bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An In Vitro Biomechanical Comparison of a Prototype Equine Metacarpal Dynamic Compression Plate Fixation with Double Dynamic Compression Plate Fixation of Osteotomized Equine Third Metacarpal Bones
Authors: SOD GARY A. , HUBERT JEREMY D. , MARTIN GEORGE S. , GILL MARJORIE S.
Published: November 2005

ObjectivesTo compare the monotonic biomechanical properties of a prototype equine third metacarpal dynamic compression plate (EM‐DCP) fixation with a double broad dynamic compression plate (DCP) fixation to repair osteotomized equine third metacarpal (MC3) bones.

Study DesignIn vitro biomechanical testing of paired cadaveric equine MC3 with a mid‐diaphyseal osteotomy, stabilized by 1 of 2 methods for fracture fixation.

PopulationTwelve pairs of adult equine cadaveric MC3 bones.

MethodsTwelve pairs of equine MC3 were divided into 3 test groups (4 pairs each) for (1) 4‐point bending single cycle to failure testing, (2) 4‐point bending cyclic fatigue testing, and (3) torsional testing. The EM‐DCP (10‐hole, 4.5 mm) was applied to the dorsal surface of one randomly selected bone from each pair. Two DCPs, 1 dorsally (10‐hole, 4.5 mm broad) and 1 laterally (9‐hole, 4.5 mm broad) were applied to the contralateral bone from each pair. All plates and screws were applied using standard AO/ASIF techniques to MC3 bones that had mid‐diaphyseal osteotomies. Mean test variable values for each method were compared using a paired t‐test within each group. Significance was set atP<.05.

ResultsMean 4‐point bending yield load, yield bending moment, bending composite rigidity, failure load and failure bending moment of the EM‐DCP fixation were significantly greater (P<.0001) than those of the double broad DCP fixation. Mean cycles to failure in 4‐point bending of the EM‐DCP fixation was significantly greater (P<.0008) than that of the double broad DCP fixation. Mean yield load, composite rigidity, and failure load in torsion of the EM‐DCP fixation were significantly greater (P<.0035) than that of the double broad DCP fixation.

ConclusionThe EM‐DCP provides increased stability in both static overload testing and cyclic fatigue testing.

Clinical RelevanceResults of this in vitro study support the conclusion that the prototype EM‐DCP fixation is biomechanically superior to the double broad DCP fixation for the stabilization of osteotomized equine MC3.
Subtotal Ostectomy of Dorsal Spinous Processes Performed in Nine Standing Horses
Authors: PERKINS JUSTIN D. , SCHUMACHER JIM , KELLY GER , POLLOCK PATRICK , HARTY MARIE
Published: November 2005

Objective— To describe and evaluate subtotal ostectomy of dorsal spinous processes (DSP) performed in standing horses.

Study Design— Retrospective study.

Sample Population— Nine adult horses.

Methods— The diseased portions of the DSP were removed with the horses standing and sedated after infiltrating a local anesthetic agent around the affected DSP. Medical records of affected horses were reviewed to determine history, findings of physical and radiographic examination, surgical technique, postoperative complications, and outcome.

Results— Five horses had subtotal ostectomy of DSP because of osteomyelitis, and 4 because of impingement and/or fracture of DSP. Affected portions of DSP were removed safely and effectively, with no apparent discomfort to the horses; hemorrhage was minimal.

Conclusions— Subtotal ostectomy of DSP can be performed safely in standing, conscious horses and the risks associated with general anesthesia are eliminated. Hemorrhage is minimal compared to that which occurs when the procedure is performed with horses anesthetized and in lateral recumbency.

Clinical Relevance— Access and visibility are better when subtotal ostectomy of the DSP is performed with the horse standing rather than anesthetized and in lateral recumbency. Performing subtotal ostectomy of diseased DSP with the horse standing avoids the expense and risks of general anesthesia.
Exfoliation syndrome in Nordic countries: a comparative histopathological study of Danish and Finnish eyes with absolute glaucoma and uveal melanoma
Authors: Alyahya Ghassan Ayish , Hietanen Jaana , Heegaard Steffen , Kivelä Tero , Prause Jan Ulrik
Published: November 2005

Purpose:  To compare the frequency of exfoliation syndrome (EXS) in Denmark and Finland in eyes enucleated for absolute glaucoma and uveal melanoma and to correlate these results to reported clinical prevalence rates.

Methods:  The material consisted of 304 and 39 eyes consecutively removed because of absolute glaucoma and of 240 and 149 eyes enucleated because of uveal melanoma in Denmark and Finland, respectively. Histological sections of all eyes were stained with haematoxylin‐eosin and periodic acid‐Schiff and examined under a light microscope for EXS. Diagnosis of EXS was made by the consensus of the investigators.

Results:  In absolute glaucoma eyes, EXS was observed in 12 out of 304 eyes (3.9%, 95% CI 2.1–6.8) in Denmark, and in 16 out of 39 eyes (41%, 95% CI 26–58) in Finland (p < 0.0001). In the melanoma eyes, EXS was noted in two out of 240 eyes (0.8%, 95% CI 0.1–3.0) in Denmark and in nine out of 149 eyes (6.0%, 95% CI 2.8–11) (p < 0.0037) in Finland.

