Benthic pH gradients across a range of shelf sea sediment types linked to sediment characteristics and seasonal variability.

This study used microelectrodes to record pH profiles in fresh shelf sea sediment cores collected across a range of different sediment types within the Celtic Sea. Spatial and temporal variability was captured during repeated measurements in 2014 and 2015. Concurrently recorded oxygen microelectrode profiles and other sedimentary parameters provide a detailed context for interpretation of the pH data. Clear differences in profiles were observed between sediment type, location and season. Notably, very steep pH gradients exist within the surface sediments (10-20 mm), where decreases greater than 0.5 pH units were observed. Steep gradients were particularly apparent in fine cohesive sediments, less so in permeable sandier matrices. We hypothesise that the gradients are likely caused by aerobic organic matter respiration close to the sediment-water interface or oxidation of reduced species at the base of the oxic zone (NH4 +, Mn2+, Fe2+, S-). Statistical analysis suggests the variability in the depth of the pH minima is controlled spatially by the oxygen penetration depth, and seasonally by the input and remineralisation of deposited organic phytodetritus. Below the pH minima the observed pH remained consistently low to maximum electrode penetration (ca. 60 mm), indicating an absence of sub-oxic processes generating H+ or balanced removal processes within this layer. Thus, a climatology of sediment surface porewater pH is provided against which to examine biogeochemical processes. This enhances our understanding of benthic pH processes, particularly in the context of human impacts, seabed integrity, and future climate changes, providing vital information for modelling benthic response under future climate scenarios.

Novel bivalent vectored vaccine for control of myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease.

A novel, recombinant myxoma virus-rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) vaccine has been developed for the prevention of myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD). A number of laboratory studies are described illustrating the safety and efficacy of the vaccine following subcutaneous administration in laboratory rabbits from four weeks of age onwards. In these studies, both vaccinated and unvaccinated control rabbits were challenged using pathogenic strains of RHD and myxoma viruses, and 100 per cent of the vaccinated rabbits were protected against both myxomatosis and RHD.

Families affected by childhood cancer: an analysis of the provision of social support within online support groups.

BACKGROUND: With increasing access to the Internet, there are new opportunities available to families to seek information, advice and support about childhood cancer online. METHODS: A total of 487 messages were retrieved from three childhood cancer online support groups and were analysed using deductive thematic analysis for the presence of support-intended communication using Cutrona and Suhr's social support typology. In addition, the messages were examined for negative experiences or disadvantages. RESULTS: The results revealed the presence of five types of social support: emotional, informational, esteem support and tangible assistance. In addition, some potential limitations of online support were identified, including a lack of responses and difficulties in maintaining relationships outside the online group context. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that online support groups may offer the potential to support family members of children with cancer. In particular, it may be a useful resource for those seeking emotional and information support. However, there may be limitations associated with the use of online support groups.

Canine parvovirus type 2 vaccine protects against virulent challenge with type 2c virus.

The ability of dogs vaccinated with a live attenuated CPV type 2 (Nobivac Intervet) vaccine to resist challenge with a current CPV2c isolate was investigated. Six SPF beagle dogs were given the minimum recommended course of vaccination, comprising a single inoculation of vaccine (Nobivac Lepto+Nobivac Pi) at 8-10 weeks of age followed 3 weeks later with a parvovirus vaccine in combination with distemper, adenovirus and parainfluenza virus (Nobivac DHPPi) and a repeat leptospirosis vaccine. Six control dogs were kept unvaccinated. All animals were challenged orally with a type 2c isolate of CPV and monitored for clinical signs, virus shedding, white blood cell fluctuations and serological responses. All vaccinated dogs were fully protected; showing no clinical signs nor shedding challenge virus in the faeces, in contrast to control animals, which displayed all the typical signs of infection with pathogenic CPV and shed challenge virus in the faeces.

Protection of chickens against renal damage caused by a nephropathogenic infectious bronchitis virus.

The ability of the infectious bronchitis (IB) Ma5 and 4/91 live-attenuated vaccines to protect against kidney damage caused by a nephropathogenic strain of IB virus (B1648) was investigated. Protection parameters considered were gross and microscopic renal pathology, and the use of a polymerase chain reaction to detect IB RNA in kidney tissue. By each parameter, Ma5 vaccine alone provided poor protection, but 4/91 alone or the combined program both protected well.

Are specialist mental health services being targeted on the most needy patients? The effects of setting up special services in general practice.

