The neuromuscular system in continuously swimming cercariae from Belarus. II Echinostomata, Gymnocephala and Amphistomata

The neuromuscular system in cercariae of Moliniella anceps, Echinostoma revolutum, Cathaemasia hians, Psilochasmus oxyurus, Sphaeridiotrema globulus, Paramphistomum cervi and Diplodiscus subclavatus was studied with immunocytochemical methods and confocal scanning laser microscopy. The patterns of F-actin in the musculature, 5-HT immunoreactive (IR), FMRFamide-IR neuronal elements and ??-tubulin-IR sensory receptors were investigated. The general patterns of musculature, 5-HT- and FMRFamide-IR neuronal elements in the 12 species studied here and in paper I are similar to those observed in other cercariae and reflect the morphology of the groups. The musculature of the tail shows variations which are related to the different strategies of host finding. In the Echinostomatoidea and Paramphistomoidea, the striated musculature of the tail is well developed compared to that in the Xiphidiocercariae. Specialized muscle fibres were found in S. globulus, which are able to change the shape of the tail. Nine of the species studied have seven paired 5-HT-IR neurons in the body, and two species have eight. No correlation between the body size and the number of 5-HT-IR neurons was observed. However, the size of the neurons followed the body size. The number of 5-HT-IR neurons in the brain ganglia increased from the primitive to the advanced forms. The number of FMRFamide-IR transverse commissures in the body correlates with the size of the cercariae. Regardless of the differences in the second intermediate host, the distribution of ??-tubulin-IR sensory receptors shows a high degree of conformity in all species except in P. cervi, which encysts on plants.     

The neuro-muscular system in continuously swimming cercariae from Belarus. I Xiphidiocercariae

The neuromuscular system (NMS) in cercariae of Neoastiotrema trituri, Plagiorchis elegans, Omphalometra flexuosa, Skrjabinoeces similis and Prosthogonimus ovatus was studied with immunocytochemical methods and confocal scanning laser microscopy. The patterns of F-actin in the musculature, 5-HT immunoreactive (IR), FMRFamide-IR neuronal elements and α-tubulin-IR sensory receptors were investigated, and they were found to be rather similar in all the cercariae studied. Four species have seven paired 5-HT-IR neurons in the body, and P. elegans has eight. N. trituri has three 5-HT-IR neurons in each brain ganglion, while the other species have four. A high degree of conformity in the structure of the NMS was observed, probably reflecting the close phylogenetic relationship and the similar strategy of host finding.     

Reflect and learn together - when two supervisors interact in the learning support process of nurse education

berglund m., sjögren r. & ekebergh m. (2012) Journal of Nursing Management 20, 152–158
Reflect and learn together – when two supervisors interact in the learning support process of nurse education Aim To describe the importance of supervisors working together in supporting the learning process of nurse students through reflective caring science supervision. Background A supervision model has been developed in order to meet the need for interweaving theory and practice. The model is characterized by learning reflection in caring science. A unique aspect of the present project was that the student groups were led by a teacher and a nurse. Method Data were collected through interviews with the supervisors. The analysis was performed with a phenomenological approach. Results The results showed that theory and practice can be made more tangible and interwoven by using two supervisors in a dual supervision. The essential structure is built on the constituents ‘Reflection as Learning Support’, ‘Interweaving Caring Science with the Patient’s Narrative’, ‘The Student as a Learning Subject’ and ‘The Learning Environment of Supervision’. Conclusion The study concludes that supervision in pairs provides unique possibilities for interweaving and developing theory and practice. Implications for nursing management The supervision model offers unique opportunities for cooperation, for the development of theory and practice and for the development of the professional roll of nurses and teachers.     

A critical re-examination of sexual dimorphism in the corpus callosum microstructure

Recent diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) studies suggest sexual dimorphism in the micro-structural architecture of the corpus callosum. However, the corpus callosum is also found to be larger in males than in females, a fact that might introduce a systematic bias to the analysis of DTI parameters. Diffusion parameters obtained in the larger male corpus callosum could be less affected by partial-volume averaging with surrounding non-callosal tissue than respective parameters obtained in the smaller female corpus callosum, i.e. the sex of the subject and partial-volume effects would be confounded. The objective of the present DTI study was to re-examine microstructural sex differences in the corpus callosum, while controlling for corpus callosum size differences between sexes. We compared 41 female and 34 male participants using regional tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis. Clusters of significantly higher fractional anisotropy (FA) and lower diffusion strength in males compared to females were detected in the genu and truncus of the corpus callosum. However, only the sex difference located in the anterior genu subregions could be unequivocally interpreted. This was the only cluster where the diffusion parameters did not correlate with regional callosal size. The present results indicate a stronger inter-hemispheric connectivity between the frontal lobes in males than females, which might be related to sex differences in hemispheric asymmetry and brain size.     

Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder - a diffusion-tensor imaging study of the corpus callosum

The objective of the present study was to investigate the microstructure and the macrostructure of the corpus callosum (CC) in adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Twenty-nine participants with ADHD and 37 controls were included from the Norwegian ADHD project in Bergen. We measured the fractional anisotropy (FA) values, as well as the size of different subdivisions of the CC, using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and anatomical MRI. The isthmus/splenium part of the CC in the ADHD group showed reduced FA values compared to the control group, whereas the size of the CC did not differ across groups. Our findings thus demonstrate a divergence between microstructural and macrostructural measures in the CC of adults with ADHD. This contrasts with findings in children demonstrating callosal abnormalities in both microstructure and macrostructure. Our results may indicate that adults with ADHD in part have succeeded in passing by an earlier developmental delay of the CC, resulting in a normalization of callosal macrostructure into adulthood. However, microstructural differences are still present in adults, which may point to an abnormal lateralization in adults with ADHD, or could be a sign of a persisting impairment.     

Gender Inequality and Sex Differences in Physical Fighting,Physical Activity,and Injury Among Adolescents Across 36 Countries

Purpose

Sex differences in adolescent health are widely documented, but social explanations for these sex differences are scarce. This study examines whether societal gender inequality (i.e., men's and women's unequal share in political participation, decision-making power, economic participation, and command over resources) relates to sex differences in adolescent physical fighting, physical activity, and injuries.

The effect of a nitric oxide donor on the synthesis of cGMP in Hymenolepis diminuta: a radiometric study

The formation of cGMP in homogenates of the adult rat-tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta was followed with a radiometric assay during 3 h after stimulation with the nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and in the presence of isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX). The level of cGMP was stable in worms incubated with IBMX during the first hour. After 3 h of incubation, the level of cGMP had declined by 27%. Addition of SNP stimulated the formation of cGMP during the first hour of incubation. After 3 h of incubation, a two-fold decline in cGMP formation was observed. The rate of nitric oxide (NO) release by the worm was determined by a spectrophotometric assay for the accumulation of nitrites and nitrates, the stable degradation products of NO, using the Griess reaction. The results are discussed from the perspective of the current concept on the role of the nitrergic mechanisms in the flatworm nervous system.     

Applying the chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane assay to study treatment approaches in urothelial carcinoma

Background

Rapid development of novel treatment options demands valid preclinical screening models for urothelial carcinoma (UC). The translational value of high-throughput drug testing using 2-dimensional (2D) cultures is limited while for xenograft models handling efforts and costs often become prohibitive for larger-scale drug testing. Therefore, we investigated to which extent the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay might provide an alternative model to study antineoplastic treatment approaches for UC.