Conclusions:  The frequency of EXS was significantly higher in eyes removed for absolute glaucoma and malignant melanoma in Finland than in Denmark. This supports the clinical impression that EXS is rare in Denmark compared to other Nordic countries.
Choroidal schwannoma
Authors: Lee Sang‐Hyeok , Hong Jeong‐Seok , Choi Joon‐Hyuk , Chung Wha‐Sun
Published: November 2005

Purpose:  Schwannoma is rarely encountered as an intraocular tumor arising from uveal tract. We describe a case of choroidal schwannoma.

Methods:  A 74‐year‐old woman presented with rapidly decreasing visual acuity and proptosis for 2 months. To further delineate the tumor, she underwent enucleation of the eyeball. The tumor was examined by light microscopy, electron microscopy and immunohistochemical study.

Results:  Microscopically, the tumor was composed of a mixture of cellular solid component (Antoni A) and loose myxoid component (Antoni B). Immunohistochemical study revealed a positive reaction for S‐100 protein. Ultrastructurally, the tumor cells showed prominent, continuous basal lamina.

Conclusions:  We enucleated the eyeball with a clinical diagnosis of choroidal amelanotic melanoma, but the tumor was finally diagnosed as schwannoma. We think that currently available ancillary studies are still little value in definitely differentiating schwannoma from other choroidal tumors.
Feasibility and outcome of automated static perimetry in children using continuous light increment perimetry (CLIP) and fast threshold strategy
Authors: Wabbels B. K. , Wilscher S.
Published: November 2005

Purpose:  Visual field testing in children is always a challenge as testing is hampered by fatigue effects, easy distraction and lack of comprehension. For that reason new testing strategies for automated perimetry have mainly been evaluated on adults. We tested the feasibility and outcome of automated static perimetry in children in a standard clinical setting.

Methods:  Twenty‐eight children aged 5–14 years were examined at the Twinfield perimeter, including healthy children, children with unilateral pathologies (normal eye tested) and children with strabismus. Fast threshold strategy (FT) and continuous light increment perimetry (CLIP) strategy were used in a randomized order. One eye per subject was examined and each test was performed twice.

Results:  Reliable results were obtained in many children starting from the age of 8 years. In children aged 13 years and over, adult testing strategies were possible in most cases with good reproducibility. No significant difference was found between the children with strabismus and the other children. Mean sensitivity (MS) increased and fixation losses decreased as a function of age. Continuous light increment perimetry showed a lower number of abnormal fields and fewer false‐positive errors compared to FT.

Conclusion:  Automated static perimetry is possible in many children in a clinical setting using a commercially available Twinfield perimeter in a session of clinically practical duration. Test performance was not only dependent on age, but also on the child's maturity and ability to concentrate. Especially in children up to the age of 8 years, testing with the ramp stimulus (CLIP) was easier than with a staircase strategy (FT).
Clinical characteristics of subretinal deposits in central serous chorioretinopathy
Authors: Wang Maria , Sander Birgit , La Cour Morten , Larsen Michael
Published: November 2005

Purpose:  To describe abnormal subretinal material in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).

Design:  Retrospective observational case series.

Participants:  168 consecutive patients (336 eyes) with a definite diagnosis of serous foveal detachment attributable to CSC in one or both eyes, on one or more occasions.

Methods:  Review of all cases seen during a six‐year period. Grading of the amount of subretinal material at presentation as absent, questionable, mild, moderate or severe.

Results:  Of 168 patients with CSC, 133 (79%) were men and 35 (21%) women. The median age was 45.2 years (range 22–70 yrs). The median duration of symptoms was 2 months (range 0.1–144 months). Subretinal material was found in the symptomatic eye or, in bilateral cases, in the eye that had most recently become symptomatic in 138 patients and in increasing amounts with increasing duration of symptoms (p < 0.001) but unrelated to age or sex. A substantial fraction of the material was shown by optical coherence tomography to be attached to the photoreceptor outer segments of the detached retina.

Conclusions:  Increasing amounts of subretinal material are found with increasing duration of symptoms in eyes with CSC. This suggests that early granular deposits may be composed of fragments of photoreceptor outer segments that accumulate when the phagocytosis photoreceptor outer segment material is disrupted by the serous detachment of the retina. Other possible origins that cannot be excluded include plasma proteins excluding from the choriocapillaris, inflammatory debris, and lipid exudate originating from occult choroidal neovascularization secondary to CSC.
Hierarchical relationships between borderline, schizotypal, avoidant and obsessive–compulsive personality disorders
Authors: Hopwood C. J. , Morey L. C. , Gunderson J. G. , Skodol A. E. , Tracie Shea M. , Grilo C. M. , McGlashan T. H.
Published: November 2005

Objective:  Comorbidity among personality disorders is widely considered problematic. The validity of one proposed solution, diagnostic hierarchies, was investigated in the current study with respect to borderline, schizotypal, avoidant, and obsessive–compulsive personality disorders.

Method:  One approach used discriminant functions, derived from multiple psycho‐social domains, that were used to classify comorbid individuals from the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorder study (CLPS) to explore the possibility of hierarchical precedence of one personality disorder over another. A second approach examined the incremental increase in R2‐value in predicting functioning and personality provided by each diagnosis over each other diagnosis.

