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The evaluation of environmental enrichment techniques for nonhuman primates over long periods of time has had mixed results. Some studies report rapid habituation to new enrichment items, while others note continued use. We have investigated the use of three different enrichments that had been available to paired and singly caged chimpanzees for several years. Twenty subjects were observed during 200 hr of scan sampling while singly caged and while pair housed. Each subject had a variety of enrichments available and their use of a television, ball, and mirror were recorded. The chimpanzees had previous exposure to all of the items: televisions had been available for a mean of 22.75 months, balls had been available for 55.9 months, and mirrors had been available for 25.9 months. The results indicated that the chimpanzees continued to use the enrichments for small amounts of time (0.27%–1.53% of the observations) even after such prolonged exposure. Television and ball use were significantly higher than mirror use. Housing condition was not a significant factor in the analyses, contrary to expectations. We concluded that several simple enrichment items may be effective in offering variety and choices to the nonhuman primate and can be one element in a comprehensive environmental enhancement plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problematic alcohol and other drug use has a significant societal, personal, and financial burden. Nurses are key in responding to problematic alcohol and other drug use; however, research indicates many nurses hold negative attitudes towards people with substance and alcohol use disorders. Further, little content exists in most undergraduate degrees to address stigma held by new nurses. The objective of this scoping review, structured using Arksey and O'Malley's (International Journal of Social Research Methodology: Theory and Practice, 8 (1), 19–32, 2005) framework, is to examine studies that either explore or attempt to improve the knowledge and attitudes of undergraduate nurses caring for people who use alcohol and other drugs. Our initial search located 610 articles, and after screening, 14 articles were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) and included in this review. Most of the papers appraised were small, localized studies using evaluation methods considered low quality, but showed promising results in addressing stigma and confidence in providing care to people who use alcohol and other drugs. This review indicates that a consistent direction for improving knowledge and attitudes among undergraduate nursing students working with people who use alcohol and other drugs is urgently needed. Further studies of interventions, tested with more rigorous evaluation methodologies, are required to extend existing work in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current biodiversity crisis calls for effective conservation measures. However, some measures may have unforeseen negative consequences on individual species. Herding, a management practice currently used in some wildlife species to protect animals from poachers, can cause habituation to humans, which unintentionally might increase their risk of being poached at a later time. Herding could also negatively impact animal welfare and physiology when perceived as a stressor, with potential negative consequences at the individual and population level. In this study, we tested the following hypotheses: 1) herding elicits habituation to humans in white rhino, and 2) this practice affects the behavior and physiological state of rhino, but they can habituate to it. To that aim, we investigated the effects of herding on the response of rhino to initially unfamiliar people, expression of aggressive and discomfort behaviors, and fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations (a commonly used indicator of physiological stress) in two cohorts of six and 10 semi‐wild orphan white rhino. Rhino did not interrupt their activity to an approaching person on foot (99%) or in a vehicle (94%), indicating habituation to humans. Aggressive and discomfort behaviors were displayed more often while being herded, and their frequency increased significantly with increasing herding pressure. Finally, overall mean fGCM concentrations were 16.1% higher under herding compared to non‐herding conditions, but individual fGCM levels varied up to 17‐fold under each scenario, suggesting that herding might not elicit a physiological stress response in these animals. While rhino security is paramount in the current poaching crisis, management practices must ensure that they do not impact negatively at the individual and population level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for alternative polymer composites prepared by renewable resources is gaining increasing attention in the industrial sector. Here we prepared new polyurethane (PU) composite foams with high percentages of the natural vegetable fibers Spartium Junceum in conjunction with biodegradable polyethylene glycols (PEGs). The density and mechanical properties of PU foams were investigated. Further characterization of the morphology of these materials was carried out by scanning electron microscopy. Here we show that these properties can be easily tuned by changing the molecular length of PEGs, the weight ratio between the two principal monomers, and the fraction of water added to the reacting mixtures. