The power of multiple methods and evidence sources: Raising the profile of Canadian counselling psychology research.

In counselling psychology, research and practice are viewed as mutually informative, and Canadian counselling psychologists conduct research in a wide range of areas, utilizing a wide range of research methods. However, there are few Canadian publications that give prominence to counselling psychology scholarly work. Over the past decade, two trends have become more prominent in the practice of counselling psychology: evidence-based practice and outcome-focused intervention. Traditionally, empirical evidence for the efficacy of practice interventions has come from randomized controlled trials. This fails to reflect the diversity of methods and practice that Canadian counselling psychologists utilize. To address this discrepancy, in this article we provide some alternate ways for obtaining empirical support for the predictive efficacy of counselling interventions. We conclude by addressing some challenges currently facing counselling psychologists in Canada (i.e., publication venues, funding for research, the connection between research and practice, preparation of students) and describing some ways for raising the profile of counselling psychology research and practice in Canada. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relating microbiological criteria to food safety objectives and performance objectives

Microbiological criteria, food safety objectives and performance objectives, and the relationship between them are discussed and described in the context of risk-based food safety management. A modified method to quantify the sensitivity of attributes sampling plans is presented to show how sampling plans can be designed to assess a microbiological criterion. Examples presented show that testing of processed foods for confirmation of safety is often not a practical option, because too many samples would need to be analysed. Nonetheless, in such cases the classical “ICMSF cases” and sampling schemes still offer a risk-based approach for examining food lots for regulatory or trade purposes.     

Photoperiodic effects on dairy cattle: a review

Since the initial report in 1978 of galactopoietic effects of a photoperiod of 16 h of light:8 h of darkness, numerous studies have confirmed long-day stimulation of milk yield. The endocrine factor(s) responsible for increased milk yield, however, has eluded identification. Recent studies suggest that insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) may mediate the galactopoietic response to long day photoperiod. Indeed, long days increase IGF-I in heifers and lactating cows; in the latter case, the response preceded an increase in milk yield. In heifers and cows, the increase in IGF-I is independent of changes in circulating growth hormone. Melatonin feeding to mimic a short-day photoperiod suppressed the increase of IGF-I in heifers induced by long days. However, melatonin feeding had no effect on milk yield in cows. Despite lack of resolution of the endocrine mechanism, dairy producers are interested in how photoperiod management can be integrated with current practices throughout the lactation cycle. There is strong evidence that milk yield responses to long days persist through an entire lactation. Also, long days can be combined with bovine somatotropin (bST) to produce additive increases in milk yield. During the dry period, long days increase the periparturient surge of prolactin. However, relative to long days, short-day treatment during the dry period produces the largest magnitude of response in milk yield during the subsequent lactation. The response to short days during the dry period may be due to a priming effect on the photoperiodic response system. In summary, IGF-I has emerged as a possible mediator of the increase of milk yield in response to long-day photoperiod. Photoperiod can be combined effectively with other management techniques such as bST. Consideration of photoperiod management during the dry period is essential to maximize responses during the subsequent lactation.     

Microbial risk assessment: dose-response relations and risk characterization

Characterizations of the risks associated with foodborne pathogens are dependent on the availability of information on the population's exposure to the biological agents. However, by itself, exposure data are insufficient to assess the public health impact of pathogenic microorganisms. This requires the availability of effective dose-response models. Successful development of models that describe dose-response relations for enteric pathogens is dependent on a sound understanding of the mechanisms of pathogenicity associated with individual pathogens. This includes knowledge of how the various pathogen, host, and food matrix factors influence pathogenicity. Currently, a group of sigmoidal mathematical equations are used to empirically describe dose-response relations. While these have proven to be highly useful, advances in microbial food safety risk assessment will likely require the development of mechanistic models that more effectively consider the range of factors that influence the frequency and severity of foodborne infections in a population.     

General method for plasmid construction using homologous recombination

We describe a general method for plasmid assembly that uses yeast and extends beyond yeast-specific research applications. This technology exploits the homologous recombination, double-stranded break repair pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to join DNA fragments. Synthetic, double-stranded "recombination linkers" were used to "subclone" a DNA fragment into a plasmid with > 80% efficiency. Quantitative data on the influence of DNA concentration and overlap length on the efficiency of recombination are presented. Using a simple procedure, plasmids were shuttled from yeast into E. coli for subsequent screening and large-scale plasmid preps. This simple method for plasmid construction has several advantages. (i) It bypasses the need for extensive PCR amplification and for purification, modification and/or ligation techniques routinely used for plasmid constructions. (ii) The method does not rely on available restriction sites, thus fragment and vector DNA can be joined within any DNA sequence. This enables the use of multifunctional cloning vectors for protein expression in mammalian cells, other yeast species, E. coli and other expression systems as discussed. (iii) Finally, the technology exploits yeast strains, plasmids and microbial techniques that are inexpensive and readily available.     