Results:  Obsessive–compulsive personality disorder was consistently subordinate to other diagnoses, whereas other indications of hierarchical relationships were domain‐specific.

Conclusion:  Results indicate minimal support for an over‐arching hierarchical pattern among studied personality disorders, and suggest the inclusion of all relevant diagnoses in clinical practice.
Detection of initial caries lesions on smooth surfaces by quantitative light‐induced fluorescence and visual examination: an in vivo comparison
Authors: Heinrich‐Weltzien Roswitha , Kühnisch Jan , Ifland Susanne , Tranæus Sofia , Angmar‐Månsson Birgit , Stößer Lutz
Published: November 2005

The aim of this clinical study was to compare the outcome of quantitative laser/light‐induced fluorescence (QLF) and visual inspection (VI) for the detection of initial caries lesions on all maxillary and mandibular smooth surfaces in caries‐risk adolescents. The subjects were 34 students, mean age 15 yr. A total of 879 buccal and 882 lingual surfaces were air‐dried and visually examined at a magnification of ×3.5. Fluorescence images of each smooth surface were captured with QLF\clin equipment, and QLF software 2.00 was used to display, store, and analyse the images. Fluorescence loss (ΔF; %) and area of the lesion (A; mm2), and fluorescence loss integrated over the lesion area (ΔQ; ΔF × A; % × mm2), were determined. The presence or absence of initial caries lesions was scored using both VI and QLF. A total of 87.2% of all smooth surfaces were scored as sound or initially carious when assessed by VI+QLF in combination: 4.9% were detected by VI alone and 7.9% by QLF alone. The parameters ΔF, A, and ΔQ differed significantly between lesions registered with VI+QLF and QLF alone. It was concluded that (i) QLF seems to be a sensitive method that is suitable for the detection of visually undetected initial caries lesions; and (ii) that the clinical use of QLF is limited by several confounding factors in caries‐risk adolescents.
Melatonin attenuates diabetes‐induced oxidative stress in rabbits
Authors: Winiarska Katarzyna , Fraczyk Tomasz , Malinska Dominika , Drozak Jakub , Bryla Jadwiga
Published: November 2005

Abstract: Oxidative stress is considered to be the main cause of diabetic complications. As the role of antioxidants in diabetes therapy is still underestimated, the aim of the present investigation was to study the antioxidative action of melatonin in comparison withN‐acetylcysteine (NAC) under diabetic conditions. Alloxan‐diabetic rabbits were treated daily with either melatonin (1 mg/kg, i.p.), NAC (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline. Blood glutathione redox state and serum hydroxyl free radicals (HFR), creatinine and urea levels were monitored. After 3 wk of treatment animals were killed and HFR content, reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) ratio as well as the activities of glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase andγ‐glutamylcysteine synthetase were estimated in both liver and kidney cortex. Diabetes evoked a several‐fold increase in HFR levels accompanied by a significant decline in GSH/GSSG ratio in serum and the examined organs. In contrast to NAC, melatonin (at 1/10 the dose of NAC) attenuated diabetes‐induced alterations in glutathione redox state and HFR levels, normalized creatinine concentration and diminished urea content in serum. Moreover, the indole resulted in an increase in glutathione reductase activity in both studied organs and in a rise in glutathione peroxidase andγ‐glutamylcysteine synthetase activities in the liver. In contrast to NAC, melatonin seems to be beneficial for diabetes therapy because of its potent antioxidative and nephroprotective action. The indole‐induced increase in the activities of the enzymes of glutathione metabolism might be of importance for antioxidative action of melatonin under diabetic conditions.
Parallel signaling pathways of melatonin in the pancreatic β‐cell
Authors: Peschke Elmar , Bach Andreas G. , Mühlbauer Eckhard
Published: November 2005

Abstract: Previous results demonstrated that melatonin inhibits cAMP production and stimulates IP3liberation in rat insulinoma INS1 cells, a model for the pancreaticβ‐cell. This study addresses the impact of melatonin on insulin release. Insulin, cAMP and IP3levels of INS1 cells in a superfusion system were measured. Initially, forskolin was used to stimulate cAMP and subsequently insulin release. Incubation of forskolin (5 μmol/L)‐stimulated cells with melatonin (100 nmol/L) inhibited cAMP and insulin levels (down to 60% of insulin and cAMP release). The Giα‐protein‐inhibitor pertussis toxin (PTX) was used to distinguish between the Giα‐dependent cAMP pathway and the Giα‐independent IP3pathway. In our experiments we employed a specific stimulation pattern to prove proper inhibition of Giα‐proteins by PTX. In INS1 cells incubated with 250 ng/mL PTX for 24 hr, melatonin was no longer able to inhibit the forskolin‐induced cAMP and insulin release. In a study, carbachol was used to stimulate IP3and subsequently insulin release. Surprisingly, incubation of carbachol (300 μmol/L)‐stimulated cells with melatonin (100 nmol/L) inhibited insulin release (down to 75% of insulin release). Finally, in PTX‐incubated INS1 cells, melatonin (100 nmol/L) increased carbachol (300 μmol/L)‐induced insulin release (up to 124% of insulin release). In conclusion, we found that the melatonin MT1‐receptor on pancreaticβ‐cells is coupled to parallel signaling pathways, with opposite influences on insulin secretion. The cAMP‐ and subsequently insulin‐inhibiting signaling pathway involves PTX‐sensitive Giα‐proteins and is predominant in terms of insulin release.
Integrin Trafficking and the Control of Cell Migration
Authors: Caswell Patrick T. , Norman Jim C.
Published: November 2005

