Anion-Mediated Effects on the Size and Mechanical Properties of Enzymatically Crosslinked Suckerin Hydrogels.

The suckerin family of proteins, identified from the squid sucker ring teeth assembly, offers unique mechanical properties and potential advantages over other natural biomaterials. In this study, a small suckerin isoform, suckerin-12, is used to create enzymatically crosslinked, macro-scale hydrogels. Upon exposure to specific salt conditions, suckerin-12 hydrogels contracted into a condensed state where mechanical properties are found to be modulated by the salt anion present. The rate of contraction is found to correlate well with the kosmotropic arm of the Hofmeister anion series. However, the observed changes in hydrogel mechanical properties are better explained by the ability of the salt to neutralize charges in suckerin-12 by deprotonization or charge screening. Thus, by altering the anions in the condensing salt solution, it is possible to tune the mechanical properties of suckerin-12 hydrogels. The potential for suckerins to add new properties to materials based on naturally-derived proteins is highlighted.

A Geranylfarnesyl Diphosphate Synthase Provides the Precursor for Sesterterpenoid (C25) Formation in the Glandular Trichomes of the Mint Species Leucosceptrum canum.

Plant sesterterpenoids, an important class of terpenoids, are widely distributed in various plants, including food crops. However, little is known about their biosynthesis. Here, we cloned and functionally characterized a plant geranylfarnesyl diphosphate synthase (Lc-GFDPS), the enzyme producing the C25 prenyl diphosphate precursor to all sesterterpenoids, from the glandular trichomes of the woody plant Leucosceptrum canum. GFDPS catalyzed the formation of GFDP after expression in Escherichia coli. Overexpressing GFDPS in Arabidopsis thaliana also gave an extract catalyzing GFDP formation. GFDPS was strongly expressed in glandular trichomes, and its transcript profile was completely in accordance with the sesterterpenoid accumulation pattern. GFDPS is localized to the plastids, and inhibitor studies indicated its use of isoprenyl diphosphate substrates supplied by the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate pathway. Application of a jasmonate defense hormone induced GFDPS transcript and sesterterpenoid accumulation, while reducing feeding and growth of the generalist insect Spodoptera exigua, suggesting that these C25 terpenoids play a defensive role. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that GFDPS probably evolved from plant geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase under the influence of positive selection. The isolation of GFDPS provides a model for investigating sesterterpenoid formation in other species and a tool for manipulating the formation of this group in plants and other organisms.

Healthy Cities Phase V evaluation: further synthesizing realism.

In this article we reflect on the quality of a realist synthesis paradigm applied to the evaluation of Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network. The programmatic application of this approach has led to very high response rates and a wealth of important data. All articles in this Supplement report that cities in the network move from small-scale, time-limited projects predominantly focused on health lifestyles to the significant inclusion of policies and programmes on systems and values for good health governance. The evaluation team felt that, due to time and resource limitations, it was unable to fully exploit the potential of realist synthesis. In particular, the synthetic integration of different strategic foci of Phase V designation areas did not come to full fruition. We recommend better and more sustained integration of realist synthesis in the practice of Healthy Cities in future Phases.

European Healthy City Network Phase V: patterns emerging for healthy urban planning.

There is a tradition of planning cities and their infrastructure to successfully tackle communicable disease arising from urban development. Non-communicable disease follows a different course. Development brings in its wake a basket of adverse health and health equity outcomes that are proving difficult to tackle. In response, within Phase V of the European Healthy Cities Network, municipalities have implemented a range of policy and physical interventions using a settings approach. Owing to the time lag between physical interventions and health outcomes, this research interrogates city activity itself to develop better understanding. Self-reported city case studies and questionnaire data were analysed to reveal patterns using an inductive approach. Findings indicate that some categories of intervention, such as whole city planning and transport, have a systemic impact across the wider determinants of health. Addressing transferability and stakeholder understanding helped cities create conditions for successful outcomes. Cities had varying urban development approaches for tackling climate change. Improvements to current practice are discussed, including; a distinction between supply side and demand side in healthy urban planning; valuing co-benefits and developing integrative approaches to the evidence-base. This evaluative article is important for cities wanting to learn how to maximize benefits to public health through urban development and for researchers exploring, with a systemic approach, the experiences of European cities acting at the interface of urban development and public health. This article also provides recommendations for future phases of the WHO European Healthy Cities programme, posing questions to better address governance and equity in spatial planning.

