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The equatorial tropics house some of the earliest rock art yet known, and it is weathering at an alarming rate. Here we present evidence for haloclasty (salt crystallisation) from Pleistocene-aged rock art panels at 11 sites in the Maros-Pangkep limestone karsts of southern Sulawesi. We show how quickly rock art panels have degraded in recent decades, contending that climate-catalysed salt efflorescence is responsible for increasing exfoliation of the limestone cave surfaces that house the ~ 45 to 20-thousand-year-old paintings. These artworks are located in the world's most atmospherically dynamic region, the Australasian monsoon domain. The rising frequency and severity of El Niño-induced droughts from anthropogenic climate change (that is, higher ambient temperatures and more consecutive dry days), combined with seasonal moisture injected via monsoonal rains retained as standing water in the rice fields and aquaculture ponds of the region, increasingly provide ideal conditions for evaporation and haloclasty, accelerating rock art deterioration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Few data are available on the optimal long‐term care of early‐stage colorectal cancer survivors, termed survivorship care. We aimed to investigate current practice in the management of patients following treatment for early‐stage colorectal cancer. Method: We performed an internet survey of members of the American Society for Colon and Rectal Surgeons about several aspects of long‐term care, including allocation of clinician responsibility, challenges with transitions to primary care physicians (PCPs), long‐term care plan provision and recommended surgical follow‐up duration. Results: Overall, 251 surgeons responded. Surgeons reported taking primary responsibility for managing adverse surgical effects (93.2%) and surveillance testing (imaging and laboratories 68.6%, endoscopy 82.4%). Barriers to PCP handoffs included patient preference for surgical follow‐up (endorsed by 76.6%) and inadequate communication with PCPs (endorsed by 36.9%). Approximately one‐third of surgeons routinely provide survivorship care plans to PCPs; surgeons who received formal survivorship training were more likely to do so compared to those without such training (OR 3.29, 95% CI 1.57, 6.92). Although only 20.4% of surgeons follow their patients beyond 5 years, individuals in practice longer were more likely to continue long‐term follow‐up than those with ≤ 10 years of experience. Conclusions: This is the largest survey of surgeons regarding long‐term management for early‐stage colorectal cancer and highlights the potential for improved coordination with PCPs and increased implementation of survivorship care plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Several potentially modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia have been identified, including low educational attainment, smoking, diabetes, physical inactivity, hypertension, midlife obesity, depression, and perceived social isolation. Managing these risk factors in late midlife and older age may help reduce the risk of dementia; however, it is unclear whether these factors also relate to cognitive performance in older individuals without dementia.Method: Data from 14 201 non-demented individuals aged >50 years who enrolled in the online PROTECT study were used to examine the relationship between cognitive function and known modifiable risk factors for dementia. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted on 4 cognitive outcomes assessing verbal and spatial working memory, visual episodic memory, and verbal reasoning.Results: Increasing age was associated with reduced performance across all tasks. Higher educational achievement, the presence of a close confiding relationship, and moderate alcohol intake were associated with benefits across all 4 cognitive tasks, and exercise was associated with better performance on verbal reasoning and verbal working memory tasks. A diagnosis of depression was negatively associated with performance on visual episodic memory and working memory tasks, whereas being underweight negatively affected performance on all tasks apart from verbal working memory. A history of stroke was negatively associated with verbal reasoning and working memory performance.Conclusion: Known modifiable risk factors for dementia are associated with cognitive performance in non-demented individuals in late midlife and older age. This provides further support for public health interventions that seek to manage these risk factors across the lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an inverse method to identify the spatially varying stiffness distributions in 3 dimensions. The method is an extension of the classical Virtual Fields Method-a numerical technique that exploits information from full-field deformation measurements to deduce unknown material properties-in the spatial frequency domain, which we name the Fourier-series-based virtual fields method (F-VFM). Three-dimensional stiffness distributions, parameterised by a Fourier series expansion, are recovered after a single matrix inversion. A numerically efficient version of the technique is developed, based on the Fast Fourier Transform. The proposed F-VFM is also adapted to deal with the challenging situation of limited or even non-existent knowledge of boundary conditions. The three-dimensional F-VFM is validated with both numerical and experimental data. The latter came from a phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging experiment containing material with Poisson's ratio close to 0.5; such a case requires a slightly different interpretation of the F-VFM equations, to enable the application of the technique to incompressible materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distinctive mulberry paintings found in northern Australia, particularly those of the Kimberley region, have been argued to represent some of the oldest surviving rock art on the continent. Significant research efforts continue to focus on resolving the age of these motifs, but comparatively little attention has been given to understanding their physical composition and potential source(s). In a pilot investigation, we conclude that (at least) two mineralogically distinct mulberry pigments occur in Gwion motifs and demonstrate that their major components can be indicatively chemically differentiated, non-invasively. Characterization of a 'quarried' mulberry ochre source demonstrates that these pigments occur locally as natural minerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The virtual fields method (VFM) allows spatial distributions of material properties to be calculated from experimentally determined strain fields. A numerically efficient Fourier-series-based extension to the VFM (the F-VFM) has recently been developed, in which the unknown stiffness distribution is parameterised in the spatial frequency domain rather than in the spatial domain as used in the classical VFM. However, the boundary conditions for the F-VFM are assumed to be well-defined, whereas in practice, the traction distributions on the perimeter of the region of interest are rarely known to any degree of accuracy. In the current paper, we therefore consider how the F-VFM theory can be extended to deal with the case of unknown boundary conditions. Three different approaches are proposed; their ability to reconstruct normalised stiffness distributions and traction distributions around the perimeter from noisy input strain fields is assessed through simulations based on a forward finite