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the observation that certain integrin heterodimers are continually internalized from the plasma membrane into endosomal compartments and subsequently recycled back to the cell surface indicated that the endocytic and recycling pathways have the potential to exert minute‐to‐minute control over integrin function. This insight has prompted others to study the regulation of integrin trafficking in more detail. This review aims to summarize the findings of studies revealing the molecular mechanisms controlling integrin traffic, particularly those providing indications as to how these processes contribute to cell migration and tumour cell invasiveness.
Evidence for a Novel Mutualism in the Tropical Understory Shrub Piper urostachyum1
Authors: Hodson Amanda Kaye , Gastreich Karin Rita
Published: November 2005

We tested the impact of a predatory species of the family Miridae (Hemiptera) on its host plant Piper urostachyum (Piperaceae) by comparing folivory in mirid‐excluded plants and controls. We also tested the effect of resident anyphaenid spiders on mirid behavior and levels of folivory. Plants without mirids suffered significantly more folivory than plants with mirids. The impact of spider removal was less clear. Together, these results support the idea that resident mirids serve in anti‐herbivore defense for P. urostachyum plants.
Figs (Ficus, Moraceae) in Urban Hong Kong, South China1
Authors: Corlett Richard T.
Published: November 2005

Hong Kong (22°N) is on the northern margins of the Asian tropics and has a native fig flora of 24 species. A total of 3.4 km2 of the urban area on Hong Kong Island was surveyed for spontaneous and planted fig plants of reproductive size. The 1124 individuals included 14 species in four subgenera: seven native species (F. fistulosa, F. hirta, F. hispida, F. microcarpa, F. pumila, F. subpisocarpa, and F. variegata), four of which were sometimes planted, one probably native (F. virens), one naturalizing species (F. religiosa), and five exotic species that occurred only in cultivation, two of which (F. altissima, F. rumphii) are pollinated and produce viable seeds. The native species in the two most common subgenera form distinct ecological guilds: those in subgenus Sycomorus bear large, many‐seeded, green or yellow figs and are bat‐dispersed pioneers on exposed soil; those in subgenus Urostigma bear small, few‐seeded, dark‐purple figs and are largely bird‐dispersed and epilithic. The density of potentially fruiting fig plants in the study area (2.3/ha) was within the range reported for tropical forests and between them they were visited by the entire urban frugivore fauna. This study shows the importance of the urban fig flora to urban wildlife and also highlights the risk of cultivated Ficus species becoming invasive, despite their obligate species‐specific pollinator mutualisms.
The Empire Meets the New Deal: Interwar Encounters in Conservation and Regional Planning
Authors: POWELL J.M.
Published: November 2005

British imperial and American experiences in conservation and planning are providing fresh interdisciplinary challenges for university teaching and research. The Roosevelt administration's ‘New Deal’ included government‐sponsored interventions in soil erosion and water management and sophisticated regional development agendas. Reviewing samples of the latter areas of concern, this article explores the proposition that, although the British Empire was scarcely bereft of comparable interwar programmes and was becoming somewhat preoccupied with centrifugal tendencies, persistent porosity, exhausting struggles with postwar reconstruction, and comprehensive economic depression, New Deal evangelism was in fact variously anticipated, harnessed, challenged and ignored.

A discussion of widely separated national and regional examples locates a layered interplay between uneven imperial and US pulsations, independent local manoeuvres, and critical inputs from key individual agents. The most important filters included the presence of comparatively robust bureaucratic infrastructures and the cultivation of international relationships by scientists and technologists. Encounters with convergent revisionism suggest cautionary leads for students, researchers and teachers alike. Reconstructions of selected contexts underline the presence of familiar posturing, opportunism, and astute patriotic deployment during the emergence of modern styles of globalization.
Typologies of Advantage and Disadvantage: Socio‐economic Outcomes in Australian Metropolitan Cities
Authors: BAUM SCOTT , HAYNES MICHELLE , GELLECUM YOLANDA VAN , HAN HOON
Published: November 2005

Australia's metropolitan cities have undergone significant social, economic and demographic change over the past several decades. In terms of socio‐economic advantage and disadvantage these changes, which are often associated with globalisation, wider economic and technological restructuring, the changing demographics of the population and shifts in public policy are not evenly dispersed across cities, but represent a range of often contrasting outcomes. The current paper develops a typology of socio‐economic advantage and disadvantage for locations across Australian metropolitan cities. More specifically, the paper takes a range of Australian Bureau of Statistics data and uses a model‐based approach with clustering of data represented by a parameterised Gaussian mixture model and discriminant analysis utilised to consider the differences between the clusters. These clusters form the basis of a typology representing the range of socio‐economic and demographic outcomes at the local community level.
Dietary supplements: Characteristics of supplement users in New Zealand
Authors: Smith Claire , Wilson Noela C. , Parnell Winsome R.
Published: November 2005

(Nutr Diet 2005;62:123–129)

Objective:  To determine the characteristics of adult New Zealand (NZ) supplement users.

