Donor Stage Research Articles

The Effect of Functional Motivation on Future Intention to Donate Blood: Moderating Role of the Blood Donor's Stage.

The low retention rate and lack of long-term blood donors are still worldwide problems, and the fostering and retaining of more blood donors has posed an urgent problem that requires a solution. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of functional motivation and blood donor stage in the future intention to donate blood. Three sites in China provided 252 blood donors who filled out a questionnaire including the volunteer function inventory, their future intention to donate blood, number of blood donations and demographic information. Based on a functional motivation approach, we investigated the motivations that influence unpaid blood donors’ future intention through qualitative interview methods. The results showed that blood donor stage moderated the relationship between values motivation and future intention to donate blood. More specifically, the predictive effect of values motivation on future intention decreased gradually from new donors to regular donors. Our study found that the effect of various motivations on blood donors’ intention was conditional; this effect changed with the development of blood donor behavioral stages. The results are significant in practice for establishing effective intervene strategies in maintaining blood donors.

Investigating mitochondria as a target for treating age-related macular degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among older adults in the developed world. Although the pathological mechanisms have not been definitively elucidated, evidence suggests a key role for mitochondrial (mt) dysfunction. The current study used our unique collection of human retinal samples graded for the donor's stage of AMD to address fundamental questions about mtDNA damage in the retina. To evaluate the distribution of mtDNA damage in the diseased retina, damage in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and neural retina from individual donors were compared. To directly test a long-held belief that the macula is selectively damaged with AMD, RPE mtDNA damage was measured in the macula and peripheral sections from individual donors. Small segments of the entire mt genome were examined to determine whether specific regions are preferentially damaged. Our results show that mtDNA damage is limited to the RPE, equivalent mtDNA damage is found in the macular and peripheral RPE, and sites of damage are localized to regions of the mt genome that may impact mt function. These results provide a scientific basis for targeting the RPE mitochondria with therapies that protect and enhance mt function as a strategy for combating AMD.

Skeleton Pattern and Joint Formation in Chorioallantoic Grafts Containing the Distal Parts of the Chick Wing Bud

Skeleton pattern formation was examined in chick wing bud grafts using the chorioallantoic grafting method. The distal parts of the wing bud were excised from the donor wing and transplanted onto the chorioallantoic membrane (the experimental groups). Transplants with intact limb bud material served as the control group. The skeleton pattern formation in the grafts depended on the amount of transplanted material and donor's limb bud stage. The younger the donor's stage and the bigger the piece of the transplanted material the more proximal parts grafts had, more retarded growth and abnormal skeleton in the zeugopod and autopod was. The percentage of the signs of insufficient blood supply in the experimental groups was less than that in the control group. As the amount of the transplanted limb bud material decreased and donor's limb bud aged, post-axial polydactyly changed to the pre-axial one.

Egg transfer in cattle: pregnancy rate following transfer to the uterine horn ipsilateral or contralateral to the functional corpus luteum.

Abstract Embryos were recovered surgically 4 to 6 days after onset of estrus from superovulated donor cows in which estrus had been synchronized by long-term progestin treatment. Eggs considered to be at a stage of development consistent with the donor's stage of the estrous cycle were transferred singly to either the uterine horn ipsilateral or contralateral to the functional corpus luteum in long-term progestin-treated recipients. Pregnancy rates following ipsilateral and contralateral transfers were 54% and 39% respectively. The pregnancy rate and other aspects of the results are discussed.