element analysis. Finally, a practical example is given involving experimental strain fields from a diametral compression test on an aluminium disc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new method that combines the fringe projection and the digital image correlation (DIC) techniques on a single hardware platform to simultaneously measure both shape and deformation fields of three-dimensional (3-D) surfaces with complex geometries. The method in its basic form requires only a single camera and single projector, but this can be easily extended to a multi-camera multi-projector system to obtain complete 360° measurements. Multiple views of the surface profile and displacement field are automatically co-registered in a unified global coordinate system, thereby avoiding the significant errors that can arise through the use of statistical point cloud stitching techniques. Experimental results from a two-camera two-projector sensor are presented and compared with results from both a standard stereo-DIC approach and a finite element model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last 5 years have seen the emergence of a family of optical interferometric techniques that provide deformation measurements throughout three-dimensional (3-D) weakly scattering materials. They include wavelength scanning interferometry (WSI), tilt scanning interferometry (TSI), phase contrast spectral optical coherence tomography (PC SOCT) and hyperspectral interferometry (HSI) and can be thought of as a marriage between the phase sensing capabilities of Phase Shifting Interferometry and the depth-sensing capabilities of Optical Coherence Tomography. It was recently shown that some closely related 3-D optical imaging techniques can be treated as shift-invariant linear filtering operations. In this paper, we extend that work to include WSI, TSI, PC SOCT and HSI as spatial filtering operations and also relate the properties of their transfer functions in the spatial frequency domain to their spatial resolution and phase sensitivity, for depth-resolved displacement measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Reports of the extent of working memory (WM) impairment in early Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been inconsistent. Using the model of WM proposed by Baddeley, neuropsychological evidence for the impairment of WM in early AD is evaluated. Method Literature searches were performed using Medline, PsycINFO and Embase databases. Individual papers were then examined for additional references not revealed by computerised searches. Results Phonological loop function is intact at the preclinical and early stages of AD, becoming more impaired as the disease progresses. In mild AD, there is impairment on tasks assessing visuospatial sketchpad (VSS) function; however, these tasks also require executive processing by the central executive system (CES). There is evidence that the CES is impaired in mild AD and may be affected in the earlier preclinical stage of the disease. Episodic buffer function may be impaired but further research is required. Conclusions Future research into central executive functioning at the earliest stages of the disease, combined with further longitudinal studies, needs to be carried out. Tasks to assess the proposed functions of the episodic buffer and specific tests of the VSS suitable for AD subjects need to be developed and validated. Learning more about these processes and how they are affected in AD is important in understanding and managing the cognitive deficits seen in the early stages of AD. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the plethora of evidence on the consequences of host nutrition on their immune responses to gastrointestinal parasites, the identity of molecules and mechanisms that drive the manifestations of immunity under nutrient abundance are not yet known. This is partly due to limitations of the methodologies employed to date that have failed to give comprehensive answers. The great advancements in the technological front over the past few years have opened a window of opportunity to identify these effector molecules, to explore both the mechanisms and cellular pathways and to evaluate their importance in the immune response to parasites. The aim of this paper is to present some of the novel, high-throughput technologies that are currently available in immunology and to explore their use in advancing our knowledge in interactions between nutrition and immunity to nematode parasites, with special reference to sheep. In the first part, we introduce the technologies and we discuss advantages and pitfalls of their use. We bring in successful examples of how their employment advanced knowledge and improved our understanding of the mechanisms that regulate immune responses to pathogens (both micro- and macroparasites). In the second part, we focus on the impact of nutrition on the immune response to parasites, and explore how these technologies can be used to advance our knowledge of immunonutritional interactions. We use as our starting point well-established models that have been successfully used to investigate the consequences of nutrition on the manifestations of immunity to parasites, which we further consider in the context of the novel technologies. We conclude by emphasizing the great potential of the described methodologies in unravelling the complex interactions between nutrition and immunity, but we also recommend caution when interpreting the outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropomyosin is an allergenic, actin-binding protein and a proposed vaccine candidate from several species of parasite. Tropomyosin cDNA, obtained by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification from Dermanyssus gallinae RNA, encoded a predicted protein with 89% and 88% identity to tropomyosins from the ticks Boophilus microplus and Haemaphysalis longicornis, respectively, and 85% identity to the house dust mite (HDM) tropomyosin Der p 10. Mouse antibodies raised against HDM tropomyosin reacted with a band of 38 kDa on Western blots of D. gallinae extract, consistent with the molecular masses of acarine tropomyosins and the putative product of the cDNA encoding D. gallinae tropomyosin. When the same preparation of D. gallinae proteins was used in Western blots with serum from infested hens, the IgY component of the serum bound to a number of mite proteins, but not to tropomyosin, indicating that hens are not directly exposed to this allergen during a natural infestation. Immunolocalization of tropomyosin in mites indicated a ubiquitous distribution of the molecule in mite tissues. Immunolocalization and Western blotting also indicated that poultry red mites ingest host IgY. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the potential benefits offered by vaccination against ectoparasites, there have been few commercial successes with this strategy, in spite of sustained efforts using increasingly sophisticated techniques. This review outlines the progress and challenges offered by recent research into vaccination against some of the major ectoparasites of veterinary importance, and provides an insight into the opportunities arising from our increased understanding of the immunology of host–parasite relationships and the potential for exploitation of this knowledge and that arising from new genomic data provided by expressed sequence tag projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is possible to induce eosinophilia in congenitally athymic rats by infection with the parasite Ascaris suum . Athymic bronchial eosinophilia is associated with increased expression of IL-5 and eotaxin mRNA, and with the presence of residual T cells and mast cells. Anamnestic mastocytosis is particularly pronounced and in this study we examine the relationship between mast cell degranulation and IgE production in athymic rats following infection. Incubation of peritoneal mast cells from athymic rats with anti-IgE induced dose-dependent degranulation, as measured by histamine release. However, the failure of mast cells from infected athymic rats to degranulate following incubation with all but one of the parasite antigens selected confirms the absence of a specific IgE response. In contrast, all agonists induced degranulation in euthymic rats. The only parasite-derived factor to induce histamine release in all mast cells was body fluid, which contains an element capable of inducing IgE-independent degranulation. Furthermore, increased levels of rat mast cell protease II in athymic bronchoalveolar lavage fluid suggest degranulation of mast cells by IgE and allergen independent means in vivo . We believe that the development of eosinophilic lung inflammation in the absence of specific IgE makes this a prototype for investigating the immunological mechanisms underlying nonatopic asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis by one-dimensional (1-D) SDS-PAGE/Western blotting of whole mite extract (larval and adult stages) with sheep sera taken 0–84 days after infection with the sheep scab mite,Psoroptes ovisrevealed a progressive IgE antibody response, with a dominant high molecular weight allergen (MW 180 kDa) detected early during infection. Further analysis by two-dimensional (2-D) SDS-PAGE/Western blotting with post-infection sera, revealed a more complex picture with numerous (> 20) IgE reactive spots. Trypsin digest and Maldi-ToF analyses of these spots identified two house dust mite allergen homologues, namely tropomyosin (Der p 10) and paramyosin (Der p 11), and analysis of a third spot indicated an apolipoprotein-like IgE reactive protein (Der p 14). Further 1-D and 2-D SDS/Western blotting, with specific antibodies to the house dust mite allergens Der p 10, 11, and to the IgE reactive peptide of the high molecular weight house dust mite allergen, Der p 14 (vitellogenin/apolipophorin), provided firm evidence for the presence of these three allergens in extracts of thePsoroptesmite. These studies show for the first time that homologues of the house dust mite 10, 11 and 14 group allergens are represented as immunodominant allergens of the sheep scab mite, and may represent important vaccine candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between mucosal mast cells (MMC) in the intestinal lamina propria, and globule leucocytes (GL) and granulated lymphocytes (GIEL) within the epithelium was compared by analysing the constituents of their granules. Glycosaminoglycan, as well as serine esterase, were present in the granules of all three cell types and the antigenic relationship of these serine esterases to MMC-specific protease (RMCPII) was examined. This enzyme was detected by immunocytochemistry within MMC and GL granules, but not in GIEL. The concentration of RMCPII in preparations of epithelial and lamina propria isolates correlated significantly with the numbers of MMC/GL present within these tissues. RMCPII was detected in epithelial isolates, and in preparations of isolated GIEL, only when MMC and GL were present. These studies add further support to the view that MMC and GL are of a common lineage and strongly suggest that GIEL are unretated to MMC/GL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of rapid expulsion (RE) of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis was examined in Wistar rats. Within 4 hr of intraduodenal challenge with 4 day old N. brasiliensis > 85% of the worms were expelled from rats immunized by infection 18 days previously with 4000–6000 third stage larvae. Rapid expulsion was unaffected by the challenge dose but waned with time after primary infection. Histological observations suggested that the parasites were excluded from their predilection site between the villi in immune rats and that they were separated from the mucosa by a superficial layer of mucus. A newly developed intestinal washout technique demonstrated that the 70%–80% of worms in previously uninfected controls were adherent to the mucosa whereas in immune rats 28%–36% of the parasites were adherent and 3%–23% were trapped in mucus. These experiments establish that immune exclusion and mucus trapping are early events in the expulsion process. The possible mechanisms controlling these phenomena are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immune response of pigs to oral immunization with dinitrophenylated bovine gamma globulin (DNP-BGG) was assessed using the indirect macrophage migration assay. Two days' exposure to the antigen resulted in the inhibition of macrophage migration by supernatants of cultures from the intestine but not the mesenteric lymph node or spleen. Stimulation for 7 days resulted in macrophage inhibition by supernatants of lymphocyte cultures prepared from the intestine, mesenteric lymph node and spleen. Supernatants of splenic lymphocytes from animals stimulated for 2 or 3 days produced enhancement of macrophage migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to define further mast cell heterogeneity in the mouse, affinity purified antibodies against a 28,000 MW serine proteinase from mouse intestinal mast cells (IMCP) and against rat mast cell proteinase I (RMCPI) were used to characterize mast cell cytoplasmic granules immunohistochemically. On Western blot, anti-IMCP cross-reacted with RMCPI and with a 25,000 MW antigen from isolated mouse serosal mast cells (SMC). Anti-RMCPI did not react with IMCP, although it identified the same 25,000 MW antigen from SMC. Isolated SMC (85-90% pure) lacked the 28000 MW IMCP on Western blot, even though, immunohistochemically, the cells were stained with both anti-RMCPI and anti-IMCP. Anti-IMCP stained the granules of more than 85% of all mast cells detected with toluidine blue in the tongue or gastrointestinal mucosa. The specificity of anti-RMCPI which, in the rat, detects very few mucosal mast cells was almost identical to that of anti-MCP for murine tongue and gastric and large intestinal mucosae, but a significant proportion of cells In distal jejunal, ileal and caecal mucosae were not stained with this antibody The immunohistochemistry of the large numbers of mast cells recruited to jejunum following infection 10 days previously with 300 Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae was similar to that of uninfected control mice. The results show that considerable mast cell heterogeneity exists within the gastrointestinal mucosa of the mouse and indicate that there are both similarities and differences between mouse and rat in the distribution of mast cells and of their granule proteinases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The luminous ablation plume formed by laser irradiation of the superconductor YBa2Cu3O7-x has been investigated by high-speed framing photography. The pressure of the background oxygen gas was found to influence significantly the velocity distribution of ejected products. Pressures above 0.25 mbar resulted in the formation of shock waves and instabilities on the shock front. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one by Wang and colleagues on digital image correlation, another by Bornert and colleagues on hydromechanical behavior of clayed rocks, and another one by Pedrini and colleagues on the calibration of interferometers.