Rapid detection of epidemic strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Fifty methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) initial isolates obtained from patients hospitalized in the orthopedic clinic of the Frankfurt University Hospital and 150 methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) isolates were investigated in this study to determine whether the Slidex Staph-Kit is capable of differentiating between MRSA and MSSA owing to its unique performance characteristics. The Slidex Staph-Kit is a combined latex hemagglutination test designed to detect clumping factor, protein A, and a specific surface immunogen for S. aureus. Clumping factor-positive strains cause erythrocytes sensitized with fibrinogen to hemagglutinate, thereby resulting in visible red clumps. S. aureus strains deficient in clumping factor agglutinate latex particles sensitized with specific antibodies against surface proteins of S. aureus, thereby resulting in visible white clumps. Our results demonstrate that white clumping has a 99% specificity as well as a 98% positive predictive value for MRSA. Clumping factor-negative MRSA, which have been reported to occur in several countries, are epidemic in the Frankfurt area and account for 80% of all MRSA initial isolates in the orthopedic clinic of the Frankfurt University Hospital. Genotyping of all MRSA isolates by macrorestriction analysis of chromosomal DNA revealed that 83% of clumping factor-negative MRSA are closely related to the "southern-German" epidemic strain. This is the first study demonstrating the Slidex Staph-Kit's capability for identifying epidemic clumping factor-negative S. aureus strains as methicillin resistant even prior to antimicrobial susceptibility testing.     

Effects of pH and acid resistance on the radiation resistance of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

The effects of pH and the induction of pH-dependent stationary-phase acid resistance on the radiation resistance of Escherichia coli were determined for seven enterohemorrhagic strains and one nonenterohemorrhagic strain. The isolates were grown in acidogenic or nonacidogenic media to pH levels of approximately 4.7 and 7.2, respectively. The cells were then transferred to brain heart infusion (BHI) broth adjusted to pH 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, and 5.5 (with HCl) that was preequilibrated to 2 degrees C, and cultures were then irradiated using a 137Cs source. Surviving cells and the extent of injury were determined by plating on BHI and MacConkey agars both immediately after irradiation and after subsequent storage at 2 degrees C for 7 days. Decreasing the pH of the BHI in which E. coli was irradiated had relatively little effect on the microorganism's radiation resistance. Substantial differences in radiation resistance were noted among strains, and induction of acid resistance consistently increased radiation resistance. Comparison of E. coli levels immediately after irradiation and after 7 days of refrigerated storage suggested that irradiation enhanced pH-mediated inactivation of the pathogen. These results demonstrate that prior growth under conditions that induce a pH-dependent stationary phase cross-protects E. coli against radiation inactivation and must be taken into account when determining the microorganism's irradiation D value.     

Protein kinase C regulates a vesicular class of calcium channels in the bag cell neurons of aplysia

Protein kinase C (PKC) acutely increases calcium currents in Aplysia bag cell neurons by recruiting calcium channels different from those constitutively active in the plasma membrane. To study the mechanism of PKC regulation we previously identified two calcium channel alpha1-subunits expressed in bag cell neurons. One of these, BC-alpha1A, is localized to vesicles concentrated primarily in somata and growth cones. We used antibodies to BC-alpha1A to analyze its expression in the bag cell neurons of juvenile Aplysia at a developmental stage at which PKC-sensitive calcium currents have previously been shown to be low. We find that vesicular BC-alpha1A staining is generally reduced in juvenile bag cell neurons but that its expression level can vary among juvenile animals. In 17 bag cell clusters examined, the percentage of neurons that displayed punctate alphaBC-alpha1A staining ranged from 0 to 85%. Sampling of calcium currents from cells of the same clusters by whole cell patch-clamp techniques revealed that the PKC-sensitive calcium current density is significantly correlated with the degree of vesicular staining. In contrast, no correlation of basal calcium current levels with aBC-alpha1A staining was found. These results strongly suggest that BC-alpha1A, a member of the ABE-subfamily of calcium channels, carries the PKC-sensitive calcium current in bag cell neurons. They are consistent with a model in which PKC recruits channels from the vesicular pool to the plasma membrane.     

Schizophrenia research: a biennium of progress. Proceedings from the Sixth International Congress on Schizophrenia Research. Colorado Springs, CO, April 12-16, 1997

The Sixth International Congress on Schizophrenia Research (ICOSR) took place in Colorado Springs, Colorado, April 12-16, 1997, where over 1,000 scientists presented and listened to the latest developments in the search for the cause and treatment of schizophrenia. The ICOSR is sponsored by Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Case Western Reserve University, and the William K. Warren Foundation. The National Institute of Mental Health and several pharmaceutical companies contributed generously to the meeting. The ICOSR is co-organized by Dr. Carol A. Tamminga, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland at Baltimore, and Dr. S. Charles Schulz, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. The William K. Warren Research Award is given to a senior investigator, who has made outstanding contributions to our understanding of schizophrenia. The fifth William K. Warren Research Award was presented to Dr. Philip S. Holzman in recognition of his contributions to the identification of eye-tracking abnormalities as a potential phenotypic marker of the illness and also in recognition of his work as a lifelong mentor for schizophrenia researchers. The ICOSR Young Investigator Awards are presented to junior investigators who have demonstrated the potential to make significant contributions to research on schizophrenia. These awards promote scientific development by enabling these young researchers to attend the meeting. There were 30 Young Investigator Award winners. The ICOSR meeting is organized into four sessions: (1) a morning plenary session; (2) a plenary lecture; (3) a poster session; and (4) concurrent afternoon oral sessions. The morning plenary sessions are comprised of a set of 30-minute lectures, which provide an overview of a particular topic area relevant to schizophrenia research. The plenary lecture is an invited lecture on a basic topic related to current research efforts in schizophrenia. The poster sessions provide a forum for the presentation of prepublication reports of basic and clinical science projects. The afternoon sessions are a collection of approximately 10 focused presentations on current research projects related to a specific topic area. The purpose of this report is to provide an account of the proceedings from the plenary and afternoon oral sessions.