Urban planning for healthy cities. A review of the progress of the European Healthy Cities Programme.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the progress made by European cities in relation to Healthy Urban Planning (HUP) during Phase IV of the World Health Organization's Healthy Cities programme (2003-2008). The introduction sets out the general principle of HUP, identifying three levels or phases of health and planning integration. This leads on to a more specific analysis of the processes and substance of HUP, which provide criteria for assessment of progress. The assessment itself relies on two sources of data provided by the municipalities: the Annual Review Templates (ARTs) 2008 and the response to the Phase IV General Evaluation Questionnaire. The findings indicate that the evidence from different sources and questions in different sections are encouragingly consistent. The number of cities achieving a good level of understanding and activity in HUP has risen very substantially over the period. In particular, those achieving effective strategic integration of health and planning have increased. A key challenge for the future will be to develop planning frameworks which advance public health concerns in a spatial policy context driven often by market forces. A health in all policies approach could be valuable.

Capillary circular dichroism.

Circular dichroism (CD) has become an increasingly important tool in the study of biological molecules as it enables structural information to be obtained nondestructively on solution-phase samples. However, sample requirements for CD are often seen as being too high with protein backbone measurements in standard cuvettes typically requiring ∼100-300 µL of 0.1 mg/ml protein. To address this issue, we have designed a new form of CD sample holder, which reduces the sample requirements of the technique by two orders of magnitude, with a sample requirement of less than 3 µl. This sample saving has been achieved through the use of extruded quartz capillaries, the sample being held within the internal diameter of the quartz capillary through capillary action. The extruded quartz capillaries exhibit remarkably little birefringence, although still transmitting high energy UV circularly polarized light. The optics associated with capillaries were investigated. A configuration has been adopted with the light beam of the spectrophotometer being focused in front of the front face of the capillary using a biconvex lens and advantage being taken of the additional focusing effect of the capillary itself. The focusing is vital to the low wavelength performance of the cell, where we have acquired reliable data down to 180 nm using a Jasco J-815 spectrophotometer. The system performance was validated with Na[Co(EDDS)].H(2)O (EDDS = N,N-ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid), concanavalin A, lysozyme, and progesterone.

Healthy urban planning in European cities.

This article describes the WHO 'healthy urban planning' (HUP) initiative as it has developed through the laboratory of the Healthy Cities movement and evaluates the degree to which applicant cities successfully developed plans for HUP. The paper provides a brief historical perspective on the relationship of health and planning and an overview of the ways in which urban spatial development affects health. It then turns to the WHO European Healthy Cities Network (WHO-EHCN) and explains the evolution of the HUP programme through Phase III (1998-2002) of the Healthy Cities Project, showing how the programme has grown from experimental beginnings to being 'mainstreamed' in Phase IV (2003-2008). Each city wishing to join the WHO-EHCN in this latter phase produced a programme for further development of HUP, and these were assessed by the Bristol Collaborating Centre. The paper presents the overall results, concluding that a significant progress has been made and the most advanced cities have much to offer municipalities everywhere in the best practice for integrating health into urban planning.

Testing time for sustainability and health: striving for inclusive rationality in project appraisal.

There is a widespread recognition that cities, towns and villages have become increasingly dependent on motorized transport and a car-based land-use pattern. This has led to a series of unintended consequences--in particular, a lack of regular exercise, the decline of local communities and excessive greenhouse gas emissions--ith huge long-term impacts on health and wellbeing. Official policies are trying to change the trend, with much rhetoric about 'sustainable development' and 'sustainable communities'. Yet many of the decision processes that control change in the built environment have not caught up with the new agenda. This paper is concerned with the way in which new development proposals are tested for their health and sustainability credentials. It reviews the theory and practice in this field, with a particular focus on environmental impact analysis and health impact assessment. It identifies the relative strengths and weaknesses of these tools, examining the degree to which they are systematic in their approach to health and sustainability, and include all those who have a legitimate interest in the outcomes. Then a new technique--Spectrum appraisal--is presented. Spectrum is a logical and very practical process that facilitates consensus-building and creativity in decision-making. Practical applications show how the technique can be used to help ensure a healthier, more sustainable urban environment.

Promoting integration of the health and built environment agendas through a workforce development initiative.

