporotic in humans. Osteoporosis was induced in ten sheep using ovariectomy, low calcium diet and steroid injection for 6 months. Bone samples of iliac crest (IC), lumbar spine (LS), and proximal femur (PF) from the osteoporotic sheep were compared with those from four normal sheep using densitometry, histomorphometry, biochemistry and basic mechanical testing. The differences were examined using an analysis of variance with Tukey-Kramer test. Overall, the bone mineral density at LS and PF decreased more than 25% after treatment. Trabecular bone volume decreased by 29.2, 33.4 and 42.6% in IC, LS and PF, respectively. The failure load of the LS in axial compression was reduced to 2,003 from 6,140 N. The extent of bone loss was sufficient to categorise these sheep as osteoporotic although the pattern of bone loss varied between sites. Reduced mechanical competence in LS confirmed the suitability of this model for evaluation of potential treatments for osteoporosis.

Rotational viscosity of fluids composed of linear molecules: an equilibrium molecular dynamics study.

In this paper, we investigate the rotational viscosity for a chlorine fluid and for a fluid composed of small linear molecules by using equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The rotational viscosity is calculated over a large range of state points. It is found that the rotational viscosity is almost independent of temperature in the range studied here but exhibits a power-law dependency on density. The rotational viscosity also shows a power-law relationship with the molecular length, and the ratio between the shear and rotational viscosities approaches 0.5 for the longest molecule studied here. By changing the number of atoms or united atomic units per molecule and by keeping the molecule length fixed, we show that fluids composed of molecules which have a rodlike shape have a lower rotational viscosity. We argue that this phenomenon is due to the reduction in intermolecular connectivity, which leads to larger fluctuations around the values possessed by the fluid on average. The conclusions here can be extended to fluids composed of uniaxial molecules of arbitrary length.

Manipulation of small RNAs to modify the chicken transcriptome and enhance productivity traits.

In recent years there has been a revolution in our understanding of genes and how they come to control the physical outcomes of development. Central to this has been the understanding of the cellular processes of RNA interference (RNAi), for which the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was awarded in 2006. Coupled with this has been the recognition that microRNAs are key mediators of this process within cells. RNAi whether mediated exogenously by synthetic oligonucleotides or vector-delivered double stranded RNA or endogenously by microRNAs can have a profound and specific effect on gene expression. Elucidating and understanding these processes in the chicken will provide critical information to enable more precise control over breeding strategies for improvement of traits in production poultry, either by direct or indirect means. It will also provide alternative strategies for the control and prevention of important avian diseases.

Comparison of bovine RNA polymerase III promoters for short hairpin RNA expression.

RNA interference (RNAi) mediated by DNA-based expression of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) is a powerful method of sequence-specific gene knockdown. A number of vectors for expression of shRNA have been developed that feature promoters from RNA polymerase III (pol III)-transcribed genes of mouse or human origin. To advance the use of RNAi as a tool for functional genomic research and for future development of specific therapeutics in the bovine species, we have developed shRNA expression vectors that feature novel bovine RNA pol III promoters. We characterized two bovine U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) promoters (bU6-2 and bU6-3) and a bovine 7SK snRNA promoter (b7SK). We compared the efficiency of each of these promoters to express shRNA molecules. Promoter activity was measured in the context of RNAi by targeting and suppressing the reporter gene encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein. Results show that the b7SK promoter induced the greatest level of suppression in a range of cell lines. The comparison of these bovine promoters in shRNA expression is an important component for the future development of bovine-specific RNAi-based research.

Degeneration of the cervical disc: histology compared with radiography and magnetic resonance imaging.

Decisions about the treatment of neck pain are largely made on the basis of information gained from plain X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which are used routinely as part of preliminary investigation. We performed a descriptive cadaveric study to compare histology with radiography and MRI. We correlated plain radiography, disc height [Farfan index (FI)] and MRI findings with histology to assess the ability of radiology to detect significant pathologic lesions. The study included 52 motion segments from nine subjects over the age of 50, who underwent routine hospital autopsy. Disc degeneration was assessed by histology, radiography, disc height (FI: anterior disc height plus posterior disc height divided by anterioposterior diameter) and MRI using established grading systems. Most of the discs were classified radiologically as grade 1 (19/52), grade 2 (13/52), grade 3 (9/52) or grade 4 (3/52). Eight of the discs were graded as normal. The distribution of MRI grades was grade 0 (9/36), grade 1 (9/36), grade 2 (7/36), grade 3 (8/36) and grade 4 (3/36). Half of the discs (26/52) showed advanced (grade 4) degeneration histologically. FI correlated with histological grade (P = 0.013), MRI grade (P = 0.02) and radiological grade (P < 0.001) of degeneration. Radiological and histological grade of degeneration showed a weak correlation (r = 0.3, P = 0.033). MRI correlated with overall histological grade (r = 0.41, P = 0.015, n = 34). Histological features (e.g., tears, rim lesions, prolapse of nucleus material) were poorly recognised by MRI, which had a sensitivity for disc material prolapse and annulus tears of less than 40%. Our study showed that discs from patients over 50 years are histologically severely degenerated; however, these changes may not be detected by conventional radiography and MRI.