An introduction is presented in which the authors discuss various reports within the issue on topics including Computer Aided Design, metallic alloys, and photoelasticity.

We report the results of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging experiments on granular beds of mustard grains fluidized by vertical vibration at ultrasonic frequencies. The variation of both granular temperature and packing fraction with height was measured within the three-dimensional cell for a range of vibration frequencies, amplitudes and numbers of grains. Small increases in vibration frequency were found--contrary to the predictions of classical 'hard-sphere' expressions for the energy flux through a vibrating boundary--to result in dramatic reductions in granular temperature. Numerical simulations of the grain-wall interactions, using experimentally determined Hertzian contact stiffness coefficients, showed that energy flux drops significantly as the vibration period approaches the grain-wall contact time. The experiments thus demonstrate the need for new models for 'soft-sphere' boundary conditions at ultrasonic frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article researchers seek to answer whether patients with distal radial fractures receive better results from external fixation or the traditional treatment. The researchers used randomized controlled trials. Results indicated that in patients with displaced distal radial fractures, very little evidence supports external fixation compared with conservative treatment.

Clinical responses to bites of several haematophagous arthropods and to Sarcoptes scabiei develop in an orderly sequence: induction, only a delayed response, both immediate and delayed responses, only an immediate response, and desensitization. Wheal reactions to intradermal injections of Psoroptes spp. extract have demonstrated that Psoroptes spp. infestations of rabbits, cattle and sheep elicit immediate (IH) and delayed-type (DTH) hypersensitivity responses. However, the temporal development of these reactions has not been reported. In the study described here, clinical and histological examination of responses provoked by intradermal injection of P. ovis whole-mite extract (WME) were employed to investigate the temporal development of hypersensitivity responses of sheep infested with P. ovis. Five sheep were infested with P. ovis mites and five were used as uninfested controls. Intradermal tests were carried out 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 weeks after infestation and at the same intervals in the controls. P. ovis WME and a diluent control were each injected intradermally at three sites on the flank. Wheal reactions were measured at 0.5, 6, 24 and 48 h after challenge. Punch biopsies were collected from antigen and diluent control sites 6, 24 and 48 h after challenge. Half the biopsy was fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde for estimation of dermal eosinophils and half in a zinc salts fixative to determine CD4+ counts. Statistical significance of results was determined by analysis of variance. In one animal, the infestation failed to become established; consequently, it was omitted from the results. Immediate hypersensitivity reactions were first observed in three of the four successfully infested sheep 7 weeks after infestation. One infested animal failed to develop an immediate reaction by 9 weeks, and none of the sheep developed a delayed wheal reaction. Histology demonstrated that at 9 weeks, P. ovis WME provoked an eosinophil-rich, delayed reaction in three of the four infested sheep. This response was significantly greater than that seen 24 and 48 h after challenge at 7 weeks. In two sheep, the DTH response was preceded by an immediate wheal reaction. None of the control sheep developed immediate or delayed wheal reactions or histological evidence of a DTH response. At 9 weeks after infestation, mean CD4+ counts elicited by challenge with P. ovis WME were substantially, but not significantly, greater than at 1 week. The present study has demonstrated that IH and DTH responses are not detected until relatively late in the course of P. ovis infestation and that histology proved more reliable than wheal reactions in revealing the occurrence of the DTH reaction. In contrast to the classical response pattern, P. ovis infestation may first generate an IH response that is succeeded by a phase when both IH and DTH reactions occur, or first provoke a DTH response. Increased CD4+ counts after challenge with P. ovis WME at 9 weeks may indicate the involvement of CD4+ T cells in the genesis of the DTH response to P. ovis. Funding: Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Scottish Executive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a letter to the editor in response to the article "Putting Jenner back in his place," by Gabriel Scally and Isabel Oliver in the October 4, 2003 issue.

