Tissue-Specific Tolerance to High-Temperature and Nutrient-Poor Conditions in a Canopy-Forming Macroalga, Surviving at an Ocean Warming Hotspot.

Most canopy-forming macroalgae have disappeared from temperate reefs in southern Japan, one of the ocean warming hotspots, but Sargassum nipponicum is surviving in this region. As this species' annual shoots emerge from holdfasts during summer, both plant components may be highly tolerant to warm and nutrient-poor conditions in this season. The present study examined the effects of temperature and nutrient conditions on holdfast growth, shoot emergence from holdfasts, and shoot growth in S. nipponicum samples collected in Tanegashima Island, southern Japan. The summer temperature in this region (30 °C) allowed holdfast growth and shoot emergence but inhibited shoot growth. Nutrient-poor conditions had limited effects on the first two parameters but suppressed shoot growth. These results suggested that during warm summers and under nutrient-poor conditions in southern Japan, shoots can emerge from S. nipponicum holdfasts but cannot further grow. Additionally, nutrient loading from a nearby river was higher at the only site dominated by S. nipponicum, than at the other sites where this species was absent on Tanegashima Island. This was observed especially between autumn and winter, implying that such a nutrient-rich environment may contribute to shoot growth in S. nipponicum and to the persistence of its population in the area.

Evolution of bidirectional sex change and gonochorism in fishes of the gobiid genera Trimma, Priolepis, and Trimmatom.

Size-advantage and low-density models have been used to explain how mating systems favor hermaphroditism or gonochorism. However, these models do not indicate historical transitions in sexuality. Here, we investigate the evolution of bidirectional sex change and gonochorism by phylogenetic analysis using the mitochondrial gene of the gobiids Trimma (31 species), Priolepis (eight species), and Trimmatom (two species). Trimma and Priolepis formed a clade within the sister group Trimmatom. Gonadal histology and rearing experiments revealed that Trimma marinae, Trimma nasa, and Trimmatom spp. were gonochoric, whereas all other Trimma and Priolepis spp. were bidirectional sex changers or inferred ones. A maximum-likelihood reconstruction analysis demonstrated that the common ancestor of the three genera was gonochoristic. Bidirectional sex change probably evolved from gonochorism in a common ancestor of Trimma and Priolepis. As the gonads of bidirectional sex changers simultaneously contain mature ovarian and immature testicular components or vice versa, individuals are always potentially capable of functioning as females or males, respectively. Monogamy under low-density conditions may have been the ecological condition for the evolution of bidirectional sex change in a common ancestor. As T. marinae and T. nasa are a monophyletic group, gonochorism should have evolved from bidirectional sex change in a common ancestor.

Predictors of recognition and practice of family nursing among healthcare professionals in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Although many nurses have become aware of the importance of family-centered nursing, very little is known about the advanced knowledge and intervention skills of family nursing in Japan. OBJECTIVES: We examined the characteristics of their recognition of family nursing and factors related to the practice of family nursing. METHODS: The subjects were nursing staff at a large hospital in Fukuoka, Japan (n=596). A study using self-administered questionnaires was conducted in October 2002. Factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Of 596 nurses, 376 returned questionnaires (63.6%). The study achieved the following findings. (1) The nurse's recognition of family nursing had four subscales: skills required to interview family members to construct a trusted relationship; assessment of family structure and family functioning; interventional skills of family nursing; and skills to collect information on family members. (2) The predictors of family nursing recognition were 'gender', 'job position in hospital', 'individual experience of caring for their family members', 'length of clinical experience' and 'types of wards where they work'. (3) The predictors of practice of family nursing were 'interventional skills of family nursing', 'skills to collect information on family members' and the 'total of four skills'. CONCLUSIONS: It is implied that the acquisition of knowledge and skills of family nursing in hospital settings are invaluable to consciousness-raising and practice of family nursing. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: As the factors related to practice or recognition of family nursing have been identified, the present findings are useful for hospital administrators who want to promote family nursing in their hospitals.

Relationship between the treatment targets and the blood glucose concentration and the quality of life in the diabetic patients / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective To investigate the current situation of the cognition of diabetic patients to the targets of treatment and management,and then make clear the relationship between the treatment targets and the blood glucose concentration and the quality of life among diabetic patients. Methods Investigated 150 diabetic patients randomly by 3 kinds of scales: ① targets of treatment and management scale;② quality of life scale;③ communication between the doctor and the patients questionary. Results When the patients set the targets of treatment and management,especially these targets were in agreement with those of doctor,their blood sugar were always controlled well(P

[A study on the factors influencing the acceptance of disability and depression of home oxygen therapy patients].

The purpose of this study was to clarify the factors which affect the acceptance of disability and depression of home oxygen therapy (HOT) patients. Subjects consisted of 74 male and 29 female HOT patients, for a total of 103 subjects with chronic respiratory problems. The mean age was 72.1 years (SD = 9.3). A questionnaire survey consisting if the following independent variables 1) demography factor 2) disease specific factor 3) psycho-sociological factor was implemented. The Linkowski AD scale was used to assess the acceptance of disability and the CES-D scale for the assessment of depression. Multiple regression analysis was applied in order to extract the factors which affect acceptance of disability and depression. The following are the results. The psycho-sociological factor items'depression (beta = -.273)', 'interpersonal exchange with individuals other than family members (beta = .270)', 'the range of activity (beta = .203)' were found to be significant variables influencing the acceptance of disability, accounting for 48.3% of the explained variance. As for the factors influencing depression, the demographic factor item'age (beta = -.174)', disease specific factor item'dyspnea (beta = .284)', psycho -sociological factor items'being worried about oxygen inhalation in public (beta = .218)', 'mental support from family (beta = -.228)', 'interpersonal exchange with individuals other than family members (beta = -.205)', 'the degree of exchange with individuals with the same disease (beta = -.170)' 'the range of activity (beta = -.201)' were found to be significant variables accounting for 48.9% of the explained variance. For acceptance of disability and get over depression, we suggest the importance of the intervention for keep a sociality.

[A study on the factors influencing the anxiety of family members in the emergency department].

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors which affect anxiety of family members in the emergency department (ED). 174 family members of patients participated in this study. The age of family members was a mean of 43.1 (range: 20 to 84) years and 59.8% of them were women. The informations were obtained from a questionnaire filled out by the family members when they were waiting during examination and treatment of the patients. In this study, we divided the factors that influence the anxiety of family members into 4 categories; demographic factors, the family's individual factors, factors associated illness, and environmental factors in the ED. Multiple regression analysis with SPSS was used to identify the variables contributing to the variance in anxiety. We used the State Anxiety Inventory (S-STAI) to measure anxiety. As a result, 8 variables involving in severity of illness, situation in the emergency room, disagreement between perceived severity of illness and actual severity of illness, having symptoms of trauma, neurological, heart, and respiratory problems, waiting time, family needs, naturally anxious personality and a first visit patient were identified as significant predictors of anxiety. These variables accounted for 46.9% of total variance. These results suggest that nurses need more interaction with family members to reduce their anxiety.