Design:  Secondary data analysis of a cross‐sectional national survey.

Subjects:  A total of 4636 adults aged 15 years and above.

Setting:  Homes throughout NZ.

Methods:  The National Nutrition Survey (NNS97), linked to the NZ Health Survey, had a multistage sampling design providing a representative sample of the NZ population aged 15 years and above. Secondary data analysis using logistic regression was used to determine characteristics of dietary supplement users (n = 2749) by a range of demographic, lifestyle and dietary variables.

Results:  Income, marital status, Index of Deprivation (NZDep96 quartile) and place of residence were not independently associated with dietary supplement use. The odds of consuming dietary supplements over the previous year was increased in younger adults. Participants in the ‘NZ European and others’ ethnic group were the most likely to be supplement consumers compared with Māori and Pacific participants. Dietary intakes from food, for folate, riboflavin (males), vitamin C (females), niacin (females), dietary fibre (females) and calcium (males) were significantly higher in supplement users.

Conclusions:  NZ supplement users are characteristically female, of ‘NZ European and others’ descent, well educated and relatively young. Nutrient intake from foods and beverages alone was adequate for those individuals who chose to include supplements in their diet.
Bioavailability of long‐chain omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid enriched luncheon meats
Authors: Volker Dianne H. , Weng Xingying , Quaggiotto Paul
Published: November 2005

(Nutr Diet 2005;62:130–137)

Objective:  To determine the acute and chronic effects of low doses of long chain (LC) n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on plasma LC n‐3 PUFA levels.

Design:  In the acute study, six healthy omnivores, avoiding fish meals on the day prior to the study, provided a fasting blood sample initially and post prandially at four hours. In the chronic study, 12 healthy subjects provided a fasting blood sample at baseline and three weeks after daily consumption of the test food.

Main outcome measures:  Plasma non‐esterified fatty acid and phospholipid LC n‐3 PUFA composition.

Statistical analysis:  Differences in plasma non‐esterified fatty acids and phospholipid LC n‐3 PUFA. A pre‐ and post‐consumption of the test food were assessed using paired t‐tests (spss).

Results:  The acute study demonstrated that a low dose of LC n‐3 PUFA (25% eicosapentaenoic acid and 75% docosahexaenoic acid) significantly increased eicosapentaenoic acid levels in plasma of human subjects postprandially from 0.30% to 0.42% of total non‐esterified fatty acids, a per cent change of 39% (P < 0.05). The chronic study demonstrated a significant increase in total n‐3 phospholipids from zero weeks (5.48% of total fatty acids) to three weeks (7.92% of total fatty acids), representing a per cent increase of 44% (P = 0.006). The n‐6 to n‐3 ratio of LC PUFA phospholipids demonstrated a significant reduction from 5.1 at zero weeks to 4.07 at three weeks, representing a reduction of 20% (P = 0.006).

Conclusions:  These findings demonstrate the bioavailability of LC n‐3 PUFA consumed as a low‐fat omega‐3‐enriched luncheon meat.
Does scientific evidence support the use of non‐prescription supplements for treatment of acute menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes?
Authors: Hanna Katherine , Day Alice , O'Neill Sheila , Patterson Carla , Lyons‐Wall Philippa
Published: November 2005

(Nutr Diet 2005;62:138–151)

The objective of the present review was to critically evaluate the scientific evidence for efficacy of non‐prescription supplements (NPS) available for treatment of acute menopausal symptoms; and where available, to identify constituents, specify dosage, propose mechanisms and indicate safety concerns. A Medline search identified 24 clinical trials assessing efficacy of seven NPS for treatment of hot flushes in symptomatic menopausal women; 19 were randomised placebo‐controlled trials. Articles were located on black cohosh, dong quai, evening primrose oil, ginseng, isoflavonoid phytoestrogens (from red clover or soy) and sage. Evidence for each NPS was tabulated according to study design and menopausal outcomes. Findings from 13 randomised placebo‐controlled trials, using isoflavonoids from red clover or soy, demonstrated significant efficacy for six studies (46%) with reductions in moderate to severe flushes by 10–44% compared with placebo; seven studies (54%) reported no significant improvements. In vitro studies indicate that isoflavonoids have significant oestrogenic activity, providing a supporting mechanism. One controlled trial reported that an extract of sage and alfalfa significantly reduced severe hot flushes by 60% compared with placebo. Two controlled trials reported that black cohosh improved overall menopause symptom scores; however, no data were available specifically on hot flushes. In conclusion, evidence from a small number of placebo‐controlled trials suggested that further research is warranted to test efficacy of red clover, soy, sage and black cohosh for treatment of hot flushes in menopausal women. To date, controlled trials do not support use of dong quai, evening primrose oil and ginseng for treatment of hot flushes.
Paradigm shifts in the history of dietary advice in Australia
Authors: Santich Barbara
Published: November 2005

(Nutr Diet 2005;62:152–157)