Background: Large-scale trials of multidomain interventions show that modifying lifestyle and psychological risk factors can slow cognitive decline. We aim to determine if a lower intensity, personally tailored secondary dementia prevention programme for older people with subjective or mild objective memory decline, informed by behaviour change theory, reduces cognitive decline over 2 years.Methods: A multi-site, single-blind randomised controlled trial recruiting 704 older adults at high dementia risk due to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Participants are randomised using 1:1 allocation ratio to the APPLE Tree intervention versus control arm (dementia prevention information), stratified by site. The intervention explores and implements strategies to promote healthy lifestyle, increase pleasurable activities and social connections and improve long-term condition self-management. Two facilitators trained and supervised by a clinical psychologist deliver ten, 1-h group video call sessions over 6 months (approximately every fortnight), video-call 'tea breaks' (less structured, facilitated social sessions) in intervening weeks and individual goal-setting phone calls every 2 weeks. From 6 to 12 months, participants meet monthly for 'tea breaks', with those not attending receiving monthly goal-setting phone calls. Participants receive a food delivery, pedometer and website access to cognitive training and information about lifestyle modification. Follow-ups for all outcome measures are at 12 and 24 months. The primary outcome is cognition (Neuropsychological Test Battery (NTB) score) at 24 months. Secondary outcomes are quality of life, cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) and wellbeing and lifestyle factors the intervention targets (diet, vascular risk, body weight, activity, sleep, anxiety, depression, social networks and loneliness, alcohol intake and smoking). Participants from purposively selected sites participate in qualitative process evaluation interviews, which will be analysed using thematic analytic methods.Discussion: If effective, the intervention design, involving remote delivery and non-clinical facilitators, would facilitate intervention roll-out to older people with memory concerns.Trial Registration: ISRCTN17325135 . Registration date 27 November 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment to measure granular temperature in a sheared low density granular bed containing a range of sizes of particles has been performed. Using positron emission particle tracking, a single particle was tracked from different size phases. From the coordinate data, the second moment of the velocity fluctuations about the mean flow in each direction was determined. It was found that the larger particles are 'hotter' and that most of the energy is contained in the θ (shearing) direction fluctuations. Evidence was found for Knudsen layer and higher order Burnett effects, suggesting extensions of the Navier-Stokes approaches are necessary to describe heat transport in polydisperse systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of investigations into the strain distributions in the adhesive layers of epoxy-bonded aluminium-aluminium and aluminium-carbon fibre reinforced polymer (Al/CFRP) double-lap shear joints. The area of the adhesive at the end of the overlap region, where high stresses are predicted and failure generally initiates, has been studied at high magnification. 2-D maps of the longitudinal and engineering shear strains in this region have been obtained experimentally by using high magnification moiré interferometry (HMMI). These results have been compared with the strain maps predicted by 3D elastic and elasto-plastic finite element (FE) modelling. Excellent agreement is seen between the experimentally measured and FE-predicted strain distributions, thus validating both methods. In some cases, quantitative comparison of the strains along certain profiles is compromised by noise in the measurements, especially for the Al/CFRP joints, which experienced lower overall strains. The source of such errors is discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Forkhead box O (FoxO) transcription factors represent evolutionarily conserved targets of insulin signaling, regulating metabolism and cellular differentiation in response to changes in nutrient availability. Although the FoxO1 isoform is known to play a key role in adipogenesis, its physiological role in differentiated adipose tissue remains unclear.Research Design and Methods: In this study, we analyzed the phenotype of FoxO1 haploinsufficient mice to investigate the role of FoxO1 in high-fat diet-induced obesity and adipose tissue metabolism.Results: We showed that reduced FoxO1 expression protects mice against obesity-related insulin resistance with marked improvement not only in hepatic insulin sensitivity but also in skeletal muscle insulin action. FoxO1 haploinsufficiency also resulted in increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)gamma gene expression in adipose tissue, with enhanced expression of PPARgamma target genes known to influence metabolism. Moreover, treatment of mice with the PPARgamma agonist rosiglitazone caused a greater improvement in in vivo insulin sensitivity in FoxO1 haploinsufficient animals, including reductions in circulating proinflammatory cytokines.Conclusions: These findings indicate that FoxO1 proteins negatively regulate insulin action and that their effect may be explained, at least in part, by inhibition of PPARgamma function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three-dimensional conservation equations relating energy and momentum transfer in a vibrated three-dimensional granular bed have been solved numerically by the finite element method. Two closures based on granular kinetic theory were used: one, the standard Fourier law relating heat flux to temperature gradient and the other, including an additional concentration gradient term. Each prediction of the two-dimensional axisymmetric granular temperature and packing fraction fields was compared against a one-dimensional model and three-dimensional experimental results, acquired using the technique of positron emission particle tracking. Both closures resulted in solutions that were in reasonable agreement with the experimental results, but it was found that differences between the predictions of each of the closures were relatively small in comparison to the anisotropy of the experimentally determined temperature distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An in vitro direct challenge (IVDC) method in which abomasal tissue explants maintained at 37°C in Hanks/Hepes solution (pH 7.6) in a high oxygen concentration (incubator gassed with pure oxygen and sealed prior to use) were-challenged with exsheathed third stage larvae of Teladorsagia circumcincta has been used to investigate the tissue association phase of larval establishment. Studies using naïve and recently challenged immune sheep and goat abomasal tissues have shown significant reductions (P < 0.05) in the numbers of tissue associated larvae in material from immune