There is a renewed and growing recognition of the links between public health and the built environment, which has underlined the need for improved joint working between public health and built environment professionals. However, currently there is little engagement between these two sectors. This paper outlines a workforce development initiative that aims to increase capacity for such joint working, through shared learning and reflection between professionals from the built environment sector and those from the specialist public health workforce. This paper demonstrates how shared learning through facilitated learning sets and other activities has identified issues that both hinder and potentially help the greater integration of health into built environment thinking. It documents a number of responses to the issues that have arisen, as well as suggesting ways forward and future work that can help to bring public health and built environment professionals closer together for the benefit of society.

Comment faire face aux problèmes de toxicomanie et d' alcoolisme dans la communauté : manuel de l' agent de soins de santé primaires avec des instructions pour les formateurs / publié sous la direction de Marcus Grant & Ray Hodgson / Responding to drug and alcohol problems in the community : a manual for primary health care workers, with guidelines for trainers

Ce manuel de formation a pour but d'aider les agents de soins de santé primaires à acquérir les connaissances théoriques et pratiques nécessaires pour prendre en charge les problèmes d'alcoolisme et de toxicomanie dans le cadre des soins de santé généraux. Face à la montée en flèche de l'alcoolisme et de la toxicomanie dans le monde, ce livre souligne la nécessité d'attaquer le problème au niveau communautaire, selon une approche intégrée unissant des interventions médicales, psychologiques et sociales pour traiter les patients, les soutenir, eux et leurs familles, et entraîner la communauté à prendre des mesures appropriées. Le manuel décrit pour cela un grand éventail de moyens simples et peu coûteux qui permettraient d'élargir les compétences des agents de santé de manière à couvrir la prévention et le traitement des problèmes de l'alcool et des drogues. Tout au long de l'ouvrage, des listes récapitulatives, des exemples, des questions, des conseils pratiques viennent aider le lecteur à comprendre comment il peut intégrer dans son travail quotidien des mesures de prévention simples

Respuesta a los problemas de drogas y de alcohol en la comunidad : manual para los agentes de atención primaria de salud con orientaciones para los instructores / editado por Marcus Grant y Ray Hodgson / Responding to drug and alcohol problems in the community : a manual for primary health care workers, with guidelines for trainers

Este manual de formación tiene por objeto ayudar a los agentes de atención primaria de salud a adquirir los conocimientos teóricos y prácticos necesarios para hacer frente a los problemas de la droga y del alcohol como parte de la asistencia sanitaria general. En vista de la escalada mundial en el abuso de drogas y de alcohol, en el libro se pone de relieve la necesidad de abordar el problema al nivel de la comunidad, utilizando un método integrado que combine las interven-ciones médicas, psicológicas y sociales para tratar a los distintos pacientes, darles ayuda a ellos y a sus familias y movilizar a la comunidad para que adopte las disposiciones apropiadas. Con este fin, se describe en el libro una amplia serie de cosas sencillas y baratas que pueden hacerse para ampliar la competencia de los trabajadores de atención de salud a fin de que abarque la prevención y el tratamiento de los problemas de la droga y del alcohol. A lo largo del libro se emplean numerosas listas, ejemplos, preguntas y consejos prácticos que ayudan a los lectores a comprender lo sencillas que pue-den llegar a ser las medidas preventivas como parte de su labor cotidiana. El manual, que está destinado a cursos de formación, tiene siete capítulos principales. En el primero se dan consejos acerca del uso de entrevistas para identificar los trastornos del abuso de sustancias en los pacientes y en sus familias y para formular un adecuado plan de acción. En el segundo se exponen las diferentes maneras de recoger indicios e información acerca de los problemas de la droga y del alcohol en una comunidad. En los siguientes capítulos se explica la contribución que los agentes de atención primaria de salud pueden aportar para la prevención a nivel primario, secundario y ter-ciario y se da asesoramiento sobre la forma de movilizar la acción de la comunidad y de estimular a los grupos de autoayuda. Particular utilidad práctica tiene el capítulo dedi-cado al tratamiento individual. Los lectores se enteran de cómo se puede asistir a los pacientes para que identifiquen su problema, adopten la mejor estrategia para la abstinencia, adquieran confianza en sí mismos, refuercen los apoyos sociales y afronten las situaciones que favorecen las recaídas. En los demás capítulos se explica por qué es necesaria la colaboración de los organismos de cumplimiento de la ley y cómo se puede conseguir; se describe también cierto número de instrumentos sencillos de evaluación de utilidad en la planificación y evaluación de programas. En el último capítulo, en el que se dan orientaciones generales para los instruc-tores, figura una serie de ejercicios de solución de problemas para el aprendizaje de técnicas esenciales de entrevista, asesoramiento, gestiones y acopio de información