BACKGROUND: Around 25% of patients with psychoses lose contact with specialist psychiatric services, despite the government's policy to focus the efforts of community teams on this group. AIM: To identify patient and practice factors associated with continuing contact and loss of contact with specialist services. METHOD: Cross-sectional comparison was made of patients in and out of specialist contact, through detailed interviews with 102 patients among 26 south west London practices. Associations were sought between contact with specialist services and patient factors (illness severity, social functioning, quality of life, needs for care, and satisfaction with general practitioner [GP] services) and practice factors (size, location, fundholding status, training status, and the presence of mental health professionals on site). RESULTS: Thirty-one (30%) patients were currently out of specialist contact. No significant differences were found between those in and out of contact on any measures of diagnosis or psychiatric history. Those in contact had significantly more symptoms, poorer social functioning, poorer quality of life, and more needs for care. The proportion out of contact was significantly higher in two practices that had employed their own mental health professionals to provides services on site for severe mental illnesses. Two factors remained significant predictors of contact in a logistic regression model: whether or not the patient's practice offered a special service on site, and greater patient needs for care. CONCLUSIONS: Secondary mental health services are being targeted towards the more needy patients. The provision of special services in practices can shift care further away from secondary care while still meeting patients' needs.

Efficacy of feline panleucopenia vaccine to prevent infection with an isolate of CPV2b obtained from a cat.

Cats vaccinated against FPLV were protected against infection with a feline isolate of CPV2b. Nonvaccinated cats developed a lymphopenia and excreted virus which infected susceptible in-contact cats.

Satisfaction with in-patient psychiatric services. Relationship to patient and treatment factors.

BACKGROUND: There is growing concern about patient satisfaction with psychiatric in-patient provision. This paper measures satisfaction in psychiatric in-patients and its relationships with patient characteristics and ward experiences. AIMS: To: (a) measure overall in-patient satisfaction; (b) examine its relationship to in-patient experiences; and (c) examine its relationship to patient factors. METHOD: Four hundred and thirty-three patients were interviewed. Satisfaction was assessed by a single quest on, the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ) and by a semistructured interview. RESULTS: Over three-quarters of the patients were satisfied, but two-thirds reported adverse events. Females, younger patients and those detained were more dissatisfied. No significant relationship was found for ethnic group. Results were similar in the mental hospital and district general hospital. CONCLUSIONS: There remain problems with satisfaction scales. Qualitative approaches to examine patients' experiences in hospital and the causes of dissatisfaction are recommended.

Detection of feline parvovirus in dying pedigree kittens.

Feline parvovirus (FPV) was detected in the intestinal tract contents of 13 pedigree kittens which were fading or died suddenly by the use of a new chromatographic test strip for canine parvovirus (CPV) and FPV. The test appeared to be sensitive and specific for the detection of FPV and was a useful diagnostic aid. In three cases in which virus was grown in cell culture, the isolates were characteristic of FPV and not CPV. Cats in the households in which the kittens were reared were regularly immunised with FPV vaccines. The most likely explanation for the occurrence of FPV-associated disease was exposure of the young kittens to large doses of virus contaminating the environment.

Comparison of isolates of canine parvovirus by restriction enzyme analysis, and vaccine efficacy against field strains.

Canine parvovirus isolates from clinical cases of enteritis were obtained from the United Kingdom, Germany and the USA and differentiated by restriction enzyme analysis into three groups, namely CPV2, CPV2a and CPV2b. The three groups were readily identified by their HphI restriction profile. CPV2 was not prevalent in cases of canine parvovirus disease after 1986. Only two CPV2 strains (original type) were found among 110 strains isolated after 1980. In Europe the frequency of isolation of the CPV2a and CPV2b field strains was similar whereas in the USA the CPV2b strain predominated. Dogs inoculated with a vaccine strain were resistant to infection after challenge with UK isolates of CPV2a and CPV2b.

Everyday life of Jews under Nazi occupation: methodological issues.

Despite the dire circumstances of Jews under Nazi occupation, individuals continued to persevere in their efforts to maintain patterns of everyday life. An understanding of daily routines may help us comprehend the reality of the Holocaust, but it may also contribute to the trivialization and banalization of the topic. To counter this danger, the methodology proposed in this article asserts that the individual's struggle reveals another perspective on the state of mind and the social order of various strata of Jewish society under Nazi occupation. Invoking the concepts of Berger and Luckmann in their analysis of understanding the knowledge of everyday life, this article examines the perception of reality of intellectuals in the ghetto.

Use of ev loci as a measure of inbreeding in domestic fowls.