animals. The mechanisms that affect the tissue association process appear to be labile since more larvae were recovered from the tissue digests of previously infected sheep that had not been recently exposed to larval challenge in comparison to those that had been recently challenged (P < 0.05). The method has also been used to demonstrate the influence of protein nutrition on the establishment of larvae in abomasal tissues and region specific differences in the efficacy of exclusion mechanisms. The technique appears to have potential as a means of investigating the crucial first phase of the process of establishment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Larval development, mucosal mast cell (MMC) and eosinophil responses in worm-naı¨ve lambs, yearling goats and goat kids were compared using two different experimental challenge regimes involving oral administration of infective Teladorsagia circumcincta L3. Experimental challenge regimes enabled primary and secondary immune responses in the two species to be compared. Goats carried higher worm burdens than lambs and there were significant differences in the stages of development attained by the larval challenge that established in the two species. Possible physiological reasons for these differences are discussed. There were also differences in the establishment and development of larvae in individual yearlings which may indicate the development of a weak age-related immune response. Quantitative analysis of MMC and globule leukocyte (GL) recruitment and functional activity in the form of mast cell-specific proteinase (MCP) production demonstrated differences between the species with goat tissues containing significantly higher numbers of GL and lower concentrations of MCP than the lambs. Quantitative analysis of blood and tissue eosinophil responses failed to demonstrate any significant differences in either species under the two challenge regimes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The systemic secretion of a serine protease, rat mast-cell protease II (RMCPII), a major product of rat mucosal mast cells (MMC), was measured by a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the sera of naive and primed rats challenged with the nematode N. brasiliensis. The systemic secretion of RMCPII was both time- and dose-dependent in primed rats (1-3 µg RMCPII/ml serum, 1 hr after challenge). Systemic release of RMCPII was slower and less pronounced in naive rats following intraduodenal challenge with 5-day-old worms. No RMCPII was detected in the sera of naive rats challenged with 4-day-old N. brasiliensis. Soluble worm antigen had no effect in naive rats, but when it was given intraduodenally or intravenously to primed rats, the serum levels of RMCPII 1 hr later were 10.5 µg/ml and 122 µg/ml, respectively. Few morphological changes were detected in MMC following worm challenge and the jejunal content of RMCPII was unaltered. A substantial reduction in the number of MMC occurred following intravenous injection of worm antigen, and the remaining cells were vacuolated and pale-staining, although granule exocytosis was not observed. Significant reduction in the jejunal content of RMCPII was also evident. These results demonstrate, unequivocally, that MMC are activated in response to N. brasiliensis challenge infection or to parasite antigens. In addition, the ability to detect secreted RMCPII in the sera of test animals provides a highly sensitive and uniquely selective assay to determine the participation of MMC in pathological reactions at mucosal surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The secretory and systemic antibody responses to oral dead Escherichia coli were examined in A strain mice. The best responses were obtained in mice dosed with 1 x 1010 bacteria. Orally immunized animals showed an enhanced response to subsequent parenteral immunization with somatic antigens. This effect could be passively transferred with serum In contrast, the response to the capsular antigen K88 was reduced in the same animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction of mouse intestinal mast cell proteinase (IMCP) with serine proteinase inhibitors (serpins) in blood was analysed: (i) by examining the capacity of the inhibitors in blood to block the binding of the irreversible serine esterase inhibitor [3H]diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP); (ii) by Western blotting. The binding of [3H]DFP to IMCP was blocked very rapidly by inhibitors in mouse serum and, by Western blotting, this inhibition was associated with the appearance of a 73,000 MW proteinase/inhibitor complex together with a series of higher (> 100,000) MW complexes. IMCP was not dissociated from these complexes when electrophoresed under reducing conditions, although prior heat treatment of mouse serum (60° for 30-I 60 mm) abolished the formation of all proteinase/ inhibitor complexes. Similarly, the activity of a 48,000 MW inhibitor of chymotrypsin was abolished by heat treatment. A titration experiment established that between 05 and 5 mg IMCP were inhibited per ml of serum. The properties and MW of the IMCP inhibitor complexes are typical of serpins and suggest that IMCP secreted during intestinal immunological reactions would be rapidly and irreversibly inactivated by plasma-derived inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovine mast cells generated in vitro are morphologically and biochemically similar to mast cells localized to the gastrointestinal tract in vivo. Bone marrow (BM)-derived haemopoietic precursor cells were cultured in the presence of conditioned medium (CM) prepared from in vitro-activated lymphocytes from nematode-infected sheep. Mast cells developed rapidly after 2 weeks of culture and could persist for 2-3 months. The presence of sheep mast cell proteinase (SMCP) in the cultured cells correlated with the number of morphologically recognizable mast cells by Leishman-Giemsa staining and is definitive as, in vivo, this enzyme is unique to mast cells. The content of SMCP per cell increased as the cultures developed. In vivo, increased serum concentrations of SMCP are associated with mast cell function at the site of nematode infection. The availability of the cultured cells should now facilitate mast cell biochemical and functional studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we address the behaviour of lacquer coatings similar to that found on the Mazarin Chest, an important Japanese lacquerware artefact currently held by the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London. The response of Japanese lacquer (urushi) to changes in environmental conditions was investigated by examining the deflection of a glass substrate coated with a thin film of urushi subjected to changes of humidity. This deflection, measured using phase-shifting interferometry, was then used to determine the two in-plane hygral stress components. Results were compared for two sample conditioning regimes--subjected to intense UV ageing and no ageing--each at a range of relative humidity (RH) steps. The changes in humidity were found to cause rapid stress changes in the lacquers, which