Dietary advice in Australia, understood as recommendations as to a ‘better’ way of eating directed to the general population, has changed significantly as a result of advances in nutritional science and, in accordance with the structure of scientific revolutions outlined by Thomas Kuhn, by a series of ‘paradigm shifts’. These occur when the existing theory or paradigm becomes inadequate to explain observations or research findings and is discarded in favour of a new paradigm. In the history of dietary advice in Australia, paradigm shifts are associated with the discovery of vitamins at the beginning of the twentieth century and recognition of the role of fat in heart disease in the second half of the twentieth century. In both instances, a consequence of the paradigm shift was dramatic changes in dietary advice. While research has played, and continues to play, a significant role in the shaping of dietary advice, the direction of nutrition research is increasingly influenced by commercial considerations, which has implications for future dietary advice.
Marketing the dietetics profession to consumers and stakeholders: A social and professional imperative
Authors: Burton Suzan , Freeman Jane
Published: November 2005

(Nutr Diet 2005;62:158–160)

In the present paper we argue that despite the potential impact of dietetic practice on public health, the use of professional dietetic services appears to be stagnant. To redress this position, dietitians may need to increase their use of marketing activities to promote the value of the profession. We discuss the different roles of the Dietitians Association of Australia and of individual members in marketing activities, provide an overview of the key components of a marketing plan and strategy, and outline specific steps that dietitians can take to actively promote their services. We argue that promotion of the dietetic profession may ultimately contribute to better health through nutrition for the Australian population.
Effects of landscape composition and substrate availability on saproxylic beetles in boreal forests: a study using experimental logs for monitoring assemblages
Authors: Gibb Heloise , Hjältén Joakim , P. Ball John , Atlegrim Ola , Pettersson Roger B. , Hilszczański Jacek , Johansson Therese , Danell Kjell
Published: November 2005

Intensive forestry practises in the Swedish landscape have led to the loss and fragmentation of stable old‐growth habitats. We investigated relationships between landscape composition at multiple scales and the composition of saproxylic beetle assemblages in nine clear‐cut, mature managed and old‐growth spruce‐dominated forest stands in the central boreal zone of Sweden. We set out fresh spruce and birch logs and created spruce snags in 2001–2002 to experimentally test the effects of coarse woody debris (CWD) type and forest management on the composition of early and late successional, and red‐listed saproxylic beetle assemblages. We examined effects of CWD availability at 100 m, and landscape composition at 1 and 10 km on saproxylic beetle abundances. Additionally, we tested whether assemblage similarity decreased with increasing distance between sites. We collected beetles from the experimental logs using eclector and window traps in four periods during 2003. CWD was measured and landscape composition data was obtained from maps of remotely sensed data. The composition of saproxylic beetles differed among different CWD substrates and between clear‐cuts and the older stand types, however differences between mature managed and old‐growth forests were significant only for red‐listed species. Assemblage similarities for red‐listed species on clear‐cuts were more different at greater distances apart, indicating that they have more localised distributions. CWD availability within 100 m of the study sites was rarely important in determining the abundance of species, suggesting that early successional saproxylic beetles can disperse further than this distance. At a larger scale, a large area of suitable stand types within both 1 and 10 km resulted in greater abundances in the study sites for several common and habitat‐specific species. The availability of suitable habitat at scales of 1–10 km is thus likely to be important in the survival of many saproxylic species in forestry‐fragmented areas.
Combining information from range use and habitat selection: sex‐specific spatial responses to habitat fragmentation in tawny owls Strix aluco
Authors: Sunde Peter , M. Redpath Stephen
Published: November 2005

How individuals respond to habitat heterogeneity is usually measured as variation in range size and by ranking the relative importance of habitat types (habitat selection). The combined effect of how individuals incorporate different habitat types in their home ranges and allocate their time budget between them is rarely derived. Additionally, when home range size varies between individuals, habitat selection analyses might be flawed if foraging decisions are based on variation in absolute rather than proportional availability. We investigated the suitability of standard analytical approaches by measuring the spatial responses of tawny owls to habitat fragmentation. These owls inhabited woodland of various sizes, representing a fragmentation gradient from open farmland with small, isolated woodland patches, to continuous woodland within their home ranges. In 17 territories within open farmland, the available area covered by woodland increased with the square root of the area of open land embraced in the home range. The owls did not display functional response in habitat selection, but females selected woodland more strongly than males. Females utilised woodland 10 times more intensively in farmland than in continuous woods, whereas males utilised farmland woods 3.2 times more intensively. Moreover, females in farmland exploited woodland 3.2 times as intensively as males, apparently because of higher travel costs in open areas. Since the extensive variation in intensity of use as a function of total availability was not indicated from the analysis of habitat selection, we suggest that information about intensity of use be more widely used as a supplementary measure of habitat use patterns than appears to be the practice at present.
Neurones associated with saccade metrics in the monkey central mesencephalic reticular formation
Authors: Cromer Jason A. , Waitzman David M.
Published: November 2005