Health and well-being of farm women: contradictory roles in the contemporary economy.

To document the roles of farm women in the contemporary farm economy, their physical health and psychological well-being, and their interaction with and evaluation of the health care system, a multi-stage study employing both quantitative and qualitative research strategies was implemented. A total of 717 Canadian farm women in 20 rural Saskatchewan municipalities returned a 20-page objective questionnaire that focused on: (1) health care, (2) health status, (3) social support, (4) well-being, (5) lifestyle and activities, (6) stress, (7) work, (8) male and female roles, (9) demographics, and (10) farm issues. Subsequently, 20 qualitative interviews were conducted to explore in-depth the findings of the survey. Results document long hours of work, on and off the farm, that often went unacknowledged; pressure to assume the role of a "traditional farm wife," expectations they often felt they had difficulty living up to; and high levels of stress in response to economic and family pressures. Although rating the availability and quality of health care as "fair to good," the farm women commented on the lack of access to medical and counseling services, and a perceived lack of understanding by policymakers and professionals. Integrated health and educational service centers, increased use of nurse practitioners, and establishment of mobile health services are recommended policy initiatives.

A versatile system for the expression of nonmodified bacteriocins in Escherichia coli.

AIMS: To develop a method and plasmid vectors suitable for expression of class II bacteriocins from Escherichia coli. METHODS AND RESULTS: The expression vector pSuV1 was constructed by inserting the PelB secretion signal coding sequence and a number of restriction endonuclease sites for cloning, into pTYB1. Codon optimized genes encoding the active mature region of each bacteriocin were constructed and inserted into pSuV1. Transfer of these constructs to a host expressing T7 RNA polymerase allowed for expression of secreted mature or fusion forms of the bacteriocins. Generation of the fusion, to the adjacent intein-chitin-binding domain gene, was achieved by removal of a small intervening BseRI fragment. The bacteriocins BacR1, divercin V41, enterocin P, pediocin PA-1 and piscicolin 126 were expressed from this system. For piscicolin 126, expression levels of 200 microg l(-1) in the mature form and 1100 microg l(-1) when cleaved from the fusion partner were achieved. All expressed bacteriocins displayed antimicrobial activity. CONCLUSIONS: Several class II bacteriocins have been expressed in E. coli using purpose designed plasmid vectors described here. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This method provides a common expression system capable of producing a range of different class II bacteriocins. It allows researchers to study class II bacteriocins without access to the original producer strain, the native bacteriocin gene, or highly specific heterologous producing strains. Resulting expression levels are as high or higher than those previously reported for related bacteriocins.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (magnetization transfer) and stereological analysis of human placentae in normal pregnancy and in pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction.

Magnetic resonance imaging provides a non-invasive method for investigating functional changes in the human placenta in vivo. In this study, we combine a magnetic resonance imaging technique called magnetization transfer with established stereological methods in order to analyse and compare placentae from normal (16-36 weeks of gestation) and complicated (pre-eclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction) pregnancies. Magnetization transfer provided an in vivo measure of the ratio of bound protons:total protons and stereological analysis of histological sections was used to estimate a residual:total volume ratio (the ratio of non-vascular volume to total placental volume). Statistical comparisons were drawn using tests for related samples (longitudinal data) or one-way analysis of variance (cross-sectional data). We found no significant differences in magnetization transfer between gestational age groups or between uncomplicated pregnancies and pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia or intrauterine growth restriction. In comparable groups of different subjects, stereological analyses also failed to demonstrate significant differences in residual:total volume ratios. We conclude that [a] the ratio of non-vascular volume:total placental volume does not alter between 16 and 36 weeks of normal gestation, and [b] this integrated response is also conserved in pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction.

A qualitative study of head and neck cancer.