then relax over much longer time scales. A simple one-dimensional model of the moisture transport and the stress development is shown to be effective in describing the response of the material to changes in environmental RH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a central role in maintenance of immune homeostasis by controlling harmful immune responses to inappropriate antigens and are thought to play a key role in modulating hypersensitivity reactions. Infestation of sheep with Psoroptes ovis results in a pronounced cutaneous hypersensitivity-type response, which appears to be crucial for mite survival. We hypothesize that (i) Tregs are involved in sheep scab lesions and (ii) Treg responses may crucially affect lesion development and subsequent mite survival. Foxp3 is a key transcription factor required for generation and maintenance of Tregs in rodents and humans, and is the most widely used marker for Tregs in these species. In this study, we sequence ovine foxp3 and show that it exhibits a high degree of homology with foxp3 from other species. Using a validated immunohistochemical staining technique, we demonstrate that infestation of sheep with P.  ovis results in an influx of Foxp3+ T cells into the skin. Future work will investigate the regulatory function of ovine Foxp3+ T cells and determine whether the quality of the Treg response to P.  ovis plays a role in individual susceptibility to the mite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sheep scab is caused by the noninvasive mite, Psoroptes ovis , which initiates a profound pro-inflammatory skin response leading to lesion development. To investigate these early events between the skin and the parasite, primary ovine epidermal keratinocyte cultures were generated and challenged with mite derived antigens. The kinetics of the mRNA response of these cells were monitored by microarray. The results indicated that the cells responded within 1 h of challenge, with a significant increase in the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-8. This result was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR, and showed that IL-8 up-regulation was maximal at 1 h but declined to pre-stimulation levels at 24 and 48 h. The IL-8 mRNA response to mite wash antigens containing secretory and/or excretory proteins was also investigated and compared to the response to whole mite antigen. These studies revealed that the mite wash antigen, at a challenge dose of 10 µg/mL, was markedly more potent and induced significantly higher levels of IL-8 mRNA than the same concentration of whole mite antigen. These results are discussed in relation to mite establishment and survival on the ovine host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To obtain palaeobotanical evidence enabling evaluation of the viability of the hypothesis that the ‘oriental’ element of the Balkan flora reached south-east Europe from Turkey prior to the Holocene, probably via the Thracian Plain during a late Quaternary glacial stage but no later than the late Weichselian. Location Ezero wetland, northern Thracian Plain, Bulgaria. Methods We undertook analyses of pollen and microspores, plant macrofossils, wood fragments and molluscs recovered from sediments deposited in the Ezero wetland during the late Weichselian and Weichselian late-glacial. Sediment chronology was determined using radiocarbon age estimates. Results Six metres of sediments were recovered from the basin, of which the lower 3 m, extending from c. 15,450 cal yr bp to the early Allerød, was analysed. A major hiatus occurred after c. 13,900 cal yr bp, the overlying sediments being of late Holocene age. Palaeobotanical evidence indicates predominantly open vegetation during the Weichselian late-glacial, although macrofossil remains of woody taxa demonstrate the local presence of patches of wooded steppe and gallery forest. Changes in the composition of the steppe vegetation, and in the nature of the sediments deposited in the basin, indicate changes in climatic conditions, especially in the hydrological regime and in the moisture available to vegetation. After an initially relatively moister phase, the final centuries of the late Weichselian were drier, as was a short interval that may correlate with the Older Dryas. Moister conditions characterize intervals corresponding to the Bølling and Allerød sub-units of the Weichselian late-glacial interstadial. Although the pollen evidence is thus consistent with that from previous studies of this period in south-east Europe and south-west Asia, indicating predominantly open steppe vegetation, the macrofossil evidence indicates the persistent local presence of woody taxa. The woody taxa recorded include Celtis tournefortii-type and Juniperus cf. J. excelsa, two taxa today characteristic of the wooded steppes of Anatolia and members of the ‘oriental’ element of the southern Balkan flora, as well as Rosaceae Subfams. Maloideae and Prunoideae, Alnus and Fraxinus. Main conclusions The late Weichselian vegetation of the northern Thracian Plain included patches of wooded steppe that supported members of the ‘oriental’ element of the modern Balkan flora. The presence of such taxa renders viable the hypothesis that they could have reached south-east Europe from Turkey via the Thracian Plain during glacial times. Such hypotheses in historical biogeography can be evaluated critically using the evidence obtained from plant macrofossil analyses in combination with that from pollen analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an investigation of residual and mechanical strains in aluminium/aluminium (Al/Al) and aluminium/carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (Al/CFRP) adhesively bonded double-lap joints. Residual strains were measured inside the adherends by means of neutron diffraction (ND) and modelled using finite element analysis (FEA). In the Al/Al joints the measured residual strains were negligible, showing good agreement with FE predicted results. However, considerable strains developed in the Al/CFRP joint because of differential thermal contraction of the two materials during joint manufacture. Although considerable scatter was seen in the ND results, the measured and predicted trends showed similar behaviour and were of comparable magnitude. The paper also reports measurements of internal strains in an Al/CFRP joint under tensile load using ND and of surface strains using moiré interferometry (MI). In general, good agreement was observed between FE predictions, surface strains measured with MI and internal strains measured with ND for the loaded Al/CFRP joint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphoid follicles cluster in the terminal rectum of various animal species and of man and hence this site may be important in the development of immune responses to pathogens. For the induction of immune responses at mucosal sites, interplay is required between various cell types performing functions ranging from antigen-sampling cells via antigen-presenting cells to antigen-specific lymphocytes. Therefore, we have characterised the cell populations and relevant functioning of