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:3042-3049, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-year laboratory and field study was initiated in 2001 in response to mass mortalities associated with haemic neoplasia ( HN) in 1999 in Prince Edward Island ( PEI) soft-shell clams, Mya arenaria. A laboratory proximity experiment (cohabitation) and an inoculation challenge were conducted with clams and mussels ( Mytilus edulis). Three field exposure experiments were also conducted, in which naive clams were held in sediment (in trays) or out of sediment (in mesh bags) at three high HN prevalence sites on PEI. There was a conversion to HN positive in clams in the proximity experiment and in clams injected with whole blood and cell-free homogenate, but not at statistically significant levels. No mussels or control clams became HN positive. There was a significant conversion to HN positive in as little as 24 and 58 days after transfer with clams held out of sediment and in sediment, respectively. The laboratory and field experiments' results suggest that HN-infected clams are spreading the disease through water from infected clams to naïve individuals and via transplantation from affected to unaffected sites. Some environmental conditions (e.g. abnormally high water temperature and hypoxia-induced sea lettuce [ Ulva lacteus] invasion) may make clams susceptible to infections or exacerbate the proliferation of HN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haemic neoplasia was first considered a disease of concern for soft-shell clams in Prince Edward Island (PEI) when it was diagnosed as the cause of mass mortalities in 1999. The aetiology of the disease remains elusive, but has been associated with environmental degradation. In this study, a 2-year (2001-2002) geographic and seasonal survey was conducted for haemic neoplasia, using histology, in soft-shell clams from PEI. In addition, using geographic information system, the association between anthropogenic factors in the watersheds at sites affected by haemic neoplasia and the prevalence of the disease was investigated. Finally, histopathological changes were assessed in soft-shell clams experimentally exposed to four concentrations of chlorothalonil for 27 days. Haemic neoplasia could not be induced at any concentration of chlorothalonil. Clams exposed to a concentration of 1000 1g L_ 1 of the fungicide, however, exhibited an LC50 of 17 days. Although this information provides additional toxicity information (LC50) for soft-shell clams, further experiments are required to assess longer term exposure to the fungicide. The highest prevalences of haemic neoplasia in PEI were found in North River Correspondence D R Mateo, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Ave., Charlottetown, PE, Canada C1A 4P3 (e-mail: dmateo@upei.ca) and Miscouche (28.3-50.9% and 33.0-77.8%, respectively). No clear seasonal patterns were found. There was a correlation between haemic neoplasia prevalence and watersheds with a high percentage of potato acreage and forest coverage (P = 0.026 and P = 0.045, respectively), suggesting a link between anthropogenic activity and the prevalence of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keratinocytes make a stratified epidermoid structure when cultured at an air-liquid interface. The three-dimensional (3D) culture of keratinocytes has been successfully used for more than 25 years, but it is still unclear why keratinocytes stratify in response to air exposure. AP-1 proteins are ubiquitous transcription factors that regulate many biological processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. We established HaCaT-JunBΔN, a human keratinocyte cell line that expressed a mutant JunB with a dominant negative effect on AP-1 activity. Stratification of HaCaT-JunBΔN cells was markedly suppressed in a 3D culture condition, in which HaCaT cells stratified similarly to stratified squamous epithelia. However, HaCaT-JunBΔN cells had proliferation activities that were closely equivalent to those of HaCaT cells, under both two-dimensional (2D) and 3D culture conditions. To screen for the candidate gene responsible for the different stratification ability, we examined the gene expression profile of HaCaT cells before and after air exposure. Several genes with an antioxidative function, such as aldo-keto reductase and selenoprotein P were highly expressed after air exposure in HaCaT cells but not in HaCaT-JunBΔN cells. Our findings indicate the presence of a novel role of AP-1 activity when HaCaT cells make a stratified epidermoid structure under 3D culture conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the mechanical properties of reused polyethylene ecocomposites stuffed with natural organic fillers. The use of natural organic fillers to boot postconsumer reused polymers is getting a growing interest. One of the main categories of polymer composites is corresponded through polymers filled with glass fibers which fit to a number of applications. Hence, the interest rose toward polymer composites stuffed with natural organic fillers with reused polymer matrices.