Neurones in the central mesencephalic reticular formation (cMRF) begin to discharge prior to saccades. These long lead burst neurones interact with major oculomotor centres including the superior colliculus (SC) and the paramedian pontine reticular formation (PPRF). Three different functions have been proposed for neurones in the cMRF: (1) to carry eye velocity signals that provide efference copy information to the SC (feedback), (2) to provide duration signals from the omnipause neurones to the SC (feedback), or (3) to participate in the transformation from the spatial encoding of a target selection signal in the SC into the temporal pattern of discharge used to drive the excitatory burst neurones in the pons (feed‐forward). According to each respective proposal, specific predictions about cMRF neuronal discharge have been formulated. Individual neurones should: (1) encode instantaneous eye velocity, (2) burst specifically in relation to saccade duration but not to other saccade metrics, or (3) have a spectrum of weak to strong correlations to saccade dynamics. To determine if cMRF neurones could subserve these multiple oculomotor roles, we examined neuronal activity in relation to a variety of saccade metrics including amplitude, velocity and duration. We found separate groups of cMRF neurones that have the characteristics predicted by each of the proposed models. We also identified a number of subgroups for which no specific model prediction had previously been established. We found that we could accurately predict the neuronal firing pattern during one type of saccade behaviour (visually guided) using the activity during an alternative behaviour with different saccade metrics (memory guided saccades). We suggest that this evidence of a close relationship of cMRF neuronal discharge to individual saccade metrics supports the hypothesis that the cMRF participates in multiple saccade control pathways carrying saccade amplitude, velocity and duration information within the brainstem.
Neuropsin is essential for early processes of memory acquisition and Schaffer collateral long‐term potentiation in adult mouse hippocampus in vivo
Authors: Tamura Hideki , Ishikawa Yasuyuki , Hino Noriko , Maeda Maoko , Yoshida Shigeru , Kaku Shinsuke , Shiosaka Sadao
Published: November 2005

Long‐term potentiation (LTP) is thought to be particularly important in the acquisition of hippocampus‐associated memory, in part because it develops quickly and persists for indefinite periods. Extracellular proteolysis has been hypothesized to contribute to LTP by modifying adhesive relations of synapses and thus the morphology of excitatory synapses. Here we report that neuropsin (NP), an extracellular serine protease, is critically involved in the formation of both the potentiation effect and hippocampus‐dependent forms of memory. NP‐knockout mice were significantly impaired in the Morris water maze and Y‐mazes and failed to exhibit early phase LTP induced by a single tetanus. Potentiation was also impaired or completely blocked by in vivo application of a specific inhibitor or a neutralizing monoclonal antibody for NP. Intriguingly, recombinant (r‐) NP alone, without tetanic stimulation, elicited either long‐lasting potentiation or depression, depending on the applied dose. The r‐NP‐elicited potentiation was occluded by prior induction of LTP, while theta‐burst‐elicited LTP was occluded by application of r‐NP alone, suggesting that the two forms of plasticity have a common signalling pathway. r‐NP‐elicited potentiation and depression increased phosphorylation at different sites on the GluR1 subunit of the AMPA receptor that had previously been associated with LTP or long‐term depression. Thus, we conclude that NP is necessary for establishment of LTP and has a significant role in memory acquisition.
Thermogenic responsiveness to β‐adrenergic stimulation is augmented in exercising versus sedentary adults: role of oxidative stress
Authors: Bell Christopher , Stob Nicole R. , Seals Douglas R.
Published: November 2005

β‐Adrenergic receptor (β‐AR) modulation of resting and postprandial energy expenditure (EE) is augmented in regularly exercising compared with sedentary adults, but the underlying physiological mechanisms are unknown. Differences in thermogenic responsiveness to β‐AR stimulation, perhaps secondary to reactive oxygen species (ROS) bioactivity, may be involved. To determine habitual exercise‐related differences in β‐AR thermogenic responsiveness and the possible influence of ROS, we measured the percentage increase in EE (ΔEE%; indirect calorimetry, ventilated hood method) above resting EE in response to non‐specific β‐AR stimulation (intravenous isoproterenol (isoprenaline): 6, 12 and 24 ng (kg fat‐free mass)−1 min−1) in 25 sedentary (11 males; 51 ± 4 years; body mass index 25.0 ± 0.8 kg m−2, maximal oxygen uptake 29 ± 1 ml kg−1 min−1 (mean ±s.e.m.)) and 14 habitually aerobic exercising (9 males, 46 ± 6 years, 23.1 ± 0.7 kg m−2, 44 ± 3 ml kg−1 min−1) healthy adults under normal (control) conditions and during acute intravenous administration of a potent antioxidant, ascorbic acid (vitamin C; 0.04 g (kg fat‐free mass)−1). ΔEE% was greater (P= 0.02) in the habitually exercising (8.6 ± 1.2, 12.9 ± 1.2, 20.0 ± 1.4) versus sedentary (6.3 ± 0.7, 10.4 ± 0.8, 16.0 ± 1.0) adults. Ascorbic acid increased (P= 0.01) ΔEE% only in the sedentary adults (to 9.5 ± 0.9, 12.4 ± 0.7, 18.5 ± 0.8), abolishing baseline group differences. ΔEE% was not related to the amount of body fat, sex, or any other baseline characteristic. Thermogenic responsiveness to β‐AR stimulation is augmented in habitually exercising adults. The mechanism is ascorbic acid dependent, suggesting that it may be linked to decreased ROS bioactivity. Our findings advance a novel mechanism by which habitual physical activity may modulate EE in humans, with potential implications for energy balance and body weight control.
Cholinergic control of excitability of spinal motoneurones in the salamander
Authors: Chevallier Stéphanie , Nagy Frédéric , Cabelguen Jean‐Marie
Published: November 2005