The findings presented contribute to quality of life (QOL) research by highlighting the significance of factors affecting the communication by patients with primary-stage squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck cancer (SCCHN) of their experiences of suffering after treatment to their clinicians. Qualitative research methodology based on open-ended interviews with 18 survivors of American Joint Committee on Cancer primary stage I and II SCCHN were used. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed. Three important themes emerged: (1). a diminished self (2). fears of addiction, and (3). hopelessness and the loss of meaning in life after SCCHN. The findings indicate that SCCHN patients under-report their experiences mainly due to fear. As a consequence, and perhaps due to a failure on the part of clinicians and patients to adequately address such fears, SCCHN patients may experience greater psychological morbidity, becoming increasingly fatalistic about biomedicine's ability to restore them to health after cancer despite being "cured", or to relieve related symptoms. This qualitative study provides a perspective as to why such under-reporting occurs, thereby potentially enhancing clinician-patient communication and the QOL of SCCHN patients who present with curable disease.

Communicating suffering in primary stage head and neck cancer.

The findings presented in this discussion seek to make a contribution to quality of life (QOL) research, by highlighting the import of factors affecting the communication of primary stage head and neck cancer patient's experiences of suffering after treatments by their clinicians. Qualitative research methodology based on open-ended interviews with 18 survivors of American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Stage I and Stage II, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) were used. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. In this preliminary analysis, three important themes emerged: (1) a self diminished by cancer; (2) the fear of addiction to pain medications; and (3) hopelessness and the loss of meaning in life after SCCHN. Our present findings indicate that SCCHN patients understand their experiences of cancer and under-report their experiences of suffering mainly because of fear. These include fears of: being further diminished by SCCHN, fears of addiction, and an inability to cope with the additional losses associated with SCCHN. As a consequence, and perhaps, because of a failure the part of clinicians and patients to adequately address these fears, SCCHN patients may also experience greater psychological morbidity, becoming fatalistic about biomedicine's ability to restore them to health after cancer, or related symptoms, including pain, despite being 'cured.' This study provides a perspective on why this under-reporting occurs, thereby potentially enhancing clinician-patient communication and the QOL of SCCHN patients who present with curable disease.

Racial disparity in survival of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and pharynx.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to determine if race and age are independent prognostic factors for survival in patients treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and pharynx. METHODS: Retrospective study. RESULTS: Out of 909 patients registered, 815 (90%) were white and 94 (10%) were African-American. The median age was 60 years (range 19-93). The African-American patients had a significantly lower 5 year survival rate of 27.6% (95% CI 19.9-38.3) compared with white patients with a survival rate of 52.0% (95% CI 48.7-55.6) (P < 0.001). The greatest racial disparities in survival were observed in patients under 60 years of age [29.2% (95% CI 19.5-43.6) vs 60.9% (95% CI 56.3-66.0) for African-American and white patients, respectively, P < 0.001], and in African-American men compared with white men [20.2% (95% CI 12.6-30.2) vs 51.0% (95% CI 46.7-53.0), P < 0.001]. A multivariate Cox model, stratified according to stage of disease, indicated that race, age, and type of treatment were statistically significant predictors of survival. After adjusting for race and treatment received, African-American patients had a relative risk of dying of 1.61 (95% CI 1.23-2.10) compared with white patients. All patients 60 years of age and older had a higher risk of dying 1.59 (95% CI 1.31-1.92). Compared with surgical treatment alone, radiotherapy and other treatments were both associated with increased risk of dying with respective relative risks of 1.34 (95% CI 1.01-1.76) and 1.94 (95% CI 1.52-1.48). CONCLUSIONS: African-American patients had poorer survival outcomes, with race and age emerging as significant independent predictors of survival after treatment for oral and pharyngeal cancer, compared with their white counterparts. Primary and secondary prevention programs that target younger patients at high risk might reduce environmental risk factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption, which may play a greater role in the acquired susceptibility for oral and pharyngeal cancer in African-American males.

High-level production of recombinant chicken interferon-gamma by Brevibacillus choshinensis.

Cytokines, such as interferon-gamma have been shown to have adjuvant and growth promoting activity in poultry and livestock and have the potential to be used as alternatives to antibiotics. We have developed an efficient system for commercial-scale synthesis of recombinant chicken interferon-gamma (ChIFN-gamma) using Brevibacillus choshinensis as the host for protein production. The ChIFN-gamma expression vector, pNCIFN, was constructed using the novel Escherichia coli-B. choshinensis shuttle vector, pNCMO2. ChIFN-gamma expression was optimized by investigating different culture conditions and different host B. choshinensis mutants. The highest level of production was observed using the B. choshinensis HPD31-MB2 strain grown at 30 degrees C, where ChIFN-gamma was produced at approximately 300-500 mg/L. ChIFN-gamma was also produced as a His-tagged fusion protein by using the pNCHis-IFN expression vector, a derivative of pNCMO2. The protein was constitutively secreted into the culture supernatant and could be partially purified in a single step using a Ni-nitrilotriacetic acid column. This recombinant His-ChIFN-gamma was shown to have the same biological activity as native ChIFN-gamma.