Most adult patients under 60 years with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) who achieve a complete remission after induction chemotherapy will relapse if they do not receive further therapy. Consolidation treatment with autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT) is one option that has been studied extensively. High-dose cytotoxic therapy followed by autologous SCT or intensive cycles of chemotherapy furnish overall approximately similar probabilities of survival when applied in first remission. Here, we present a concise update regarding the place of autologous SCT in the treatment of AML. Particular issues discussed are the value of autologous SCT in different prognostic subsets of AML and the value of autologous mobilised peripheral blood stem cell transplants, which offer a much faster haematopoietic recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family degrades the extracellular matrix. One member of this family, MMP-1, initiates the breakdown of interstitial collagens. The expression of MMP-1 is controlled by the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway(s) via the activity of activator protein-1 (AP-1) and polyoma enhancing activity-3/E26 virus (PEA3/ETS) transcription factors through consensus binding sites present in the promoter. Another ETS site in the MMP-1 promoter is created at −1607 bp by a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), which contains two guanines (5′-GGAT-3′; ‘2G SNP’), rather one guanine (5′-GAT-3′; ‘1G SNP’), adjacent to an AP-1 binding site at −1602 bp. The 2G SNP displays greater transcriptional activity than the 1G SNP, and AP-1 and Ets families of transcription factors cooperate to increase transcription. The 2G SNP has been linked to the incidence and the progression of several cancer s and is also associated with non-neoplastic diseases; although the underlying mechanism(s) has yet to be elucidated. In this study we demonstrate that the expression of Fos-like region antigen (Fra-1), an AP-1 transcription factor component that also correlates strongly with neoplastic disease, is necessary for MMP-1 transcription in A2058 melanoma cells. The inhibition of Fra-1 expression preferentially downregulates transcription from the MMP-1 promoter DNA containing the 2G SNP, compared to DNA containing the 1G SNP. This study provides evidence that, in cooperation with the 2G DNA polymorphism, the AP-1 family member, Fra-1, contributes to the high constitutive expression of MMP-1 in melanoma cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endothelial cells (ECs) are a critical component of the bone marrow stroma in the regulation of haemopoiesis. Recovery of bone marrow aplasia after radiation exposure depends, in part, on the repair of radiation-induced endothelial damage. Therefore, we assessed the ability of an irradiated human bone marrow EC line (TrHBMEC) to support transmigration, proliferation and differentiation of CD34+ bone marrow cells either irradiated or not in transendothelial migration or co-culture models. Radiation-induced EC damage was reflected by an increased release of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM)-1 and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM)-1. Irradiation of TrHBMECs with a 10 Gy dose strongly enhanced the transmigration of CD34+ cells, granulo-monocytic progenitors (CFU-GM) and erythroid progenitors (BFU-E). While ICAM-1 and PECAM-1 expression on irradiated TrHBMECs was increased, only antibodies against PECAM-1 inhibited the radiation-induced enhanced transmigration of haemopoietic cells. Irradiation of TrHBMECs (5–15 Gy) also increased proliferation and differentiation towards the granulo-monocytic lineage of co-cultured CD34+ cells, as well as colony formation by those cells and the production of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (CSF) and granulocyte-macrophage CSF. Irradiated TrHBMECs were more capable of stimulating irradiated (1,2 Gy) CD34+ cells and haemopoietic progenitors than non-irradiated TrHBMECs. Together, these results suggest that, despite the radiation-induced damage, irradiated ECs may favour haemopoietic reconstitution after radiation exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laparoscopy has become increasingly popular in urology, reducing the invasiveness of treatment and shortening the period of convalescence. Adrenalectomy is one of the procedures most widely accepted for urologic laparoscopy. During the twenty-first century, most urologic operations will likely be performed laparoscopically, benefiting from advancements in medical engineering. The development of new tissue approximation methods, tissue retrieval systems, microlaparoscopic instruments, sensor technology, and telerobotics, as well as virtual reality, will contribute to the establishment of safe, easy laparoscopic urologic surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of World Journal of Surgery is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of World Journal of Surgery is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of World Journal of Surgery is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article presents the program of the Sixteenth Annual Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists, scheduled for August 18-22, 1993 in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The Society is pleased to support the display of a privately owned antique collection or nonhuman primate prints at the meeting of the society. The Barbados Primate Research Center and Wildlife Reserve is proud to display a collection of original engravings of monkeys and apes. It represents early efforts to show nonhuman primates in a scientific (albeit anthropomorphic) style, drawn from a wide range of zoological publications.

Summary Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is known to act as a tumour suppressor early in carcinogenesis, but then switches to a pro-metastatic factor in some late stage cancers. However, the actions of TGF-β are context dependent, and it is currently unclear how TGF-β influences the progression of human squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). This study examined the effect of overexpression of TGF-β1 or TGF-β2 in Ras-transfected human malignant epidermal keratinocytes that represent the early stages of human SCC. In vitro, the proliferation of cells overexpressing TGF-β1 or TGF-β2 was inhibited by exogenous TGF-β1; cells overexpressing TGF-β1 also grew more slowly than controls, but the growth rate of TGF-β2 overexpressing cells was unaltered. However, cells that overexpressed either TGF-β1 or TGF-β2 were markedly more invasive than controls in an organotypic model of SCC. The proliferation of the invading TGF-β1 overexpressing cells in the organotypic assays was higher than controls. Similarly, tumours formed by the TGF-β1 overexpressing cells following transplantation to athymic mice were larger than tumours formed by control cells and proliferated at a higher rate. Our results demonstrate that elevated expression of either TGF-β1 or TGF-β2 in cells that represent the early stages in the development of human SCC results in a more aggressive phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An author index for the 2009 issue of the journal "Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research," is presented.