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Summary A unique outbred by inbred F1 resource population was established. The population structure facilitated the unique opportunity of examining gene by genetic background interaction through crossing two modern broiler sires with dams from two unrelated inbred lines, with no selection for growth rate, to produce about 600 F1 chicks. Pools of DNA were generated from the phenotypic extremes (20% high and low) for 8-week body weight for each of the four combinations of sire and dam line. For one sire family, pools were also separately generated for each sex. The pools were genoyped with 25 informative (segregating) microsatellites. This unique F1 cross between outbred and inbred populations allowed use of the inbred alleles as an ‘internal control’ for polymerase chain reaction amplification quality in DNA pools. Ten microsatellites showed marked differences (P < 0.05) in allele frequencies between high and low pools, suggesting an association between marker and quantitative trait loci (QTL). These differences were verified using selective genotyping. For many markers, differences in allele frequencies between the high and the low pools, or marker effect, varied between the two dam lines and the two sexes, suggesting an interaction between some genes and the genetic background as represented by different dam lines or sexes. The suggestive marker–QTL associations identified in this F1 population demonstrate the efficiency of this population design while different QTL effects in different genetic line crosses and sexes highlight the importance of gene by genetic background interaction in QTL detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Excessive alcohol consumption causes significant mortality, morbidity, economic and social problems in the United Kingdom (UK). Despite strong evidence for the effectiveness of brief intervention to reduce excessive drinking in primary health care, there is little indication that such intervention routinely occurs. AIMS: This study aimed to explore primary health care nurses' attitudes and practices regarding brief alcohol intervention in order to understand why it is underexploited. METHODS: The study design was qualitative, using a grounded theory approach to data collection and analysis. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 24 nurses from practices that had previously been involved in a General Practitioner (GP) led brief alcohol intervention trial in the North-east of England. A combination of convenience and purposive sampling was used to recruit subjects and gain a broad range of perspectives on issues emerging from ongoing data-analysis until data saturation occurred. RESULTS: It was clear that although primary health care nurses have many opportunities to engage in alcohol intervention, most have received little or no preparation for this work. This has left nurses at a disadvantage as alcohol consumption is a confusing and emotive area for both health professionals and patients. An analysis of factors influencing nurse involvement in alcohol intervention outlined a requirement for clear health messages about alcohol, training in intervention skills, facilitation to enhance confidence regarding intervention and support to help deal with negative patient reactions. CONCLUSIONS: As current health policy is to encourage, sustain and extend the health promotion and public health role of primary care nurses, more attention should be given to providing them with better preparation and support to carry out such work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dissolution rates for 238U, 230Th, and 231Pa from 8 contaminated soils in simulated lung fluid were determined. The soil samples were provided by the US Army Corps of Engineers and were collected from various areas at their St. Louis, Missouri FUSRAP sites. Each soil was subjected to a 100 day in vitro dissolution experiment, during which the amount of each radionuclide that had dissolved was periodically measured. At the conclusion of the experiment, a plot of the relative amount of radionuclide dissolved vs. time was constructed for each radionuclide in each soil. The dissolution rates for each radionuclide were then determined by fitting multiple first-order exponential functions to each plot. The results of these experiments were then used assign in vitro dissolution rate classifications to each radionuclide in each soil according to ICRP 30 guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper articulates the problems of journal publication in a relatively small country such as Romania where locally (i.e. nationally) published journals include most of the national medical scientific output. The starting point was a study ordered by the Cluj University of Medicine and Pharmacy Scientific Council, for the purpose of obtaining an objectively ranked list of all current Romanian biomedical journals that could be used in the evaluation of the scientific activity of the university academic staff. Sixty-five current biomedical journals were identified--of which more than half were new titles that had appeared over the past 5 years. None of these are included in the Science Citation Index or Journal Citation Reports (JCR). A set of criteria was used for ranking the journals: peer review, inclusion in international databases, publication time lag, language of articles and abstracts, journal specific index and domestic impact factor. The period covered, along with tools and formulas used are presented. The problems of Romanian biomedical journals as well as ways of improving publishing standards are discussed. Also emphasized is the necessity for increased awareness in the medical scholarly community and the role of the library in this respect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isotopic ratios of240Pu/239Pu in environmental samples can provide improtant data for identifying and confirming contamination sources. One low cost alternative for performing this analysis uses a combination of high resolution alpha-spectroscopy and spectrum analysis software. This method uses unmodified, commercially available equipment and software. Plutonium alpha-spectra were gathered with an alpha-spectrometer system set up for low-level actinide determination. Experimental spectra were imported into a commercially available data analysis program, and fit with mathematical descriptions of alpha-peaks using the Marquardt-Levenberg algorithm. The spectra was then deconvoluted into its239Pu and240Pu components and the activity ratio was calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chicken immunoglobulin ( Ig) lambda light chain promoter contains an octamer motif (–106) and a TATA box (–70). Two lymphoid cell lines, DT40 (B-cell line) and MSB1 (T-cell line), were used to test the activity of the germline promoter and the function of the octamer motif. The promoter was functional only in B cells in the presence of SV40 enhancer. Mutation of the octamer motif eliminated the transcriptional activity of the Ig promoter. These results suggest that the chicken Ig promoter functions similarly to mammalian Ig promoters in that it plays a role in tissue specificity and requires both an enhancer and an intact octamer motif for activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 0.7 kilobase (kb) DNA fragment from the 5′ flanking region of a chicken major histocompatibility complex ( MHC) class II B gene was cloned into chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter vectors and was transfected into a chicken macrophage cell line that expresses a low level of MHC class II antigens. Positive orientation-dependent promoter activity of the chicken DNA was evident in a reporter construct containing an SV40 enhancer. Deletion analysis of this 0.7 kb DNA fragment revealed a short fragment in the 3′ end that was crucial for the promoter function and negative regulatory elements ( NRE) located further upstream. The conserved MHC class II X and Y boxes did not have a significant effect on promoter activity. Sequence analysis of the 0.7 kb class II B gene upstream region suggests possible involvement of interferon (IFN), E twenty-six specific (ETS)-related proteins, and other factors in regulating this promoter. A chicken T-cell line culture supernatant increased surface expression of MHC class II antigens, as well as class II promoter activity, in this macrophage cell line. This first functional characterization of a chicken MHC class II B gene promoter will aid in understanding the regulatory mechanisms that control the expression of these genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three commercial broiler pure lines were evaluated for associations of sire BF2 (major histocompatibility complex class I) alleles with progeny phenotypic traits. Significant BF2 associations with a subset of traits were observed in two lines. The BF2*21 allele was positively associated with antibody titre to infectious bursal disease virus in both lines. Other associations were line-specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mx1 gene in mice is induced by type I interferons and is the major determinant of resistance to influenza virus and related orthomyxoviruses. It has been previously shown that a SNP in exon 13 of the chicken MX1 gene determines differential antiviral activity of the protein. We evaluated this SNP and two additional SNPs in elite broiler lines by PCR amplification and sequence analysis. Associations between MX1 exon 13 SNPs and several traits of economic interest were evaluated. Significant associations were found between the SNP determining antiviral activity and mortality in one line and leg defects in another line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]