The cholinergic modulation of the electrical properties of spinal motoneurones was investigatedin vitro, with the use of the whole‐cell patch‐clamp recording technique in lumbar spinal cord slices from juvenile urodeles (Pleurodeles waltlii). Bath application of acetylcholine (20 μm) with eserine (20 μm) induced an increase in the resting membrane potential, a decrease of the input resistance, a decrease of the action potential amplitude, and a reduction of the medium afterhyperpolarization (mAHP) that followed each action potential. Moreover, the firing rate of motoneurones during a depolarizing current pulse and the slope of their stimulus current–spike frequency relation were increased. All of these effects were mimicked by extracellular application of muscarine (20 μm), and blocked by application of the muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine (0.1–1 μm). They were not observed during bath application of nicotine (10 μm). These results suggest that the cholinergic modulation of spinal motoneurone excitability was mediated by activation of muscarinic receptors. Our results further show that the muscarinic action primarily resulted from a reduction of the Ca2+‐activated K+current responsible for the mAHP, an inhibition of the hyperpolarization‐activated cation current,Ih, and an enhancement of the inward rectifying K+current,IKir. We conclude that cholinergic modulation can contribute significantly to the production of motor behaviour by altering several ionic conductances responsible for the repetitive discharge of motoneurones.
Simulation of Ca2+ persistent inward currents in spinal motoneurones: mode of activation and integration of synaptic inputs
Authors: ElBasiouny Sherif M. , Bennett David J. , Mushahwar Vivian K.
Published: November 2005

The goal of this study was to investigate the nature of activation of the dendritic calcium persistent inward current (Ca2+ PIC) and its contribution to the enhancement and summation of synaptic inputs in spinal motoneurones. A compartmental cable model of a cat α‐motoneurone was developed comprising the realistic dendritic distribution of Ia‐afferent synapses and low‐voltage‐activated L‐type calcium (Cav1.3) channels distributed over the dendrites in a manner that was previously shown to match a wide set of experimental measurements. The level of synaptic activation was systematically increased and the resulting firing rate, somatic and dendritic membrane potentials, dendritic Cav1.3 channel conductance, and dendritic Ca2+ PIC were measured. Our simulation results suggest that during cell firing the dendritic Ca2+ PIC is not activated in an all‐or‐none manner. Instead, it is initially activated in a graded manner with increasing synaptic input until it reaches its full activation level, after which additional increases in synaptic input result in minimal changes in the Ca2+ PIC (PIC saturated). The range of graded activation of Ca2+ PIC occurs when the cell is recruited and causes a steep increase in the firing frequency as the synaptic current is increased, coinciding with the secondary range of the synaptic frequency–current (F–I) relationship. Once the Ca2+ PIC is saturated the slope of the F–I relationship is reduced, corresponding to the tertiary range of firing. When the post‐spike afterhyperpolarization (AHP) is blocked, either directly by blocking the calcium‐activated potassium channels, or indirectly by blocking the sodium spikes, the PIC is activated in an all‐or‐none manner with increasing synaptic input. Thus, the AHP serves to limit the depolarization of the cell during firing and enables graded, rather than all‐or‐none, activation of the Ca2+ PIC. The graded activation of the Ca2+ PIC with increasing synaptic input results in a graded (linear) enhancement and linear summation of synaptic inputs. In contrast, the saturated Ca2+ PIC enhances synaptic inputs by a constant amount (constant current), and leads to less‐than linear summation of multiple synaptic inputs. These model predictions improve our understanding of the mode of activation of the dendritic Ca2+ PIC and its role in the enhancement and integration of synaptic inputs.
Single‐unit analysis of sympathetic nervous discharges in patients with panic disorder
Authors: Lambert Elisabeth , Hotchkin Elodie , Alvarenga Marlies , Pier Ciaran , Richards Jeffrey , Barton David , Dawood Tye , Esler Murray , Lambert Gavin
Published: November 2005

Patients with panic disorder are at increased cardiac risk. While the mechanisms responsible remain unknown, activation of the sympathetic nervous system may be implicated. Using isotope dilution methodology, investigations of whole‐body and regional sympathetic nervous activity have failed to show any differences between patients with panic disorder and healthy subjects. Using direct recording of single unit efferent sympathetic vasoconstrictor nerve activity by microneurography we examined sympathetic nervous function in patients with panic disorder more precisely than previously reported. The activity of multiunit and single unit vasoconstrictor sympathetic nerves was recorded at rest at the level of the peroneal nerve in 10 patients diagnosed with panic disorder and in nine matched healthy volunteers. Multiunit sympathetic activity was not different between the two groups (26 ± 3 bursts min−1 in patients with panic disorder and 28 ± 3 bursts min−1 in controls). The firing frequency of single unit vasoconstrictor neurones was also similar between the two groups (0.38 ± 0.09 versus 0.22 ± 0.03 Hz). However, the probability of firing during a sympathetic burst was higher in patients with panic disorder compared with healthy controls (45 ± 5%versus 32 ± 3%, P < 0.05). When only the neural bursts during which the vasoconstrictor neurone was active were considered, we found that in patients with panic disorder the neurones tended to fire more often in a ‘multiple spike’ pattern than in the controls (i.e. the probability of the neurone firing twice was 25 ± 3% in patients with panic disorder compared with 14 ± 3% in controls). Quantification from single vasoconstrictor unit recording provides evidence of a disturbed sympathetic firing pattern in patients with panic disorder.