follicle-associated epithelium (FAE) and associated follicles in the terminal portion of rectum in cattle as a representative mammal. Immunohistochemical studies of this region identified immune cell subsets (CD4+, CD8+, WC1+γδ, CD2+, CD21+ and CD40+ cells) characteristic of an immune-inductive site. Examination of FAE identified a subset of cells with structural and functional features of antigen-sampling M-cells. Cells of the FAE and adjacent follicle-associated crypts expressed vimentin and a subset of these cells internalised microparticles, a further attribute of M-cells. The FAE cells were phenotypically heterogeneous and therefore the function and phenotype of these cell subsets requires further characterisation, particularly with respect to their potentially important role in the interaction of hosts with pathogens and the development of immune responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Diet-induced changes in the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content of immune cells influences the immune phenotype that develops following infection. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of manipulating dietary PUFA supply on tissue fatty acids composition and immunity to a mixed infection with an abomasal and an intestinal nematode parasite in calves. Calves (n =24) were allocated into two treatment groups and fed 25g/day of either fish oil (n-3 group) or a binary mixture of palm/rapeseed oil (normal group) as a supplement in milk replacer. Within each treatment group eight calves were infected with 2000 L3 Ostertagia ostertagi and Cooperia oncophora, three times per week for 8 weeks, the remaining calves were pair-fed uninfected controls. Faecal egg counts (FEC) were carried out twice weekly. At slaughter, the whole gut was removed intact for worm counts and tissue samples were taken for fatty acid analysis. Samples of abomasum, duodenum and mid-gut were also collected for immunohistological analysis. FEC were not significantly influenced by oil supplement but tended to remain higher in the palm/rapeseed oil-fed group (normal infected). The number of intestinal immature worms was significantly (p &#60;0.05) higher in the n-3 group. Mucosal mast cell (MMC) and eosinophil numbers were significantly increased (p &#60;0.05) by infection and were significantly lower (p &#60;0.05) in the intestinal tissue of the fish oil supplemented and infected group (n-3 infected group). These results suggest that feeding an n-3 PUFA-rich supplement (fish oil) can influence cellular mediators of immunity to nematode infection. This is the first report of the establishment of patency and the subsequent development of immunity to a mixed infection with O. ostertagi and C. oncophora in calves undergoing early rumen development. The trend in the FEC, MMC and eosinophil numbers in the n-3 group suggests that decreasing the dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio may be a worthwhile immunonutritional strategy for potentiating the immune response to nematode parasite infection in the calf. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The cairn on Hardendale Nab was excavated in 1986 in advance of destruction by quarrying, and this allowed the reconstruction of a complex sequence of development. Construction of the cairn appears to have begun in the Early Bronze Age, although it might have been earlier. Phase 1 comprised a simple cist burial, and small earthen mound, with a number of secondary burials made in and around the original monument. Unusual rectangular features might have been used for pyres. Phase 2 saw the erection of a round enclosure around the mound, which was later (Phase 3) filled with loose limestone rubble. Again burials, both cremations and inhumations, were cut into the rubble, and bone scattered over and amidst it, with an apparent focus on the southern part of the structure. The entire complex was buried by a further layer of rubble in Phase 4, into which several further burials, this time inhumations, were cut. The excavation produced an unusually large amount of environmental evidence, much of it associated with the use of the cairn as a roost by owls in Phases 2 and 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Infestation of sheep with the ectoparasitic mite Psoroptes ovis, results in a severe allergic dermatitis. Currently, little is known about the allergens/antigens that stimulate the allergic response. We have isolated an 836-bp cDNA from a P. ovis cDNA library which displays strong homology to cysteine proteases and, in particular, to the group I house dust mite allergens Der p 1, Der f 1 and Eur m 1. The cDNA was expressed in Escherchia coli, fused to a hexahistidine tag and the recombinant protein (Pso o 1) purified using a nickel-affinity column. The recombinant Pso o 1 was tested for recognition by immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgE in serum from P. ovis naïve and P. ovis infested sheep. Using Western blots, both classes of antibody to Pso o 1 were detected in postinfestation serum. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, a pronounced IgG-antibody response to Pso o 1 was detected in five of five sheep 3 weeks postinfestation. The IgE-antibody response to whole mite extract was poor in four of five animals. However, a marked IgE response occurred in the fifth animal, and IgE anti Pso o 1 was detected in the serum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The efficacy of two recombinant proteins of Haemonchus contortus was studied in both adult sheep and young lambs. These 15 and 24 kDa excretory/secretory proteins were given combined, either supplemented or not with a glycan-rich insect cell extract. In 9-month-old sheep (trial 1), faecal egg output and worm burden were reduced by 49% and 55%, respectively, after vaccination with rec15/24, and by 46% and 65% after vaccination with rec15/24 and glycan extract. No reduction in egg output or number of worms was found in young lambs using the above recombinant proteins plus glycan-rich extract (trial 2). When trial 1 was repeated (trial 3), the protection could not be reproduced, possibly due to differences in batches of recombinant proteins. In all sheep, independent of their age, rec15/24-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 and IgA titres were present, but 9-month-old protected sheep had significantly higher IgA titres than the lambs. Addition of glycans resulted in lower rec15/24-specific IgG1 and IgA in 9-month-old sheep after challenge. This did not affect the level of protection. A significant negative correlation was found between IgA and worm numbers in protected sheep immunized with rec15/24 supplemented with glycans. Total IgE and rec15/24 specific IgE titres were low. The number of eosinophils, mast cells, sheep mast cell protease (SMCP)+ cells and IgA+ cells did not differ between the protected and unprotected sheep, but the lambs had significantly fewer mast cells independent of their immunization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "A Program to Change Management of Dairy Farms to Reduce Johne's Disease Prevalence," by W. Wapenaar and colleagues is presented.