1. The endogenous avian leukosis virus (ev) loci present in 9 lines of domestic fowls have been partially characterised and the average heterozygosity of the loci in each line calculated. 2. Using these data an estimate of the coefficient of inbreeding of the lines was derived; this estimate of the extent of inbreeding is compared with the mating history of the lines. 3. This method provides the first means of directly assessing the degree of inbreeding of fowl lines: assumptions implicit in the method are discussed.

Isolation of lambda amp3 genomic recombinants coding for antigens of Eimeria tenella.

Eimeria are the causative agents of coccidosis, a disease which is of world wide economic importance in the poultry industry. Immunity resulting from infection is species-specific and both antibody and cell-mediated responses have been implicated. As an initial step in the development of a genetically-engineered vaccine against coccidiosis, libraries of EcoRI-digested genomic DNA from E. tenella have been constructed in Escherichia coli using the expression vector lambda amp3. Screening of the libraries with serum from chickens immunized by infection has identified at least 24 different recombinant phage which produce eimeria antigens fused to beta-galactosidase. A significant proportion of the Eimeria DNA inserts cross-hybridise with each other and contain sequences which are highly represented in the genome. The identification of these clones will enable the isolation of intact genes from E. tenella DNA and facilitate detailed analysis of the antigens and immune responses.

Biochemical changes in layer and broiler chickens when fed on a high-glucosinolate rapeseed meal.

Diets containing 500 g high-glucosinolate rapeseed meal/kg or an equivalent amount of soybean meal as the only protein supplement were fed to layer-type chickens and two broiler strains from 1 to 56 d of age. Additional groups of the former were maintained on the diets until they were 16 and 28 d old. The rapeseed meal produced thyroid hypertrophy in all strains but reduced the growth rate of only one of the broiler strains. The livers of chickens fed on rapeseed meal were enlarged and DNA analysis indicated hyperplasia, but no macroscopic lesions were found. The activities of aspartate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase in the plasma were increased by rapeseed meal, suggesting liver damage. In all strains, feeding rapeseed meal increased plasma total protein, albumin and cholesterol and decreased urate. Hyperglycaemia accompanied by a decrease in plasma triglycerides occurred in the layer strain. Through its extra-thyroidal toxicity (-)5-vinyl-oxazolidine-2-thione (goitrin) was probably responsible for most of these changes.

The effect of thionamides and related compounds on trimethylamine oxidase activity in hepatic microsomes isolated from chickens (Gallus domesticus).

1. Thiourea, ethylene thiourea, methimazole and (+) 5-vinyl-oxazolidine-2-thione (OZT) gave similar inhibition curves when added to the reaction mixture. A concentration of 20 microM reduced the activity by over 75%. Thioacetamide and thiobenzamide also behaved as potent inhibitors. 2. (-) OZT had less effect than the (+) isomer. 3. Microsomes from chickens with an inherently low capacity for synthesising TMA oxidase and enhanced susceptibility to the goitrogenic effects of OZT were more sensitive to this inhibition than those from a high TMA oxidase strain. 4. Inhibition by thiourea was competitive and the apparent K1 for low oxidase microsomes was 2.5 x 10(-6)M. 5. The inhibitory property of thionamides was lost when the S atom was replaced by O but was retained when it was oxidised to the sulphinic acid or sulphoxide. 6. Incubation of microsomes with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate reduced their TMA oxidase activity. 7. Sulphonium compounds, glucosinolates and antithyroid compounds with no thionamide group, including potassium thiocyanate, had no marked effect on the activity of the enzyme.

Thyroid function in relation to trimethylamine oxidation in immature domestic fowl fed on rapeseed meal.

1. Two groups of 12-week-old female chicks were selected for their ability to oxidise 14C-trimethylamine (TMA) after being fed on a diet containing 100 g high-glucosinolate rapeseed meal (RSM)/kg for 14 d. A third group (control) was fed on a rapeseed-free diet. Measurements of thyroid activity and hepatic TMA activity were made after a further week on the diets. 2. After feeding RSM, hepatic TMA oxidase oxidase was very low (P less than 0.001) in one group (sensitive) but was unaffected in the other group (resistant). Thyroid size was increased in both groups receiving RSM but was larger (P less than 0.001) in sensitive birds. 3. Plasma half life of thyroxine (T4) and its metabolite clearance rate were not affected by feeding RSM; thyroidal secretion was reduced (P less than 0.05) to the same extent in both groups. 4. Plasma concentration of triiodothyronine was decreased in both groups after feeding RSM (P less than 0.05); plasma T4 concentration was increased (P less than 0.05) only in sensitive birds. 5. The results indicate that the short-term depression of TMA oxidation in birds sensitive to RSM is not mediated by the thyroid.